Noah Lyles’s wife reacts after fans criticize him for his reaction to seeing her in a wedding dress
U.S. track and field star Noah Lyles achieved the fastest time in the men’s 200 meters, clocking 19.91 seconds in the first heat across six “Olympic development” heats at the 2026 Tom Jones Memorial Invitational on April 17, according to the Olympics website.
Yet, this news didn’t go viral as a wedding video of his did.
The newly married gold medalist recently drew attention due to his “underwhelming” reaction upon seeing his wife, Junelle Bromfield, 28, in her wedding dress for the first time.
The controversy stems from a TikTok video Bromfield shared of her and Lyles’s first look before their April 4 wedding. In this private pre-ceremony tradition, the 28-year-old groom, dressed in a brown tuxedo and bowtie, stood with his back to the bride, awaiting the grand reveal of her wedding dress.
Turning after Bromfield touched his shoulder, he saw his bride in a white, beaded ball gown and reacted with, “Oh wow, OK. Oh wow. I didn’t think you’d go with the princess dress.”
“Why?” she responded, before he looked at the back of her dress and said: “Damn, that’s a train! And we’re supposed to spin in this?”
The Olympian calmed Bromfield’s pre-wedding jitters by complimenting the “good” appearance of their guests at the luxurious Trenton, Georgia venue, promising her that the day would be “super fun.”
The TikTok video quickly went viral, amassing over two million views, according to the Independent. In the comments section, netizens expressed criticism toward Lyles for failing to compliment his wife’s wedding dress.
“Did I miss him saying, ‘you look beautiful?’ one wrote, and a second added: “‘Oh wow, OK’ is crazy.”
“As an overthinker, this reaction would ruin my whole day, and more,” a third wrote, according to the Independent.
Others, however, defended Lyles, suggesting that the significant stress experienced by a couple on their wedding day might explain his reaction.
In a follow-up TikTok video, Bromfield responded to the criticism, clarifying that the morning of her wedding was hectic. She explained that she was “holding back tears” during the first look and trying to lift her spirits because many of her friends were unable to attend the ceremony.
The bride explained that she was “overstimulated” at that moment, and Lyles’ response to her dress was precisely what she needed.
“He tried to make me happy. He tried to make me talk,” she said. “If he did not do that, I probably would’ve been shut off the whole wedding because I was processing so much disappointment, mentally and emotionally.”
Bromfield revealed that when it came to his comments about her dress, she had initially told Lyles she would wear a form-fitting mermaid gown. However, she opted for a different wedding dress for the ceremony because Lyles “hates” that particular style.
She went on to explain that she had three outfits for the wedding, one of which was a mermaid-style dress. Regarding the princess dress, she noted, “He was very surprised that I was in a princess dress, but he liked it. And this is something that we talked about.”
The track stars had been dating for two years before getting engaged in October 2024.
READ ALSO: Noah Lyles proposes to Jamaican girlfriend Junelle Bromfield in viral video
