Fans have lashed out at social media users who sent 'disgusting' comments to Matildas star Sam Kerr and her fiancée, U.S. star Kristie Mewis, after the couple announced they were expecting a baby.
The pair took to Instagram on Monday morning to announce the exciting news, sharing a heartwarming set of pictures of the football stars from a photo booth.
Kerr, 31, and Mewis, 33, smiled as they held up a picture of Mewis' baby scans. The pair were also seen sharing a kiss, while Kerr was also photographed smiling while pointing to her fiancée's stomach.
They captioned the Instagram post: 'Mewis-Kerr baby coming 2025!'
Many fans took to the social media platform to congratulate the duo, with Kerr's Australia team-mate, Mary Fowler writing, 'Congratulations,' with a 'heart-eye' emoji.
Reaction to the post was largely one of excitement and happiness for the couple, who are understood to have met in 2019 and announced their engagement last year.
Sam Kerr and fiancee Kristie Mewis took to social media on Monday to announce they were expecting a baby
The exciting news comes after the two football stars announced they were engaged last year
Mewis, who plays for West Ham, and Kerr, who plays for Chelsea, captioned the post: 'Mewis-Kerr baby coming 2025!'
Yet, some online trolls took to Instagram to publish unsavoury and hurtful comments on the post.
One Instagram user wrote, 'Ridiculous' in the comments while another added: 'Bro what is my striker doing.'
'Nonsense,' another social media user wrote, while many others wrote, 'How?'
Another added: 'I don't really know what to comment for love and respect I have for you but come on, you ladies should just stop deceiving yourselves.'
Kerr and Mewis have subsequently turned off the comments on their social media post.
One X (formerly Twitter) user blasted some of the responses to the couple's heartwarming social media post, also claiming that Kerr's English Women's Super League team Chelsea had deleted a social media post celebrating the couple's news.
'Chelsea have now deleted the post about Sam and Kristie on this app and turned the comments off on Instagram,' the X user wrote.
'How in 2024 are we still seeing the same discrimination?
But the pair have since turned off comments on their post, after they had received some unsavoury messages from members of the public
Some social media users took to Instagram to write: 'Bro what is my striker doing' and 'ridiculous' on the pictures
But one account on X appeared to lash out at some of the unsavoury comments being directed towards the two WSL stars
Kerr and Mewis meet back in 2019, but their relationship was not bad public until 2021
'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. It's simple.'
The X user added in a comment under the post: 'Also if ANYONE ever gets those disgusting comments or messages like those, I'm always here for you!!'
Some agreed with the post, with one writing: 'Honestly, they [trolls] can just ignore the post and move on like normal people. It's 2024 and they're still doing it.'
'I don't know if they're all that stupid or if it's stemming from jealousy/insecurity,' another said.
Another fan branded the abuse 'disgusting', while one said: 'It's constant!!! Been like it for rainbow laces too.' Another said: 'The ignorance I see is astounding.'
One fan reacted to the Instagram post by writing: 'Congratulations guys!
'For anyone confused, please use Google and learn about the reproductive system, science and self-awareness, have a day off your bibles and do us all a favour.
'It’s exhausting to read 50 different ways that people spell pregnant and "I’m confused".'
Other social media users hit out at some of the 'disgusting' comments made by some to their pregnancy announcement post with one claiming 'the ignorance I see is astounding'
Despite some of the trolling online, Kerr and Mewis have received an outpouring of congratulatory messages from many around the sporting world
Despite some of the nasty comments on the platform, many were elated by the news.
'Love you three,' Australia star Mackenzie Arnold wrote. Fran Kirby added: 'Omg. Congratulations both of you!'
Chloe Kelly wrote: 'Congratulations to you both,' while the Chelsea Women's team and the Matildas also wished the pair 'congratulations.'
'Congratulations to you both,' West Ham Women wrote, while the Fifa Women's World Cup Instagram account added: 'Baby baller incoming. Congratulations to you both!'