White influencer says she felt ‘invisible’ during IShowSpeed’s Trinidad visit, claims reverse racism

Trinidad and Tobago: A white travel influencer known online as Zoe has sparked widespread backlash after she claimed she suffered racial discrimination in Trinidad and Tobago following the wildly popular visit of streamer IShowSpeed.

According to statements made online, Zoe alleged that the overwhelming public reaction to Speed’s arrival left her feeling “invisible” during her own travels throughout the country where she said that she had become used to receiving admiration, gifts and public attention as a foreign content creator.

The controversy erupted after clips circulated online showing massive crowds greeting the American streamer during his visit to Trinidad and other Caribbean countries. Fans flooded streets, chased motorcades, offered gifts and celebrated his arrival in scenes which quickly went viral across social media.

While reacting to the footage, Zoe argued that she did not get fair treatment and it was unequal due to the race.

“As a white woman I am used to people showering me with attention and free things every time I visit,” she reportedly said online. “When Speed, a black man, received an overwhelming welcome from black people, I just couldn't believe it. Nobody welcomes me or any white internet personality, in that manner. That is discrimination.”

She went on to frame the situation as “reverse racism,” and claimed that if a white influencer had received similar levels of public admiration, the reaction online would have been far more critical.

In a separate video discussing the controversy, Zoe questioned whether Caribbean people would have accused locals of “worshipping white people” if the celebrity drawing massive crowds had been white instead of Black.

“If he was white, the commentary would be so different,” she said. “People would be saying why do we care about his opinion?Like we don't need his opinion about our culture. and if anyone was looking like giving him something or trying to go after him to get a selfie or something, I feel like they'd be told, oh, you're stuck in this mentality of worshiping white people.”

The influencer further claimed that she filed a complaint of racial discrimination in Trinidad and Tobago and alleged that she received TTD $47,000 in damages from Trinidad and Tobago authorities. No official confirmation of any payout has been released by the government and officials have not publicly commented on the claims.

Meanwhile, online reaction to Zoe’s remarks has been overwhelmingly negative as critics are accusing her of centering herself in a moment of cultural pride as well as misunderstanding the reasons behind Speed’s popularity.

Supporters of Speed argued that the streamer’s reception had little to do with race and more to do with his global fanbase, online influence and energetic style of engagement with audiences. “Ishowspeed is a young black man doing big things... he is trending and culturally a lot of us can relate. This makes it a whole lot easier to respect and show love,” commented a local named Marlon Brathwaite.

On the other hand, several other locals slammed the influencer for being jealous and said that she made the video just to gain some fame. “Wrong thinking please don't be like that,” said one named Clement.