Female darts star Beau Greaves hit with ‘vulgar’ abuse after introducing girlfriend
Beau Greaves went public with her girlfriend earlier this year (Getty Images)
Darts star Beau Greaves has said she received “vulgar” homophobic comments online after posting a photo with girlfriend Shan Reeves, describing the experience as “tough”.
Greaves, 22, told The Observer the backlash followed the couple sharing their relationship publicly.
“It’s been tough for me,” she said. “I never really came out, as such. People who knew me, knew, but when we did post about it, there were quite a few vulgar comments from a lot of men.”
She also spoke about the support she received at home. “When I told my mum and dad, they just said, ‘And?’” Greaves said. “At the end of the day, she’s my biggest supporter. Why not embrace it for what it is, and not be bothered about what people say?”
Greaves went public with Reeves after her first Pro Tour victory on 27 April, which saw her beat Michael Smith 8-7 in the final to become the first woman to win a ranking event in the PDC Players Championship series.
She later posted an Instagram image of the pair embracing with the caption that she was “feeling so lucky at the moment with this one by my side”.
Greaves and Reeves together
Greaves and her girlfriend Reeves met almost a decade ago playing England Youth tournaments, but have only been together for four years, and live together.
Since that first post, Greaves has shared more photos with Reeves, including after lifting the Betfred Women’s World Matchplay for the third time in July.
A young star under the spotlight
Greaves has been one of the standout talents in the women’s game in the 2020s, regularly competing in mixed-gender events and appearing at the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
She is often framed as a barrier-breaker in the sport, following earlier crossover figures such as Fallon Sherrock.
Online commentary around darts can be intense and personal. In 2024, trans darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven spoke about battling panic attacks and depression amid backlash and abuse.
Greaves is ranked 74th in the world with £70,000 in prize money, and has said her current goal is to break into the world’s top 64.
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