A woman dubbed ‘Phillies Karen’ went viral after getting into a heated altercation with a man over a home run ball during Friday’s game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins. The incident, caught on video, quickly sparked a frenzy online, with social media users racing to identify the woman involved. Here’s a breakdown of what happened and the latest developments.
Phillies Karen’s identity remains unconfirmed.(X) What happened?
The confrontation took place during the Phillies’ 9–3 win at LoanDepot Park in Miami. In the fourth inning, outfielder Harrison Bader launched a home run into the left-field stands. Drew Feltwell, a father attending the game with his family, retrieved the ball and handed it to his 10-year-old son, Lincoln, in celebration of his birthday.
Moments later, a woman wearing Phillies gear stormed over, confronted the man, and demanded the ball, claiming it had been “in her hands first.” She grabbed Feltwell’s arm and argued until he reluctantly took the ball back from his son and handed it to her.
The video of the interaction quickly went viral, and the woman was soon labeled online as ‘Phillies Karen.’
‘Phillies Karen’ identified?
As the clip spread across social media, amateur detectives began speculating about the woman’s identity.
One name that gained traction was Cheryl Richardson-Wagner, but she quickly took to Facebook to deny the rumors: “OK everyone…I’m NOT the crazy Philly Mom (but I sure would love to be as thin as she is and move as fast)… and I’m a Red Sox fan.” She also changed her profile picture to the Red Sox logo.
Another name, Leslie-Ann Kravitz, also surfaced online but was similarly debunked. As of Sunday night, the woman’s real identity remains unconfirmed.
Father speaks out
Meanwhile, Drew Feltwell broke his silence in an interview with NBC10 Philadelphia on Sunday. He said he was at the game with his wife, daughter, and son, and described the moment before the confrontation: “I felt like super dad putting that ball in his glove and giving him a hug.”
Drew said he was “still in disbelief that she walked down there like that” but said he was focused on “just trying to set an example of how to de-escalate a situation in front of my son.”