Four weeks ago, I made a comment about work ethic and the newer generation that clearly didn’t come out right. I fully own up to not expressing myself properly and never meant to hurt or offend the US Olympic team. I reached out to each team member individually, and only Simone responded, saying she was proud of me. So, you can imagine my shock when, while celebrating our gold medal win last week, I saw my comment resurfacing on Simone’s Instagram. This triggered another wave of hurtful comments, DMs, articles, and emails directed at Simone.
I’m reaching out to ask for your help in stopping this. Please ask your followers to put an end to the negativity. You’ve been a powerful voice for mental health, and many people really need your support right now. It’s astonishing how a single comment has spiraled into such a big drama. Michaela Skinner, a former Olympic gymnast, recently shared her thoughts on the current team in a YouTube video, which got taken down quickly after facing backlash. Now, she’s asking Simone to help calm things down.
Aside from Simone Biles, it feels like the gymnastics scene isn’t quite what it used to be. A lot of the younger athletes seem to lack the same work ethic, and with SafeSport’s new rules, coaches are walking on eggshells when it comes to pushing their athletes. While these protections are important, gymnastics often needs a bit of that aggressive drive to really excel.
And oh boy, the drama’s heating up. Simone Biles and the US Olympic gymnastics team aren’t exactly shy about making waves. Simone recently took to Instagram after the team snagged all those awards, and her response to Michaela’s comments had everyone talking. It felt like the gymnastics world had turned into a reality show overnight—there’s drama, online spats, apologies, and even some serious accusations flying around. The tea is definitely hot!
So, Michaela decided to weigh in on the current US gymnastics team, and let’s just say her comments weren’t exactly flattering. She said, “Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and depth just isn’t what it used to be.” That’s pretty harsh, like telling a bunch of Olympic hopefuls they’re not even worth a participation trophy. And it didn’t stop there—she suggested that many of the new gymnasts aren’t putting in the effort. It’s a bold claim, considering how hard these athletes work just to get a spot on the team.
Hey everyone, just a quick note to clear things up. After our YouTube recap, it seems like some of what I said might have been misunderstood. My comments weren’t meant to critique the current team—I genuinely support and am so proud of all the girls who made it. My point was more about how the training environment has shifted since the Marta era. I’m not saying Marta’s methods were right; just that things are different now.
I’m really sorry if anything came off as hurtful or out of context—that was never my intention. I was genuinely excited for the trials and loved doing the live session with everyone. I’m thrilled for the girls and would never want to do anything that makes them feel otherwise.
As for Michaela’s recent comments about the US Center for SafeSport, she’s been frustrated that coaches can’t push athletes as hard as they used to. Given the history of abuse in gymnastics, her comments have sparked a lot of backlash. The gymnastics community’s reaction has been pretty intense, like a heated argument at a meet when things don’t go as expected.
Rachel Den Hollander really came after Michaela Skinner. If you’re not familiar, Rachel’s a huge name in gymnastics, known for blowing the whistle on all the messed-up stuff behind the scenes. She pointed out that Michaela’s comments show she’s still stuck in that old, harmful mindset about coaching—the kind that led to all those terrible abuse stories. The drama got so intense that Michaela yanked her video faster than you can say “dismount.” But as we all know, once something’s on the internet, it’s there for good. Screenshots of her video started popping up all over social media like confetti at a parade.
So, you’re probably wondering if Simone Biles would let this slide, right? Of course not. Simone fired back with a post that read, “Lack of talent, lazy Olympic champions.” No need to mention Michaela by name—Simone’s message was crystal clear. The gymnastics world lost its mind when Simone hit “post.” Fans and fellow gymnasts went wild, showing their support for Simone as if they were cheering at a meet.
Simone’s got serious pull. When she speaks, people listen, and this time, her words landed with a thud. The backlash against Michaela snowballed quickly. People were sharing Simone’s post like it was hot potato, and the comments were on fire. Other gymnasts joined in too. Nastia Liukin even dropped a “Mic drop” in response to Simone’s post, as if to say Simone had just ended the debate in one fell swoop.
Here’s the thing: while everyone was cheering for Simone, Michaela was probably hiding under her covers. Can you imagine waking up to find that the greatest gymnast ever just called you out on social media? That’s gotta be worse than falling off the balance beam! And it wasn’t just gymnasts and fans who got involved. The whole thing blew up so big that even people who don’t care about gymnastics were chiming in. It was like the Olympics of social media drama.
So, you’re probably wondering if Michaela was just going to sit back and take it. Of course not! The pressure was on, and people were waiting for her to respond. Word is, she was scrambling to draft an apology. When the whole gymnastics world and Simone Biles herself are coming at you, you’re definitely going to try to make things right. Michaela eventually put out an apology, saying, “Oh, you all misunderstood me.” Seriously? We heard exactly what you said. She tried to clean it up by claiming she didn’t mean to throw shade at the current team, even adding, “I love and support all the girls that made it.” It sounded like she was desperately trying to save face. But the apology didn’t do much to calm things down. It was about as effective as a participation trophy at the Olympics. The backlash kept coming from all directions, like a horror movie where the protagonist is running from a keyboard-wielding mob.
And get this—things got so bad that Michaela started getting death threats. Over some comments about gymnastics! She had to come out and say, “My family and friends don’t deserve to be caught in the crossfire.” And she’s right. No matter how heated things get, sending death threats is way over the line. But the drama didn’t stop there. Michaela, feeling the heat, decided to go all out. She made a tearful video, practically begging Simone Biles to step in and help her out. It felt like a soap opera with leotards and chalk dust. Michaela asked Simone directly, “You’ve been such a champion for mental health, and we need your help right now.” It was almost as if she forgot she was the one who started this whole mess. What can Simone do when Michaela is the one who sparked the drama?
Let’s get into it. Michaela and Simone have always been huge advocates for mental health, standing up for athletes and calling out the tough stuff. But now, things seem to have gone off the rails. Michaela’s stirring the pot and then getting upset when people push back, and Simone—after dropping that Instagram post—has gone completely silent. It feels like watching a gymnastics routine go wrong. You know that moment when a gymnast starts a flip, and you just know they’re going to crash? That’s where Michaela is right now. She kicked this off thinking she’d nail it, but now she’s floundering, hoping Simone will jump in and save her.
But here’s the real question: Is Simone going to step up? Will she swoop in like a superhero and pull Michaela out of this social media mess, or is she going to let her handle it on her own? It’s like we’re all on the edge of our seats, waiting for the judge’s score, and in this case, Simone’s the judge. Whatever she does could seriously impact Michaela’s reputation.
I’m curious, though—what do you think? Is Michaela the bad guy here, or is she just saying what others are too scared to? And what about Simone? Should she have stayed out of it, or does she have a responsibility to defend her team? Can she even help Michaela now? I want to hear your thoughts, so drop them in the comments.
Watching all this unfold makes you think—when does calling someone out cross the line into bullying? We’re all trying to balance speaking our minds with not being mean. And as much as I love the drama, even I have to admit it can get a bit too much. If you’re feeling the same and want more of these stories, hit like and subscribe. Trust me, there’s always more tea to spill.