Gabby Douglas is sick and tired of all the bullying, especially when it comes to being compared to Simone Biles.
The 28-year-old Olympic legend shared her feelings in a comment on a TikTok video from a user who asserted Biles replaced Douglas as the face of gymnastics. The TikToker went on to say in the 32-second clip that she’s shocked as to how Douglas was “dropped like a bad habit when Simone Biles came on the scene.”
The TikToker wondered, “When was the last time you thought about Gabby Douglas?”
Douglas responded by dropping a comment.
“[T]hat’s ok! constantly being bullied is very tiring and wearing on me,” she wrote. “I just want to live my life and be at peace ? thanks for the love! definitely needed in this world x.”
Douglas, of course, is a three-time gold medalist who competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, and was a member of the celebrated Fierce Five, who captured the hearts and spirits of the world when they won the team event in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Douglas also made history as the first Black woman to win a gold medal in the all-around competition at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Her comments come amid Biles being roped in another beef among a fellow Olympian. Earlier this week, former Olympic gymnast MyKayla Skinner took to social media to directly ask Biles to reprimand the cyber bullies who have attacked her for the viral comments she made last month about the future champions‘ lack of “work ethic.” Skinner has since deleted that YouTube video.
“I sincerely hoped that this topic wouldn’t need to be revisited but unfortunately things have really gotten out of hand lately. And 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,” Skinner said in her Instagram video. “Watching people cheer on the bullying — which has led to threats of physical harm to me my husband and our daughter — is disgusting. So please at this point, I’m just asking for it to stop for the sake of my family because enough is enough.”
She continued: “About four weeks ago, I made a comment about work ethic and what seems to be taking pace with the rising generation. To be totally clear, I take 100 percent responsibility for poorly articulating the point I was trying to make and the last thing I wanted was to cause harm or offend our U.S. Olympic team. I know these women are incredible — the very best of the best — and almost all of them are my former teammates who I have enjoyed very much cheering on the last few years.”
Following Skinner’s initial critical comments, the women’s gymnastics team went on to haul in three gold medals, including two individual gold medals for Biles.
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