Alysia Liu's gold medal-laden Milano Cortina campaign made her a star, with people following her during her outings, and she had a hilarious reaction when she witnessed this for the first time.

During her post-Olympics media tour after the 2026 Winter Olympics, photographer Grace Ahlbom was assigned to shoot Liu for W Magazine. At 2:48 p.m., Liu wrapped a scarf around her head like a hijab, hoping it would hide her famous blonde ringlets and make her less recognizable. But it didn’t work.

As Liu stepped onto Vandam Street in Manhattan’s Hudson Square, she could see camera flashes going off. According to The Athletic, she reacted, saying, "There’s people following us. That's so funny," all while recording the paparazzi with her phone.

Her agent, however, quickly explained that it wasn’t really funny and told Liu that people would likely keep following her now that her location and personal details are in demand.

Her incredible run on the ice also caused her Instagram following to increase to over 7 million, compared to just a few hundred thousand before the Olympics.

Still, despite all the attention, Liu said she doesn’t plan to change her signature blonde-and-black striped halo hairstyle, which recently caught even more attention during her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Alysa Liu Surprises Jimmy Fallon With the Funniest ‘Gold’ Gift

During the opening monologue on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the host needed a gold necklace to match his gold bracelet. Right on cue, Liu walked out, flashing her two Olympic gold medals and instantly lighting up the room.

“I heard you needed some gold,” Liu said with a grin after Fallon joked about wanting a gold necklace. Surprised, Fallon looked at the medals and asked, “You gonna give me your gold medal?” as the audience laughed.

But Liu wasn’t planning to give away her medals. Instead, she teased Fallon and said, “Oh, I've got something even better for you,” building suspense.

Moments later, she pulled out a wig designed to match her now-famous halo ring hairstyle. Fallon immediately put it on, and the crowd erupted as he proudly showed off the look while Liu laughed beside him.

Tuesday’s appearance was Liu’s third time on the show. She first appeared in January 2019 at just 13 years old, shortly after becoming the youngest U.S. Women’s Figure Skating Champion.

So, what did you think of Liu’s funny surprise for Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon? And most importantly, do you think Alysa Liu’s rising fame after the 2026 Winter Olympics will change how she handles life off the ice?

Follow She Got Game for more

Written by

Sauramita Debbarma

Edited by

Souvik Roy