Amber Riley is speaking out after a tense and uncomfortable ‘racist’ encounter while walking her dog in her neighborhood, sharing the experience in detail on X and sparking widespread conversation online.
The actress and singer-songwriter said the incident unfolded during a routine walk when a woman approached her and began questioning her about dog waste in the area. According to Riley, the woman complained that someone wasn’t picking up after their dog, even though Riley says she had clear poop bags visible on her leash.
In her post, Riley described how the situation escalated as the woman attempted to engage her more directly. She wrote, “On my walk yesterday, this white lady really tried to bait me into an argument about my dog – ing. ‘Someone in the area is letting their dog poop on lawns and not picking it up.’ You could clearly SEE my poop bags on my leash. She tried to grill me about where I lived, etc. I let her talk to the side of my face until she drove away.”
Riley added that a man, whom she believed to be the woman’s son, was also in the car during the encounter. She said she stayed aware of her surroundings throughout the interaction but chose not to engage verbally, writing, “There was a white man in the car with her, I’m assuming her son. Wasn’t gonna fully turn my back cuz I’m not stupid. I didn’t say not ONE WORD.”
Reflecting further on the moment, Riley said she believed the situation was intentionally escalated. She wrote, “This is the game; they want to bait you into an argument to get you out of character so they can cry self-defense. Don’t give it to them. The more I ignored her, the more pissed off she got. Don’t waste your energy and always have something to protect yourself.”
She ended her comments by placing the experience in a broader context, saying, “This is the world we have always lived in, it’s just getting louder and louder now.”
Riley’s account has since circulated widely online, with many users weighing in on her approach to handling the situation.
