“Grounds For Divorce”: Olympian Noah Lyles Slammed For His Reaction To Fiancée’s Wedding Dress

Track-and-field Olympians Noah Lyles and Junelle Bromfield got married on April 4, 2026, after dating for seven years.

Lyles, 28, is an American sprint and relay specialist with eight world championships and an Olympic gold won in the 100m race at the 2024 Paris Games.

Bromfield, 28, is a Jamaican sprinter who won a bronze medal for the 4 × 400m relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Ahead of the wedding, Bromfield surprised Lyles with the first look at her bridal gown, and Lyles’ reaction did not sit well with the internet.

“If this is going to be the start of things to come and a possible lifetime of being belittled and ridiculed, run girl, run for your life…. away from him,” one user wrote.

Noah Lyles admitted he was nervous during his first look at wife-to-be Junelle Bromfield’s wedding dress

Image credits: Getty/Hannah Peters

Before the wedding, the couple sat down for an interview with Vogue, where they delved into how they started dating.

Lyles told the outlet that Bromfield sent him an Instagram message in 2018, and from there, they met, dated, and eventually fell in love. They currently live and train together in Florida.

The two got engaged in October 2024 and exchanged vows a year and a half later at The Conservatory at Blackberry Ridge in Trenton, Georgia.

Image credits: Stan Lo Photography

The bride and groom’s attire reflected the event’s theme, “All Shades of Melanin,” which is why Bromfield chose a bridal ball gown from the Jamaican-owned brand Pantora Bridal. The dress had a princess-style, flared-out skirt with lace detailing, jeweled accents, and an asymmetrical shoulder strap.

Celebrity photographer Stanley Babb, who covered the wedding, shared a video on social media of the moment when Bromfield stepped out in the gown and tapped Lyles on the shoulder for the first look.

Image credits: Stan Lo Photography

“Oh, wow. Okay,” Lyles began after turning around. “I didn’t think you would go with the princess dress … I didn’t see you in a princess dress.”

“This is good. Dang! That’s a train,” he continued. “We’re supposed to spin in this?”

“No, we’ll pin it up,” Bromfield offered. She then reached out for Lyles, who took her hands and said that he was nervous. After sharing a few quiet words, the pair broke out in laughter.

Image credits: TikTok/stanlophotography

The video ended with the couple embracing.

“Nerves were k*lling me,” Bromfield commented under the video. “I honestly did not know what type of dress Noah would like, but I know he hates mermaid dresses.”

The internet was not impressed with Noah Lyles’ reaction to Junelle Bromfield’s bridal gown

@stanlophotography Noah really loved Junelle’s beautiful princess inspired dress 🤎🥰 #noahlyles#thelyes#weddingdress♬ original sound – Stanlo Photography

Noah Lyles’ response drew severe backlash online, as viewers dragged him for not praising his fiancée and having a seemingly unenthusiastic reaction.

“You could tell she was disappointed by his reaction,” one user said. “She looked like she was going to cry for a second.”

“Insensitive, to say the least,” a second said. A third wrote, “I would have canceled the wedding.”

A fourth commented, “All he needed to say was, ‘You look beautiful!’ My heart hurts for her. I’d be about to cry myself.”

“If this were my daughter, I’d definitely want her to re-evaluate everything,” said another.

“Seems like a preview of the marriage,” voiced one more. “She will get sharp, unnecessary criticism for benign personal choices.”

“As a wedding photographer of 15 years, this is an interesting reaction,” an individual said.

Content creator Shawnda, who calls herself a “Christian dating coach for women” on Instagram, pointed out that Lyles’ lack of compliments was telling.

Image credits: TikTok/nojo18

“His first look is all critique and no compliments,” Shawnda broke down the video. “There was no ‘you look beautiful’ or ‘I can’t wait to marry you.’”

“The last thing that a bride wants after putting all that energy into hair, makeup, dress, all of that, is for you to laugh at her face.”

Former Canadian triple jumper and model Divya Biswal said in a reel, “As someone who had a first look and whose husband was in tears, I do feel for her a little bit… I hope they’re very happy, but I did feel a little bit sad for her.”

@nojo18A Black Love Story Come To Life♬ original sound – Noah Lyles

However, contrary to internet speculation, Lyles did not hesitate to show emotion throughout the ceremony.

In one video in which the couple said ‘I do’ and exchanged rings, Lyles was seen wiping away tears with his handkerchief.

“I already knew I was gonna cry, I just didn’t know when,” Noah told Variety. “But when Janelle read the title of her vows, I was like, ‘Oh, yep, this is the part. This is when I cry.’”

Junelle Bromfield defended her husband’s reaction amid social media outrage

Image credits: Instagram/voguebridesaustralia

After the first-look video went viral and the internet got on Noah Lyles’ case, Junelle Bromfield took to TikTok to defend her husband.

The athlete explained that the wedding had suffered multiple setbacks by the time she walked out for the first look video.

@junellelyles It was never about the dress #noahlyles#junellebromfield#wedding#firstlook♬ original sound – Junelle Lyles

First, several of her close family members, including her sisters, nieces, and a childhood best friend, were denied visas into the U.S. despite multiple visits to the Embassy.

Next, an important guest who was supposed to sit in the front row and give the opening speech could not attend. There was also the emotional weight of her mother’s passing in 2021.

Image credits: Instagram/voguebridesaustralia

“I went out there basically holding back tears,” she explained, adding that she was “overstimulated.” Lyles’ “lighthearted” reaction helped her stay calm.

“That reaction that I got from Noah is exactly what I needed because he tried to make me happy,” she explained.

Image credits: Instagram/junellebromfield

“He tried to make me talk because if he didn’t do that, I would probably be shut off that whole wedding because I was processing so much disappointment mentally and emotionally.”

As for his comments about the dress, Bromfield said that she had previously spoken to him about a mermaid-style dress to surprise him with the real one.

Image credits: Instagram/junellebromfield

Addressing the internet’s outburst over him not calling her “beautiful” in the video, Bromfield said, “Why wouldn’t he love me? I’m beautiful, I’m strong, I’m ambitious, and I’m confident, and so should you be.”

“So if it takes somebody to not say ‘you’re beautiful’ to call off an engagement or a marriage, then it wasn’t worth anything.”

“In that moment, that dress, that hair, that makeup did not matter,” she said, adding that Lyles calls her “beautiful” every day.

“All I wanted was to feel comfortable, all I wanted was to laugh, to smile, and he did exactly that.”

“He is not in love with her.” Netizens were furious over Noah Lyle’s reaction to his bride-to-be Junelle Bromfield’s wedding look

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