Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner's Drama Explained: Why the Former Olympic Teammates Are Making Headlines

Mar. 15, 2025

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Simone Bilesand MyKayla Skinner may be former teammates, but that doesn’t mean Biles isn’t quick to protect her current team.

“Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,” Skinner said in a since-deleted YouTube video from July 3 that was captured in a post onX(formerly Twitter). “I just notice like, I mean, obviously a lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic.”

From Skinner’s apology to Biles’ response, here’s everything to know about the controversy between Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner.

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Skinner and Biles have been competing alongside one another since 2014 when they both represented Team USA at the 2014 World Championships in Nanning, China. They also made two Olympic appearances together, including in 2016 when Skinner was an alternate.

In 2021, the two competed at the Tokyo Olympics together, where Skinner took Biles’ place in the vault final after she dropped out of the event following herexperience with the “twisties,”a situation where the gymnast loses where they are in the air, placing them in a dangerous position when landing. Skinner ultimately finished second, earning a silver medal.

However, the world champion retired following the Olympics and has sincewelcomed a daughter, Charlotte, with her husband Jonas Harmer.

Skinner criticized the 2024 Olympics women’s gymnastics team

She blamed the low “work ethic” on SafeSport, an independent organization that works to increase safety and prevent athlete abuse. USA Gymnastics initiated the use of the program after theLarry Nassar sexual abuse casein 2018 and after cutting ties with longtime Team USA coachesMárta and Bela Károlyi, whom gymnasts accused of allegedly knowingly allowing the doctor to work on them at their renowned training facility.

“It’s hard too because of SafeSport like coaches can’t get on athletes and they have to be really careful what they say,” Skinner said in the video. “In some ways, it’s really good but at the same time to get to where you need to be in gymnastics you do have to be a little aggressive and a little intense.”

Tom Weller/VOIGT/Getty; Iris van den Broek/BSR Agency/Getty

“It was more about going back into my own gym, just the work ethic is different compared to when we were doing gymnastics in the Márta era,” Skinner explained. “And I’m not sticking up for Márta or saying what she did was good, I’m just saying it was different.”

In a statement to PEOPLE, Skinner doubled down on her apology and shared that she would be cheering for Team USA as they competed in Paris.

Jordan Chiles, Hezly Rivera, Simone Biles, Jade Carey and Sunisa Lee of Team United States celebrate winning the gold medal during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on July 30, 2024.Naomi Baker/Getty

Naomi Baker/Getty

Hours after winning the gold medal in the team all-around competition at the Olympics, Biles posted a carousel of photos of her with Chiles, Lee, Carey and Rivera celebrating their win onInstagram— and added a cheeky caption.

“lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions ❤️🥇🇺🇸,” Biles wrote, seemingly referencing Skinner’s remarks.

The comment section of the post was soon flooded with support for Biles and her teammates, from current and former gymnasts alike.

Other gymnasts including McKayla Maroney and Suni Lee clapped back at Skinner after Biles’ response

“It doesn’t get more iconic than this.. She f’d around n found out fr,” Maroney wrote, referring to Biles’ joke after the gold medal win thattheir team name was “F[—] Around and Find Out."

“Feels like I need to apologize just to redeem my first name,” she added.

Other gymnasts chimed in, with Chiles commenting, “and that’s on periodt!!” and former Olympian Laurie Hernandez writing, “LMAOOOO I LOVE YALL.” Five-time Olympic medalistNastia Liukinwrote, “micdrop,” while Lee wrote, “put a finger down if simone biles just ended you 🖐️.”

Skinner blocked Biles on Instagram following her post

A screenshot from Jordan Chiles' Instagram Stories of MyKayla Skinner blocking Simone Biles.Jordan Chiles/Instagram

Jordan Chiles/Instagram

The day after her post, Biles revealed thatSkinner blocked her on Instagram. Chiles put a photo on her Instagram Stories of proof that Biles was blocked and shortly after, Biles confirmed the news on X herself.

“oop I’ve been blocked,” she wrote, along with some emojis.

A week after blocking Biles on Instagram, Skinner returned to the app to post a4-minute-long videoin which shemade a direct request to Bilesto ask her followers to stop attacking Skinner and her family, including her infant daughter, Charlotte.

“To Simone, I am asking you directly and publicly to please put a stop to this,” Skinner said. “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’m certain you never intended.”

She ended the message saying, “I love our country and I love our team. And I hope that we can move on and move forward and cheer on the rest of our teammates and athletes together.”

source: people.com