In the weeks following Travis Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy, everyone seems to have an opinion about the Colorado star’s relationship with his fiancée, Leanna Lenee.
That includes Nate Burleson, who told TMZ that the couple only has itself to blame for the amount of attention it’s received in recent weeks.
“It’s their business. And by that, I mean, it’s everybody else’s business because that couple put it out there,” the ex-NFL wide receiver-turned-CBS personality said. “All these clips have been put out on social media. So people are responding to Travis Hunter and his girlfriend and pulling up old clips that you, Travis, and her put out to the public. You can’t complain when people respond. That’s social media. You can’t say ‘mind your own business’ or ‘keep your opinion to yourself’ when you have shared with everybody.”
Burleson, however, prefaced his comments by stating: “You’ve gotta give Travis grace and you’ve gotta give her grace. They are both navigating these waters for the first time.”
#NateBurleson weighed in on the #TravisHunter fiancée drama out in NYC this week — and he politely pointed out the engaged couple brought it on themselves. pic.twitter.com/ZovRq6dn7T
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) December 22, 2024
For the uninitiated, the drama surrounding Hunter and Lenee stems from the Colorado cornerback/wide receiver’s Heisman Trophy acceptance speech, in which he thanked his fiancée. In the wake of the couple’s newfound spotlight, a series of viral videos emerged showing Lenee seemingly upset following the Buffaloes’ final regular season game, seemingly disinterested as Hunter received the Heisman Trophy, and seemingly annoyed as he posed for pictures with fans during a sponsorship event.
The backlash prompted both Hunter and Lenee to respond in separate videos, both of which only led to more backlash, especially as Lenee revealed new details regarding the couple’s relationship. Like Burleson, Shannon Sharpe noted that such criticism is inevitable for those in the public spotlight, especially when you’re the one openly discussing the details of your relationship in a public forum such as social media.
[TMZ]
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.