Stacey Griffith – the famed SoulCycle instructor who stopped the line for a COVID vaccine by claiming to be an “educator” – may have apologized for her actions, but a former staff member tells us her behavior is not surprising.
“It totally fits Stacey’s character. She operates entirely from a narcissistic point of view, ”said the former executive. “She has a huge God complex.”
On Friday, Griffith – whose devotees include Madonna and Kelly Ripa – posted on Instagram that she had been vaccinated at a Staten Island high school, telling the Daily Beast that she was qualified because she is a wellness “educator.” eligible in New York.)
“In my profession of health and wellness as a teacher, my daily priority is to keep my community and their respiratory systems running at full throttle so that they can beat this virus if infected by it,” she said. “I can only teach them if I am healthy myself.”
On Monday, she apologized, saying she had “made a terrible judgment error.”
SoulCycle seemed to distance himself from the move by telling Page Six in a comment Tuesday that Griffith was “operating in a personal capacity when applying for a NY State COVID-19 vaccine. SoulCycle does not play a role in organizing or obtaining vaccinations for instructors or other employees, nor do we encourage them [our] workers to seek vaccine priority as educators. “
The former staffer snorted, “They like to ignore bad behavior from instructors … It’s a culture of bulls-t.”
Regardless, the controversy is just the latest to hit the high-end fitness brand. Top instructors have been accused of making racist and homophobic comments about work, having sex with clients and scandalous colleagues.
SoulCycle has previously noted with regard to those incidents that the “core values” are “diversity, inclusion, acceptance and love.” When we receive complaints or allegations regarding behavior in our community that is not in line with our values, we take them very seriously, and we investigate and address them. “