The world of gymnastics has beef, too - this time involving an unexpected social media drama involving former United States Olympic medalist MyKayla Skinner and her former teammate, Simone Biles. The tension erupted for fans online when an image posted by Biles' teammate Jordan Chiles on Wednesday revealed that Skinner had blocked Biles on social media .
Chiles uploaded a photo on her Instagram that was recycled on X with the text, "When she blocks Simone," showing Skinner's account void of posts and follower information, despite being active with 418k followers. Gymnastics fans quickly rallied around Biles, suggesting that the Olympic team shouldn't be concerned with someone no longer actively competing.
Biles just made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Tuesday, becoming the first U.S. gymnast to earn eight Olympic medals. She delivered a medal-sealing floor routine while wearing a $3,000 leotard adorned with 3,423 authentic Swarovski crystals, cementing her legacy as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.
READ MORE: Simone Biles completes Olympic redemption after making history with gold medal in Paris
READ MORE: Simone Biles hits back at former teammate with brutal jibe after Olympics gold
Prior to the competition, Skinner, a member of the 2014 World Championships team that won gold and a silver medalist in the vault at the 2020 Olympic Games, made critical remarks about Biles' teammates, who consist of Chiles, Jade Carey, Suni Lee, and Hezly Rivera. In a now-deleted post, Skinner tweeted, "Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn't like what it used to be. The girls just don't have the work ethic."
Biles responded on social media, stating , "Not everyone needs a mic and a platform." Skinner later issued an official apology on her YouTube channel, which ironically features Biles in a behind-the-scenes look at the Tokyo Olympics. In her apology, Skinner said, "I want to formally apologize to Team USA and to our gymnastic community for my comments during my recent YouTube episodes of the gymnastics Olympic trials. It was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or to take away from their hard work."
"Reflecting on it, I realize I was comparing the Marta [Karolyi] era to now. I'm beginning to understand that I haven't completely processed the emotional and verbal abuse I went through with Marta, which probably influenced my insensitive words. I fully own up to what I said and am truly sorry."
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After winning gold, Biles subtly addressed the comments indirectly, captioning her victory photo with, "Lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions," as she and her teammates held the USA flag, showered with praise from the Paris crowd. Fans sided with Biles once again, with Chiles adding a comment to the post that earned over 42k likes.
The post received support from a host of celebrities, including Biles' NFL husband, Jonathan Owens , R&B recording artist SZA, and former U.S. gymnast Laurie Hernandez. Team USA icons Dominique Moceanu and Michelle Kwan also chimed in, with Kwan saying, "Four-letter word for all the haters—G.O.A.T. Bravo."
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