Silver medalist reveals she was ‘dismissed and ostracised behind the scenes’ by seven-time gold winner – as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and Danica Patrick also back Gaines
Former U.S. Olympic gymnast MyKayla Skinner has sensationally accused her Tokyo 2020 teammate Simone Biles of years of bullying and belittlement, breaking her silence following Biles’ explosive clash with former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines.
The shocking allegations emerged after Biles, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, called Gaines a “sore loser” and “truly sick” for her stance opposing transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
In an exclusive statement to One America News (OAN), the 28-year-old silver medalist revealed: “Throughout my own career, I endured being belittled, dismissed, and ostracised behind the scenes by Simone.”
The Trans Athlete Row That Started It All
The controversy erupted when Gaines, 25, commented on a Minnesota State High School League post celebrating a girls’ softball team’s state championship victory.
“Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy,” Gaines wrote, referring to transgender pitcher Marissa Rothenberger who helped secure the win.
Biles, 28, launched a fierce attack on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “@Riley_Gaines_ You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser.”
The decorated gymnast continued: “You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead… You bully them…”
In another post, Biles added: “Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.”
Skinner Breaks Years of Silence
For the first time, Skinner has publicly accused Biles of behind-the-scenes bullying, saying she no longer feels the need to stay quiet.
As an athlete who has dedicated years to a sport, I’ve always believed that true competition should elevate us – not diminish others,” Skinner said in her statement.
That’s why it’s deeply troubling to see @Simone_Biles publicly label a fellow female athlete a ‘sore loser’ – simply for expressing valid concerns about fairness in women’s sports.”
The two-time NCAA champion revealed the extent of the alleged mistreatment: “The pressure to stay silent was immense. I kept quiet out of respect – for the sport, for my teammates, and for the ideal of unity among athletes.
“But witnessing this kind of public shaming, especially from someone in a position of influence, makes that silence no longer acceptable.”
Drawing the Line Between Disagreement and Bullying
Skinner emphasized the difference between healthy debate and targeted harassment.
“It’s one thing to disagree. It’s another to use your platform to bully and demean,” she stated. “No one should be punished for standing up for fairness and biological reality. We should be lifting each other up – not tearing one another down for speaking hard truths.”
Star-Studded Support for Gaines
Skinner is not alone in backing Gaines following what many described as an “unprovoked social media attack” by Biles.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, and actor Rob Schneider have all publicly sided with Gaines.
Schneider posted: “I am proud to call Riley Gaines my biological female friend. And an American hero of all girls everywhere!”
Gaines’ Response to Biles
The former college swimmer, who famously tied for fifth place with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA championships, fired back at Biles.
“This is so disappointing. My take is the least controversial take on the planet,” Gaines wrote. “Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls’ dreams? Didn’t have that on my bingo card.”
She suggested sarcastically: “Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028.”
When Biles appeared to make a comment about body size, Gaines responded: “And the subtle hint at ‘body-shaming’???? Plzzzz I’m 5’5.”
Biles’ Attempted Apology
Following intense backlash, Biles posted a lengthy message on Tuesday attempting to walk back her comments.
I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport,” she wrote. “The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for.”
Previous Tensions Between Biles and Skinner
This isn’t the first time tensions have flared between the two gymnasts. In August 2024, Skinner faced cyberbullying after making comments about the U.S. women’s gymnastics team’s work ethic in a since-deleted YouTube video.
After Biles appeared to reference those comments in an Instagram post celebrating Team USA’s gold medal with the caption “lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions,” Skinner publicly asked Biles to “put a stop” to the harassment.
Skinner revealed she had received death threats directed at her family and pleaded: “To Simone, I am asking you directly and publicly to please put a stop to this. Please ask your followers to stop.”
The Bigger Picture
The clash has reignited debates about transgender athletes in women’s sports, with President Trump having signed an executive order on the topic after assuming office for his second term.
As Gaines noted during a FOX appearance: “Sports inherently by their true nature are inclusive. Anyone can play and everyone should play, in my opinion. But competition is exclusive.”
With Skinner’s bombshell allegations now public, questions are being raised about Biles’ behavior both on and off the gymnastics mat – and whether the most decorated gymnast in history has been using her platform to bully those who disagree with her views.
