The Black Lives Matters activist at the center of a furious backlash after Dove announced a partnership with her called police after a polite interview request – despite promoting the defunding of police departments.

DailyMail.com visited community organizer and University of Virginia student, Zyahna Bryant, 22, to ask about the controversy.

We spoke to a woman who said she was Bryant’s sister and handed over contact details – but then Bryant’s manager called, saying the activist felt threatened. Charlottesville chief of police then called, echoing the manager’s message.

Yet Bryant is an outspoken advocate for defunding police, and promoted the abolition of a Minneapolis police department.

‘Defund the police,’ she wrote on Instagram in July 2020, adding the hashtag echoing her message.

A month earlier, she had told Teen Vogue she supported the abolition of police departments.

‘In Minneapolis, MPD150 is a group of local grassroots organizers pushing for the abolition of the city’s police department, and it also has a handy zine for frequently asked questions about abolition,’ she wrote.

On Friday, Bryant called the police almost immediately when DailyMail.com knocked on her door.

Mike Kochis, Charlottesville’s chief of police, explained he had received a call from Bryant saying ‘she was feeling uncomfortable,’ and wanting to ‘get ahead of any situation.’

He acknowledged that DailyMail.com had done nothing wrong, was on a public street, and had simply asked for an interview and left.

He described the family as ‘good people’ and stated he is not aware of any actual threats having been made to Bryant at this time.

Kochis’s call came shortly after one by a man who introduced himself as Sean Lawton, her manager.

Lawton said: ‘Zyahna feels threatened right now. This is now about her security.’ 

Dove’s decision to hire the controversial Bryant as a ‘fat acceptance ambassador’ has seen thousands take to social media calling for a boycott of their products. 

Bryant sparked controversy by falsely accusing a white fellow student at the University of Virginia of saying that BLM protesters would be ‘good speedbumps’.

The accusation was particularly painful, given the history of Charlottesville and the August 2017 far-right rally which ended in a counter-protester being run over and killed by a neo-Nazi. 

Bryant later admitted she may have ‘misheard’ the remarks by Morgan Bettinger, but the damage was done. 

The boycott, which has grown this week, has been billed as their ‘Bud Light moment’ – a reference to the beer’s disastrous partnership with Dylan Mulvaney.

Speaking on Friday, Bryant’s manager said: ‘The biggest concern right now is about her security and her safety. 

‘That means this has now fallen into the domain of a legal matter which means we are unable to offer any comment at this time.’

When asked what he meant by a ‘legal matter,’ Lawton said: ‘It means I am unable to offer a comment at the advice of legal.’

And, revealing that his client was holed up in her Charlottesville home, Lawton added: ‘Are you in a grey SUV? She can see you from her window.’

Bettinger, 24, was the target of threats from an ill-informed online mob fueled by Bryant’s claims that she had heard the student threaten to turn protesters in Charlottesville into ‘speedbumps’.

Bettinger accidentally drove into a group protesting the death of George Floyd on July 17, 2020.

Bryant tweeted a photo of Bettinger and said: ‘The woman in this truck approached protesters in #Charlottesville, and told us that we would make ‘good speedbumps.’ 

‘She then called the police and started crying saying we were attacking her.’

The claims – which Bryant later admitted may not have been true – were retweeted 1,000 times and a torrent of hate poured down on Bettinger, the daughter of a police officer.

Furious conservatives have begun boycotting Dove after the soap brand hired Bryant last week. 

Carole Thorpe, from Charlottesville, shared a photo of three bars of Dove soap tossed in the trash on Thursday, on learning the Unilever-owned brand had joined forces with Bryant to push a ‘fat liberation’ campaign. 

Sharing her horror at news of Bryant’s glitzy Dove gig, Thorpe wrote: ‘After hearing that Dove Beauty chose Zyahna Bryant – who ruined Morgan Bettinger’s life – for their ‘fat acceptance ambassador,’ THIS lifelong large lady & now former Dove customer tossed out the last three bars of Dove product she will EVER buy. I have written to Unilever too.’

Scores of other angry users on X, formerly known as Twitter, also vowed to stop buying Dove products in protest at the campaign, which 22 year-old Bryant has been pushing on Instagram. 

Nancy Pelosi‘s office is pushing back on the ‘utter nonsense’ report that the Speaker will abandon her House leadership role to be U.S. Ambassador to Italy if Republicans take a majority after the 2022 midterms.

‘The Speaker has no interest in this position and has not discussed it with anyone in the White House,’ Pelosi’s spokesman Drew Hammill told DailyMail.com

A Monday report claims that Pelosi, 82, has no interest in returning to a minority leader role in Congress.

According to Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, sources claim President Joe Biden is holding onto the U.S. ambassador to Italy assignment for Pelosi.

‘This is the second time Maria Bartiromo has proceeded with reporting anonymous rumors about the Speaker’s future that have no merit,’ Hammill accused.

‘And the second time she has failed to ask us for comment before airing or publishing this utter nonsense.’

But an email obtained by DailyMail.com shows Bartiromo did reach out to Pelosi’s Press Secretary Joy Lee Monday evening to request comment on the topic. 

The White House refused to comment on the report, telling DailyMail.com: ‘We don’t engage in hypotheticals.’

It’s not unusual for presidents to reserve cushy ambassadorship roles for those who helped propel them to the White House.

Villa Taverna, the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Rome, Italy, is a grand mansion.

The seven acres of grounds include a pool, tennis court and private gardens, while the estate boasts a three-story wine cellar.

Pelosi was pictured during the summer recess vacationing in Italy. 

She visited the Pope during her trip as well as lounged on the beach at opera star Andrea Bocelli’s luxury Alpemare Beach Club in Tuscany along with her husband Paul Pelosi, who at the time was still awaiting trial for his DUI charge.

The desirable ambassador post in Italy could finally be filled by Pelosi if Democrats lose their majority in the House in the 2022 midterm elections, which remains the likely outcome.

Pelosi has served as a representative for California since 1987 when she won a special election – and has held various leadership roles in her caucus since then before ascending to Speaker. 

An ambassador role requires Senate confirmation, and there is no sign of how the upper chamber would react to the nomination – especially if it were to come right after losing her Speakership role.

Biden has already had 101 of his ambassadorship posts confirmed by the Senate.

He remains, however, slow to name his picks for ambassador to several countries, including Italy.

Of the 197 ambassador positions, there are still 27 percent without a Senate-confirmed official.

Speculation earlier this year pointed to the post going to a Pelosi ally and former Wall Street executive who wanted the ambassador role.

That has shifted, however, with the increasing likelihood that the red wave shows true and Republicans retake a majority in the House.

An Office of the Inspector General 2010 report estimated the combined value of the residence and the embassy compound in Rome is anywhere from ‘$500 million to $1 billion.’

Villa Taverna is a whopping 31,750 square feet and has seven bedrooms, each with a private loggia – or balcony.

It is situated in one of Rome’s most central, exclusive and desired neighborhoods.