Retired gymnast MyKayla Skinner has reached out to her former teammate, Simone Biles, urging her to put an end to the hate that has been directed towards her following controversial comments made about this year’s U.S. women’s Olympic team. The situation escalated after Biles made a post on Instagram last week.
In a video shared on her Instagram, Skinner, who competed with Biles on the 2020 U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics team, revealed that she has been a target of cyberbullying and that her family has received threats of physical harm in recent weeks. She expressed her disappointment towards fans who have encouraged this behavior and mentioned Biles’ post that seemed to criticize her, leading to a wave of negative comments.
The conflict within the gymnastics community started in June when Skinner posted a now-deleted YouTube video discussing the 2024 Olympic team. In the video, Skinner mentioned feeling that the talent and work ethic of the current gymnasts were not up to the same standards as in the past, drawing backlash from many as some members of this year’s team were also her former teammates.
Skinner later clarified her comments in another video on July 3, expressing that they were misinterpreted and misunderstood. She issued a formal apology, stating she did not intend to offend or disrespect the athletes. She took full responsibility for her statements and praised the 2024 team as the best of the best.
In her recent video, Skinner expressed her surprise at the renewed drama following Biles’ Instagram post referencing the team’s gold medal win in 2024. The post seemed to allude to Skinner’s previous comments, sparking a negative response. Skinner mentioned her disappointment in Biles’ actions and the cyberbullying it fueled, including death threats towards her and her loved ones.
Skinner concluded the video by publicly asking Biles to intervene and stop the attacks from her followers. She highlighted Biles’ advocacy for mental health and emphasized the need for support and unity among teammates and the nation during the Olympics. Skinner expressed hope for moving forward and showing collective support for all athletes.
Biles, who achieved outstanding success in Paris with three gold medals and one silver medal, has not responded to Skinner’s video at this time.
