#Chargers fan insists she’s not an actor, AI or on the NFL’s payroll: ‘This is me’

Not even a pregame scuffle could top the drama one Los Angeles Chargers fan epitomized during the team’s 20-17 Monday Night Football loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

The fan’s passionate reactions led ESPN’s cameras to repeatedly cut to her during the ups and downs of the close contest that ultimately ended in heartbreak for anyone wearing blue and yellow.

That fan’s name is Merianne Do, and she went so viral that her favorite team changed its X profile picture to her face. With that attention came accusations that she was an actor or fan-for-hire paid by the league. AI robots were spotted in the crowd when the Chargers hosted the Miami Dolphins last month, and Do was also suspected to be a similar anomaly.

Once Do learned about those allegations, she reached out to the Chargers. On Tuesday, the team confirmed she’s a real deal fan who has season tickets with her husband, Tuan Pham.

Hours later, Do appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” and insisted that she wasn’t planted in the stands for publicity, adding that she brings the same energy to her children’s sporting events.

She apparently goes to so many Chargers games that she’s used to being on SoFi Stadium’s jumbotron but has never been on TV. She recalled that her focus couldn’t be broken from the game by text notifications or someone on the field telling her she was all over the broadcast. Her children pointed it out when she got home to tuck them in, which she said she brushed off. She expects everyone to be used to her animation, admitting the attention has been “too much.”

It will be interesting to see how the lore of Do’s fandom continues, as some fans are now claiming she supported the Minnesota Vikings before her current team. Regardless, it seems safe to say she’ll still be rooting for the Chargers when they face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.