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Ellen De Generes Olympics Media

Ellen DeGeneres’ Usain Bolt meme courts Twitter backlash as presenter responds to ‘racism’ allegations

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By Rebecca Stewart, Trends Editor

August 17, 2016 | 4 min read

US chat show host Ellen DeGeneres has responded to controversy on Twitter after sharing a Photoshopped image of herself riding on the back of Olympic champion Usain Bolt.

Ellen Usain Bolt Racism Row Twitter

Ellen posted the altered image of herself and Bolt on Monday evening

On Monday (15 August) the TV star tweeted an altered version of Getty’s iconic image of Bolt smiling during Sunday's 100m men’s semi-finals at the Olympics. She captioned the picture: “This is how I’m running errands from now on #Rio2016.”

Users were quick to accuse DeGeneres of “racism” over the post, dubbing it “offensive” and “racist garbage.” One user wrote: "Imagine a white man Photoshop himself riding Elaine Thompson.”

The presenter's fans, meanwhile, were quick to support her – with one noting that the tweet was simply "insensitive".

DeGeneres posted a second tweet yesterday (17 August) that indirectly addressed the accusations against her. Saying racism was the "furthest thing," from who she was.

The original image of Bolt racing to the finish line with ease has been shared thousands of times since Sunday evening.

Ellen De Generes Olympics Media

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