Olympics 2024
What started as a taunt between former colleagues quickly escalated online. Now there are death threats. Can gymnastics star Simone Biles still mediate?
It was actually just a small dig on the sidelines of the Olympic Games, but it had consequences: US gymnast Simone Biles posted a photo of herself and her cheering teammates on Instagram after winning the team final in the all-around. Underneath, she wrote the words “Lack of talent, laziness, Olympic champion – US”. Gymnastics fans knew immediately what the best artistic gymnast in the world was alluding to.
Before the Olympic Games, her former teammate MyKayla Skinner made headlines with an interview in which she accused the current US gymnasts of a lack of work ethic. “Aside from Simone, I feel like the talent and depth just isn’t what it used to be,” she said in a video that has since been deleted. She later apologized publicly for this. After Biles’ post, Skinner apparently blocked her on Instagram, which Biles in turn told her followers on “X.” And they, among others, started to interfere and leave hate messages for Skinner.
Olympics 2024
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But now the situation has escalated online. On Wednesday, MyKayla Skinner addressed Simone Biles directly in a video on Instagram. “To Simone, I ask you directly and publicly: Please make it stop! Please tell your followers to stop. You have done such an incredible job of bringing attention to mental health, and now a lot of people need your help. We have been attacked in a way that I am sure was never your intention,” Skinner said in the clip. The Olympics should actually be a time to support each other, she added.
She and her friends and family have even received death threats. “My family and friends don’t deserve to be in the firing line. They haven’t done anything,” Skinner appealed.
Simone Biles had previously defended her taunts and explained that she wanted to protect her team. “It felt right at that moment to stand up for them because they are still so young and have not yet been able to take hold of their own power,” she told . It was important because as team leader she wanted to teach her colleagues how to use their voices. She has now experienced how powerful her own voice is. Over twelve million people follow Simone Biles on Instagram alone.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
