Sloane Stephens backs husband Jozy Altidore as Haitian-American denounces Donald Trump for "danger, shame" caused by controversial immigrant remarks

Sloane Stephens backed her husband Jozy Altidore's calls for "compassion" after Donald Trump's controversial comments. The former President claimed that Haitian immigrants are "eating the pets" of American citizens. Altidore, a Haitian-American soccer player called the comments made by Trump, "disappointing."

In an interview with NewsNation, Altidore denounced Trump's comments and said that they cause danger, embarrassment, and shame to the Haitian community in America.

A post about the interview was uploaded on X (formerly Twitter) and to back her husband, Stephens reposted it.

Sloane Stephens reposts an update on X.

In the first presidential debate against Democrat Kamala Harris, Trump controversially remarked:

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in. They’re eating the cats... They’re eating — they’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country. And it’s a shame.”

A fact-check quickly debunked Trump's claims, finding no evidence to support them. The claim originated from a social media post but has not been substantiated.

Altidore, who faced bullying as a child due to his skin color, called Trump's comments disappointing. The 34-year-old, with over 100 appearances for the U.S. national soccer team, highlighted the harm such comments can cause to the community. Altidore said (via NewsNation):

“It’s disappointing. We see the danger it can cause, the embarrassment, the shame, and overall insecurity for an entire community,” he said.

“There’s a real lack of compassion. We have to be more conscious about what comes out of our mouths,” he added.

Further, the soccer star explained that all the Haitians who immigrated to the USA are "happy and thankful for the opportunity," however, he believes they are still "almost frowned upon at times."

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Sloane Stephens faced a sixth consecutive loss on tour in the Korea Open 1R against Hailey Baptiste

Sloane Stephens at the WTA 500 Guadalajara Open Akron (Image: Getty)

Former US Open champion, Sloane Stephens, is facing a disappointing slump in form. She was defeated in the second round of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships and has since faced first-round defeats in the Citi Open, Canadian Open, the US Open, and the Guadalajara Open Akron.

In Seoul, she faced compatriot Hailey Baptiste in the first round of the Korea Open. The American was hoping to get her first singles win under the belt since early July. However, it was not meant to be as Baptiste, who had also faced first-round exits in Washington and Akron, won the match 7-6(4), 6-2.

Stephens did receive some respite in the doubles as she partnered with Jang Su-jeong to defeat Yulia Putintseva and Ajla Tomljanovic. The American and South Korean pair will take on Miyu Kato and Zhang Shuai in the quarterfinal on 19th September.