The Intriguing Saga of Audi Crooks’ Devoted Fan and the Online Trolls Who Targeted Her

In an age where online harassment seems to flourish, a recent incident involving a young fan and social media trolls highlights the darker side of the digital world. A compelling story from Rolling Stone by Lyz Lenz uncovers the chaotic aftermath when a seemingly innocent moment spiraled into a storm of online abuse.

The incident traces back to January 2025, when Tommy Birch, a reporter for the Des Moines Register, shared a touching photograph of Audi Crooks, a former Iowa State women’s basketball player now at Oklahoma State, interacting with six-year-old Kamdyn Rebollozo. The child was proudly wearing a custom T-shirt that said “Smike Like Audi.” While the photo was meant to celebrate the bond between the athlete and her young admirer, it quickly became a target for vicious trolling on platforms like X.

As the online attacks intensified, Kamdyn’s parents, Emily and Priscilla, began investigating the identity of one particularly aggressive troll known as “Howard Steves, GPA.” To their surprise, they discovered that this account belonged to a real person residing in Iowa, potentially a student at the University of Iowa.

The Rebollozo family reached out to local T-shirt company Raygun, whose owner Mike Draper issued a public challenge: if “Howard Stevens” revealed his identity in one of their stores, he would receive a $1,000 reward. Initially, it seemed like Stevens might accept the challenge, but he ultimately backed down.

In April 2025, a man entered the Raygun store claiming to seek the cash prize. Much to everyone's astonishment, he bore a resemblance to the troll’s profile picture but was not a student. This individual turned out to be Billy Baker, a features writer for the Boston Globe, who had uncovered that Stevens had been impersonating him online. Baker’s quest led to the eventual identification of the real Howard Stevens, resulting in apologies and further unexpected developments. For an in-depth look at this unfolding drama, readers are encouraged to explore both Lenz's article and Emily Rebollozo’s detailed blog recounting their experiences.