MyKayla Skinner posted a video on social media Tuesday begging Simone Biles to call off the dogs in their online spat.
After winning a gold medal in the gymnastics team event at the Paris Olympics last week, Biles immediately went to social media to call out Skinner in an underhanded manner. Without mentioning Skinner by name, Biles’ post included criticism Skinner had shared of the younger gymnastics generation.
“Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t what it used to be. … The girls just don’t have the work ethic,” Skinner had said in a video a few weeks prior to the Olympics.
While Biles has continued to win medals at the Olympics, Skinner says her life has turned miserable and full of harassment and death threats since Biles directed negative attention toward her former gymnastics teammate.
“Things have gotten out of hand lately,” Skinner said in a video posted on Instagram. “Hate that includes deatht threats to me, my family and even my agent. … My family and my friends don’t deserve to be caught in a crossfire here. … To Simone, I am asking you 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. We’ve been hurt and attacked in ways that I am certain you never intended.”
Skinner said that the Olympics should be a time for people to come together, cheer for the team and country, and be united. She said she is hoping they can put things aside and unite over their shared desire to see the team succeed.
“I love our country and don’t want to take anything away from our athletes. Let’s use this time to build each other up, not tear others down,” Skinner said.
Here’s the first half if you care (I don’t 😁) pic.twitter.com/wDpZLLxobv
— SUNI LEE 2X OLYMPIC CHAMPION (@jordynsleftbrow) August 6, 2024
icymi: mykayla wants simone to ask people to stop leaving her hate pic.twitter.com/g6ITLvsc8Z
— SUNI LEE 2X OLYMPIC CHAMPION (@jordynsleftbrow) August 6, 2024
The 27-year-old Skinner was an alternate on the 2016 Olympic team. She stepped in for Biles during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and won a silver medal on the vault. Skinner has since retired.
