MyKayla Skinner Accuses Simone Biles of Bullying and Ostracizing Her

Published: June 15, 2025

Gymnast MyKayla Skinner has spoken out against her former Olympic teammate Simone Biles, accusing her of bullying and ostracizing her. Skinner, 28, made the allegations in a public statement, saying that Biles, also 28, "belittled, dismissed and ostracized" her when they competed together. Skinner did not share specific details about the claims.

Skinner's statement comes after Biles criticized Riley Gaines, a conservative activist and former swimmer, for her anti-trans remarks. Skinner, a silver medalist, said in her statement that she commends and appreciates Gaines for speaking up and that she, too, has endured being belittled, dismissed, and ostracized behind the scenes by Biles.

"It's one thing to disagree. It's another to use your platform to bully and demean," Skinner said. "We should be lifting each other up — not tearing one another down for speaking hard truths."

Skinner and Biles have butted heads in the past, after Skinner criticized the U.S. women's gymnastics team heading to the 2024 Paris games, minus Biles. Skinner later apologized for her comments.

Biles first spoke out against Gaines when she commented on a post from the Minnesota State High School League of players posing with their first softball state championship plaque. Gaines wrote, "Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy," referring to Marissa Rothenberger, a transgender pitcher for the team.

Biles quoted the post and wrote, "You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. 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!! But instead… You bully them… One thing's for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!"

Biles later posted a lengthy message on X, telling her followers she wanted to "follow up" on her last posts about Gaines and apologize. "I've always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport," she 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."

Image credits: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty; FOX via Getty