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Who is Gisele Barreto Fetterman? N-word hurled at Pennsylvania second lady, Internet calls it 'beyond disgusting’

Fetterman became a citizen of the United States in 2009. She is also the co-founder of a non-profit organization focused on eliminating food insecurity in the US, called  412 Food Rescue

The wife of Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor was subjected to a racial slur by a White woman at a grocery store on Sunday, October 11. Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s spouse Gisele Barreto Fetterman took to her Twitter handle to share the painful experience.

Sharing a two-second-clip of a woman who is seen spewing slurs at her, Fetterman wrote, “*TRIGGER WARNING* I love love love this country but we are so deeply divided. I ran to the local grocery store and was met by and verbally assaulted by this woman who repeatedly told me I do not belong here. The confrontation continued into the parking lot where I was able to.”

Detailing the horrific incident, she told NBC News, “She called me a thief and said I don’t belong here. She said, ‘There’s that ‘N-word” Fetterman married.’” She recorded the video while seated inside her car and noted that the incident ensued when she was at the store after she was recognized by the woman. 

Fetterman told the network, “Words really matter. I’ve had an entire career, I’m a citizen, I’m second lady, I’ve done all this work, and within seconds I was an 8-year-old little scared undocumented child again. By the time I got to the car I was bawling and trying to compose myself and look strong, but I just don’t have it in me.”

“The power that we hold — we can use that power to really lift people and help them, or we can use it to destroy them and break them. And why would we choose the destroying one?” she added further. 

Who is Gisele Barreto Fetterman?

Fetterman is a Brazilian-American activist, philanthropist, and non-profit executive, who came to the US as an undocumented immigrant at the age of 7. She and her family reportedly fled Brazil due to violent crimes in their community. Fetterman has completed her studies from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and received her green card in 2004. She became a citizen of the United States in 2009. She is also the co-founder of a non-profit organization focused on eliminating food insecurity in the US, called 412 Food Rescue. She is currently the Second Lady of Pennsylvania, married to Lieutenant-Governor John Fetterman since 2008. She is also close friends with Kim Kardashian and endorsed Senator Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. The Fettermans share three children together. 

Commenting on the latest incident, her husband told in a statement, “She is not representative of my country, of my residence, or my state. I’m confident of that. But her views still exist in my community. I don’t know if she raised kids or grandkids, but I have three young kids, and these ideas are gonna cross paths with them. We have to work to break these cycles of hatred in generations.”

Despite the hatred that she was subjected to, Fetterman wants the woman to learn “love.” She shared in another tweet, “Finally capture it after the crying winded down. This behavior and this hatred is taught. If you know her, if she is your neighbor or relative, please, please teach her love instead.”

Soon, Twitter users began showering Fetterman with supportive messages as they sympathized with her. One tweeted, "Omg, Gisele. This is beyond disgusting. Nobody deserves this especially one of the kindest, sweetest, most giving people in the world. I mean that. I’m ashamed for this woman. I wish I could give you a great big hug," while another added, "OMG, no one deserves this kind of ignorance! I’m so sorry this happened. You are so kind and do so much good for our state. In moments like these, I turn to @taylorswift13 and just listen to 'Shake It Off' like 100 times. Your kindness will never stop shining. You got this!"