We have an update on the ongoing drama between MyKayla Skinner and Simone Biles.
For some quick context, MyKayla faced heavy backlash last month after criticizing the current US women's gymnastics team's “work ethic” in a now-deleted YouTube video. She eventually issued an apology for her remarks after receiving heaps of backlash from internet users.
MyKayla competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics as part of the US gymnastics team.
Not only did MyKayla say that “the talent and the depth” of the US team isn't “what it used to be,” but she also suggested that the nonprofit organization SafeSport, which aims to combat abusive practices within athletics, was partly to blame for the so-called decline in quality. Moreover, MyKayla’s comment that athlete Suni Lee does not have a “gymnastics body” sparked particular criticism.
Prior to this, MyKayla faced backlash in 2016 when she reposted a photo of herself edited over Gabby Douglas, who became the first Black Olympic all-around champion in 2012. The edit implied that MyKayla felt she should’ve made the US Olympic team over Gabby.
With all this in mind, fans were not surprised when Simone clapped back at MyKayla’s criticism of Team USA last month. She captioned an Instagram photo of her and her teammates winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics with, “lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions.”
Internet users went wild over the subtle shade, and before long, Simone revealed that she’d “been blocked” by MyKayla. Fellow Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles later shared a photo showing that MyKayla had blocked Simone.
MyKayla has now addressed the heavy backlash she’s faced over the past few weeks in a new video shared on Instagram.
MyKayla began by stating that things have “gotten out of hand lately.”
“It’s one thing to disagree with me regarding something I have said or a point I was trying to make, but it’s something else entirely when that turns into cyberbullying, or even worse,” she said.
“Watching people cheer on the bullying, which has led to threats of physical harm to me, my husband, and our daughter, is disgusting,” she said. “So please, at this point, I am just asking for it to stop for the sake of my family because enough is enough.”
MyKayla went on to specify, “About 4 weeks ago, I made a comment about work ethic and what seems to be taking place with the rising generation. To be totally clear, I take 100% responsibility for poorly articulating the point I was trying to make, and the last thing I wanted was to cause harm or offend our US Olympic team.”
MyKayla claimed that she issued individual apologies to each Team USA athlete after her comments sparked criticism online — and that “only Simone” responded and said she was “proud” of MyKayla.
“You guys can imagine my surprise last week when I was celebrating our team winning gold, just to see this brought up all over again by a caption on an Instagram post,” MyKayla said.
“If Simone truly believes that I called our team lazy and lacking talent, and if that’s really how she feels, I am really heartbroken over it,” she said, sounding as if she was on the brink of tears. “Not just heartbroken because it isn’t how I feel, or even what I previously said, but heartbroken because Simone’s latest post, and others that followed it, fueled another wave of hateful comments, DMs, articles, and emails. Hate that includes death threats to me, my family, and even my agent.”
“My family and my friends don’t deserve to be caught in the crossfire here,” she added. “They’ve done nothing.”
MyKayla went on to ask Simone to “put a stop” to the online criticism.
“So, to Simone, I am asking directly and publicly to please put a stop to this. Please ask your followers to stop. You have been an incredible champion for mental health awareness, and a lot of people need your help now,” she said.
“We’ve been hurt and attacked in ways that I am certain you never intended,” she said, adding that the Olympics should be a time to support and uplift one another.
“I hope that we can move on and move forward,” she concluded.
MyKayla’s video has sparked a fierce response online. While social media users agreed that MyKayla absolutely shouldn’t be receiving death threats or abuse, they called her out for placing blame on Simone for simply retaliating to her offensive remarks about Team USA.
Pointing out that MyKayla seemingly “didn’t care” about the mental health of the athletes she’s criticized or trolled, fans branded her recent video as “performative.”
“MyKayla is a great illustration of white fragility. Black woman holds her accountable for HER words, and now she (white woman) is owed an apology for the consequences of her own actions???” one tweet read.
“isn’t she the one that started the feud in the first place? Maybe if she didn’t want backlash she shouldn’t have said anything about Simone Biles team to begin with,” another added.