The recent buzz within the MMA circles revolves around the uproar caused by UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland’s controversial remarks concerning Ian Garry and his relationship with Layla Anna-Lee.
Strickland’s comments triggered an immediate reaction from Garry, who didn’t hesitate to threaten legal action against the middleweight champion. The core of the dispute stems from Strickland’s social media post on Layla Anna-Lee’s influence over Garry, insinuating her manipulation leading to their marriage.
The heart of this controversy lies in the revelation surrounding Layla Anna-Lee and her book titled ‘How to be a WAG.’ The book advises women on relationships with professional athletes, and has sparked public scrutiny around Garry’s marriage. Some fans are amplifying the narrative that Garry might have been coerced into the relationship.
It’s essential to contextualize Anna-Lee’s book, initially part of a satire segment during her tenure as a celebrity guru. She frequently interacted with WAGs and A-list celebrities at high-profile events. Furthermore, she notably presented at the Best Fifa Football Awards in October 2017.
Addressing the recent uproar, Anna-Lee took to Instagram to clarify her book’s intent. She emphasized it was a satirical piece that was misinterpreted. She expressed disappointment that her work wasn’t perceived in the sarcastic light it was intended.
In her Instagram stories, Anna-Lee confronted the wave of negative messages and threats she received. She denounced the hate, particularly targeting her age and labeling it as unacceptable.
She emphasized the satirical nature of her content, shedding light on its creation during the FIFA World Cup as a lighthearted podcast and not a serious literary endeavor.
Using Instagram, Anna-Lee posted a series of stories in which she painstakingly addressed and refuted each claim one by one. She said:
“Looking at the hate and the majority of the clips and the comments that I’m getting… the biggest thing I’ve done wrong is age. I’ve got older and I have birthdays every year, and that’s f**king disgusting coming from a woman. Getting older is not acceptable.”
“I wrote a book on ‘How to be a WAG?’ That statement in itself is a bit of a stretch. I can hardly call myself an author of an eleven-page audio satire content written in 2010. Now the context is key because it was during the FIFA World Cup… If you want to call me an author of that, sweet! It was more of a lighthearted podcast but I was way ahead of my time.That satirical look is really silly.”
Ian Garry staunchly defends his wife’s book, asserting its pure satirical essence. Taking to Instagram, Garry wrote: “The satire book you all got lied about.”
Ian Garry is slated to compete against Vicente Luque at UFC 296 on December 16, 2023.