Woman wrongly identified as 'Phillies Karen' says she is a Red Sox fan; incident leaves true identity unresolved

A woman who says she was wrongly identified on social media as the fan seen in a viral video confronting a father over a home run ball at a Miami Marlins game posted that she was not the person in the footage and that she is a Boston Red Sox fan.

Cheryl Richardson-Wagner said in a Facebook post Saturday that she was not the woman widely labeled online as the "Phillies Karen." The footage, taken at LoanDepot Park on Friday, shows a woman berating Drew Fellwell after he handed his young son, Lincoln, a home run ball hit by outfielder Harrison Bader. The exchange drew boos from the crowd and sparked a social-media backlash as users sought to identify the woman on camera.

"Ok everyone," Richardson-Wagner wrote, "I’m NOT the crazy Philly Mom (but I sure would love to be as thin as she is and move as fast)… and I’m a Red Sox fan!"

The viral video shows a woman accusing Fellwell of taking what she said was her ball; Fellwell told reporters the ball had been given to his son as an early birthday gift after Bader’s hit. The confrontation escalated as the woman — who has not been publicly identified by authorities or Marlins officials — gestured at other fans and argued with Fellwell while members of the crowd reacted.

The Hammonton (New Jersey) Public Schools district issued a separate statement saying that the person some social-media users had identified does not work for the district. "The woman identified on social media as 'Phillies Karen' is not, and has never been an employee of the Hammonton Public Schools located in Hammonton, New Jersey," the district posted on Facebook. "Anyone who works for our school district, attended as a student or lives in our community would obviously have caught the ball bare-handed in the first place, avoiding this entire situation!"

Marlins staff and teammates tried to defuse the situation at the stadium, and the episode prompted outreach from Bader. The former New York Yankees outfielder, who is from Westchester County, met Lincoln after the incident and gave the boy a signed bat, according to accounts of the exchange. The Marlins also provided Lincoln with other team memorabilia.

So far, the person seen in the video has not been publicly identified by law enforcement or team officials, and there were no immediate reports of charges related to the incident. Social-media sleuthing and name-calling have frequently followed viral sports moments in recent years, and Richardson-Wagner’s post appeared to be an attempt to halt misidentification in this case.

Fellwell and his family did not immediately respond to requests for comment Saturday. The Marlins declined to provide further details beyond confirming that Bader had spoken with the family and that the club had offered the boy additional items following the confrontation. The incident adds to ongoing conversations about fan behavior at sporting events and the speed at which online communities attempt to identify individuals captured in viral clips.

Officials at LoanDepot Park did not announce any formal investigation publicly, and the identity of the fan who confronted Fellwell remains unresolved as online speculation continues. Richardson-Wagner’s statement and the Hammonton school district’s denial removed at least two names from consideration but did not produce a confirmed identification of the woman seen in the video.