LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 09: Snoop Dogg attends the 2025 BET Awards at Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

Snoop Dogg’s appearance at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan took an unexpected turn this week after a backstage encounter between his security team and Dutch speed skating champion Marianne Timmer. The incident reportedly occurred at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium following the men’s 1000-meter race. Timmer said she was waiting in a hallway to speak with athletes when a member of the rapper’s security detail approached. What she described as a routine moment quickly became tense.

In an interview with Sportnieuws, Timmer said she was pushed while standing against a wall. “I was standing against a wall, and one of the security guards pushed me even closer,” she said. “I said, ‘Just act normal’, it’s a really wide hall, about four metres. But then the guy came back and I said, ‘What? Do I have to go through that wall or something?’” She indicated that the hallway had ample space and that she did not understand the need for force.

Timmer also made clear she was focused on her reporting responsibilities, not on the entertainer’s presence. “I said something mean back: ‘I’m not here waiting for Snoop Dogg, I’m waiting for Jennings de Boo,’” she recalled. “‘We want to see Joep (Wennemars), we want to talk to Kjeld (Nuis) for a moment.’” She added that she witnessed another spectator being escorted away by security. “We saw a Dutchman being roughly escorted away from the stands by some very large security guards,” Timmer said. “I could just picture myself being grabbed by the neck and thrown out. That would have been a great story.”

Peace Message Overshadowed by Backstage Tension

The episode emerged during a week in which Snoop Dogg has been prominently featured at the Games. Ahead of the opening ceremony, he carried the Olympic torch through Northern Italy, drawing applause from spectators. In a video posted to social media, he described the experience. “I’m showing peace and love and it’s an honor to have this torch in my hand right now,” he said.

“I want to spread a whole lot of love to the athletes, to the people of Italy, to the whole world right now. Because that’s what the Olympics is all about. Spread peace and love from the D-O-dub.” The contrast between that public message and the reported backstage dispute has prompted discussion, though no formal statement has been issued by his representatives. For now, the focus of the Games continues, even as questions about the encounter linger quietly in the background.