US Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee said she received 'so much hate' for her interracial relationship with a Black man

• US Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee said she received "so much hate" for her interracial relationship.
• The Hmong American gymnast is dating Jaylin Smith, a University of Southern California football player.

US Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee said she received "so much hate" from some of the Hmong American community over her interracial relationship with a Black man.

On December 26, Lee, 18, who during the Tokyo Olympics was the first Hmong American to win an Olympic gold medal, posted photos of her and boyfriend Jaylin Smith, a football player at the University of Southern California, on Instagram. The comments of the post have since been disabled.

A post shared by Sunisa Lee (@sunisalee)

Four days later, Alix Phom, a Hmong-American social media user, posted a video on TikTok expressing his support for Lee and Smith's relationship, clapping and giving a thumbs up in front of a screenshot of Lee's Instagram post.

"I know that Sunisa will be judged by certain eyes in the Hmong Community because her man is Black," Phom captioned the December 30 video. "LOVE is LOVE, no matter what race or gender you are. Keep doing you QUEEN."

@alixphom I know that Sunisa will be judged by certain eyes in the Hmong Community because her man is Black. LOVE is LOVE, no matter what race or gender you are. Keep doing you QUEEN ✨ #hmong #hmongtiktok #hmonggirl #hmongsong #hmongcheck #hmongfyp #fyp #foryou #foryourpage ♬ H.K.I.T. - Chenning Xiong

Lee commented on Phom's video, thanking the creator and saying the video made her "so happy."

"i've recieved (sic) so much hate," Lee wrote, adding that members of the Hmong community "support me when it's beneficial for them never when it comes to my happiness."

"I gotchu you Queen, and your Kings back," Phom replied. "Let's be the change and grow our Hmong Community."

The Hmong people are an ethnic group mainly originating from the southwest China and parts of southeast Asia. According to the 2010 US Census, more than 250,000 Hmong Americans live throughout the US, with a majority residing in California and Minnesota, where Lee grew up.