The controversy surrounding American athlete Jammie Booker erupted dramatically this week when leading strength-equipment brand Iron Ape cut ties with her; hours before organisers of the Official Strongman Games confirmed she had been stripped of the 2025 World’s Strongest Woman title.
Iron Ape was the first major entity to publicly distance itself from the 28-year-old athlete. In a statement released by company owner Colton Cross, the brand declared Booker “no longer affiliated” in any capacity.
“We have reason to believe that Jammie Booker misrepresented critical information to OSG officials and judges, resulting in an unfair advantage over the other competitors in the Women’s Open class,” Cross wrote.
“This is not a matter of Jammie’s gender identity. Iron Ape does not, and never will, discriminate based on gender, race, sexual orientation, or any personal characteristic.”
The announcement triggered a chain reaction that would soon redefine the podium at the world championship event held in Texas last weekend.
Shortly after the sponsorship fallout, organisers of the Official Strongman Games released a statement declaring that Booker had been disqualified and stripped of the 2025 World’s Strongest Woman title.
They claimed Booker was “biologically male” and insisted they would not have allowed her to compete in the Women’s Open category had they known this; though they have yet to present any evidence to support the assertion.
As a result, Britain’s Andrea Thompson, initially ranked second, has been crowned the new World’s Strongest Woman, ABC News reported. Australian competitor Allira-Joy Cowley, who originally placed third, has now moved up to second.
Booker has not publicly responded to her removal or the allegations around her eligibility.
The situation escalated further when explicit pornographic images, purportedly from Booker’s past, surfaced online.
Online sleuths circulated screenshots from adult films allegedly featuring Booker, claiming the images “proved” she was born male.
The leak has raised concerns about digital vigilantism, privacy violations, and the increasingly aggressive tone of gender-related disputes in sports.
Booker has not commented on the porn allegations or the claims regarding her birth sex.
Adding to the controversy, a YouTube video uploaded in September 2017 resurfaced this week. In the clip, posted to a channel believed to belong to Booker, the athlete describes herself as:
“a 21-year-old trans woman with a history of abuse, struggling to stay true to herself while under the rule of her religious parents.”
The video, long forgotten, has now become central to the online narrative around her identity and the fairness of her competition in women’s sports.