Danica Patrick Used Sherry Pollex's Death to Stir Up Controversy — Again

The Gist:

• Sherry Pollex died on Sept. 19, 2023, after a long battle with ovarian cancer.
• Martin Truex Jr. dated Sherry for 20 years before they split up in January 2023.
• NASCAR personality Danica Patrick took a dig at Martin's statement following Sherry's death.
• Fans online don't have sympathy for Danica's poorly timed jab.

Whenever a loved one passes away, it can be hard to find the words of what to say. But when celebrities lose loved ones, they’re forced to make statements and put some semblance of words together for the general public. So when Sherry Pollex died on Sept. 19, 2023, it only makes sense that her former longtime partner, NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr. would make a statement.

What doesn’t make sense, however, is NASCAR personality Danica Patrick's subsequent dig at Martin’s statement. She made a statement of her own that doesn’t even honor Sherry — all it does is take a shot at Martin. Many fans are saying that Danica’s statement was in poor taste and was completely inappropriate, but what’s the drama?

Although she wasn’t a NASCAR driver herself, Sherry was a beloved personality in the NASCAR community. She was known as racer Martin Truex Jr.’s longtime girlfriend after they started dating in 2005. In 2014, Sherry was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. This led to her very outspoken advocacy for cancer research and support, especially for children with cancer. She was unabashedly adored by everyone who knew her.

Throughout her fight, Martin stuck by her side … until January 2023. Details of their breakup are still unknown, but they both said that they remained friends. Regardless of what happened, Sherry’s condition declined throughout 2023 and she died on Sept. 19.

But NASCAR personality Danica Patrick, who was once a racer and is now a podcaster and Sky News host, decided this would be the perfect opportunity to take a dig at Sherry’s former partner. While mourning Sherry, Martin shared his statement: "From the very minute of her diagnosis Sherry was determined to not only fight ovarian cancer with everything she had, but also make a difference in the lives of others battling this terrible disease."

"Sherry’s passion for making a difference in the lives of others was inspiring to everyone. Through her tireless charity work for so many years, her legacy will live well beyond our lifetimes and continue to help countless families who are battling ovarian and childhood cancer. I would like to extend my deepest condolences to her entire family, who have shown incredible strength and resilience throughout her battle."

Sure, that statement has a touch of the PR voice to it, but who has the words to write their own statement just hours after losing a loved one? Most of the time, celebrities get their PR teams to help write difficult statements. But for some odd reason, Danica felt the need to chime in and point that out.

“I avoid negativity at almost all costs,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “But this is the most insensitive disconnected statement from a guy that I have never liked. And obviously for good reason. I don’t care what happened between them but this is as cold as it gets. A PR rep wrote this guaranteed. You’re free from this now Sherry.”

Of course, there’s no mention of her feelings towards Sherry or condolences to Sherry’s loved ones — just hate towards someone who’s clearly mourning. Fans took to Twitter and TikTok to share their disappointment in Danica’s “statement.”

“Your daily reminder that Danica Patrick is a vile disgusting human being,” one user wrote on Twitter. “Danica Patrick's post on her Instagram story is classless and disgusting,” another person said. “I'm glad she is not in NASCAR anymore and I hope she never comes back.” And TikToker Tori Goulet made a 3-minute video breaking down the drama and sharing her utter disdain towards Danica’s choice.

Regardless of the drama, we want to share our condolences with Sherry’s friends, family, fans, and everyone whose lives she affected through her fight against cancer.