Simone Biles recently discussed why she felt it was important to defend her teammates during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In an interview with People published on August 6, Biles, 27, emphasized the value of standing up for others, saying, “It’s important because you have to teach them to use their voices. And if not, you’re a voice for the voiceless, which is OK.”
After she and her teammates—Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera—won gold in the team finals, Biles posted a caption on Instagram that read, “Lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions ❤️🥇🇺🇸.” This was widely interpreted as a response to former teammate MyKayla Skinner’s comments.
Skinner had previously criticized the current team’s work ethic in a now-deleted YouTube video. She later apologized on Instagram, explaining that her remarks were meant to reflect differences in training environments rather than critique the current team’s effort.
Biles shared that her actions were meant to support her younger teammates, who she feels might not yet have the confidence to speak up for themselves. She mentioned that it was important for them to have someone advocate on their behalf.
Following Biles’ post, Skinner, 27, blocked her former teammate on social media. Biles responded to the block with a light-hearted post on X, and later, Chiles, 23, shared a screenshot of Skinner’s profile, noting the block.
A few days later, Skinner addressed the situation on social media, explaining that she had apologized in a video following her initial YouTube remarks. She also claimed she had reached out to each of the current team members with personal notes, but only Biles responded.
In an Instagram video posted on Tuesday, Skinner expressed her surprise at seeing the controversy resurface after celebrating the team’s gold medal win. She said, “If Simone truly believes that I called our team lazy and lacking talent, and if that’s really how she feels, I am heartbroken. Not just because it isn’t what I intended to convey, but because Simone’s post and subsequent comments have led to a wave of hateful messages, including death threats directed at me, my family, and my agent. My family and friends don’t deserve this.”
Skinner then made a direct plea to Biles, asking her to help stop the harassment. “To Simone, I am asking you directly and publicly to please put a stop to this,” she said. “Please ask your followers to cease their attacks. You’ve been a strong advocate for mental health, and now a lot of people could use your support. This should be a time to uplift one another, not to fuel further negativity.”