Simone Biles and Riley Gaines Engage in Heated Online Feud Over Transgender Athletes

Published: June 11, 2025

By Jordana Comiter, Associate Editor on the Evergreen team at PEOPLE

Published on June 11, 2025 02:26PM EDT

Simone Biles and Riley Gaines have been exchanging heated comments online over their disagreement on transgender athletes participating in sports.

The Feud Begins

On June 6, Gaines made an anti-trans comment on a celebratory post from the Minnesota State High School League, which led to Biles calling her a "sore loser" and a "bully."

Gaines had replied to the league's post on X, "Comments off, lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy," referring to Marissa Rothenberger, a transgender athlete who is a pitcher for the team.

Biles then replied to Gaines' post on X, calling her a "straight up sore loser" and "bully."

"You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race," Biles wrote. "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!!"

Biles shared another post on X moments later, writing, "bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines_.">

Gaines' Response

Gaines replied to Biles' comments, calling them "so disappointing" and noting that she felt her "take is the least controversial take on the planet."

"Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls' dreams? Didn't have that on my bingo card," Gaines wrote. "Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028."

In a follow-up post, Gaines then accused Biles of subtle "body shaming."

Shortly after, Gaines posted an Instagram video in which she shared Biles' comments and said she "couldn't care less" about what the gymnast has to say about her.

Biles' Apology

On June 10, a few days after slamming Gaines for her views on transgender athletes, Biles posted a lengthy message on X, telling her followers she wanted to "follow up" on her previous posts.

"I've always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport," the Olympic gymnast 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."

Biles noted she was "not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women's sports," but clarified that her "objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful."

"Individual athletes—especially kids—should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over," she continued. "I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition. We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful."

Craig Melvin Panics Over Hoda Kotb Run-In After Today Exit

Brad Garrett Reveals Why There Will Never Be an Everybody Loves Raymond Reboot

Jack Wagner Has One Goal in Surprise The Bold and the Beautiful Return and It Involves

Leave a comment below with your thoughts on this heated online exchange between Simone Biles and Riley Gaines.