Kerri Walsh Jennings Apologizes for Anti-Mask Comments, Still Insists 'Our Freedoms Have Slowly Been Taken From Us'

Kerri Walsh Jennings has released a second message after her controversial stance on wearing a mask.

On Monday (September 8), the 42-year-old Olympic beach volleyball gold medalist shared a message on Instagram, saying that she went shopping without a mask.

“I had a little exercise in being brave yesterday & I’m still a bit edgy about it. I went shopping without a mask on 😬😳🤭 & this is why … I read a quote the other day that shook me, ‘THIS HAS NOT BEEN ENFORCED, IT’S BEEN CONSENTED TO,’” Kerri wrote. “This statement woke me up & the truth of it has had me obsessing on the matter of how I can mindfully & compassionately stand up for my rights & for the freedoms our constitution has granted us all WITHOUT being reckless or putting anyone else in danger.”

Kerri also added, “Things won’t open up and freedoms won’t come back unless we are willing to push back and stand up for them. I am willing to fight for the freedoms I have been guaranteed by my constitution.”

After her post, Kerri faced a lot of backlash, especially since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says wearing a face mask in public helps prevent the spread of the virus.

She then took to her social media to share a second message, apologizing for original statement, but said she still doesn’t believe in “the efficacy” of masks.

“My goodness gracious. To those I’ve upset so deeply, I am sorry,” Kerri started. “To those who are open to hearing where I am coming from, I appreciate your openness and civility. To those in agreement, I appreciate you expressing your views. To those calling me dumb, selfish, privileged, bigoted, and racist and telling me that ‘you are better than this’, I fully acknowledge that addressing such an emotional, layered, nuanced and polarizing topic on social media was not the smartest thing.”

“I am not advocating for people to stop wearing masks,” she added. “I wear a mask most often. I don’t believe in their efficacy unless it’s of a certain caliber, yet I wear them. I am advocating critical thinking and civility. I am advocating personal responsibility.”

You can read Kerri Walsh Jennings’ entire messages inside…