Simone Biles and Mykayla Skinner’s Olympic Fallout: Inside the Social Media Controversy
Simone Biles looking forward to 2028 LA Olympics (Image via Instagram@simonebiles)
Simone Biles looking forward to 2028 LA Olympics (Image via Instagram@simonebiles)
What started as an encouraging friendship didn’t take long to fall into shambles. But what really lay at the crux of the fallout banter between Olympic peers, Simone Biles and Mykayla Skinner?
Having competed alongside Biles during the 2021 Tokyo Games, Skinner made some negative remarks about the 2024 Team USA roster’s work ethic. But after the women’s gymnastics team championed at the Paris Games, Biles made a subtle jab at Skinner.
“Lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions, us,” the gymnastics icon captioned her Instagram post in 2024, celebrating Team USA’s gold-winning run.
Nov 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; United States gymnast Simone Biles watches practice before the game against between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
Nov 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; United States gymnast Simone Biles watches practice before the game against between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
After withdrawing from several individual events at Tokyo, Biles encouraged Skinner to get on the vault, where she came down with silver. But it all went sour after she posted a since-deleted YouTube video in 2024.
“Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,” she said in the video, per PEOPLE. “I mean, obviously, a lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic.”
This visibly offended Biles, who stirred up the matter with her subtle Instagram caption. However, the aftermath was even more complicated.
Mykayla Skinner Directly Addressed Simone Biles
On August 6, 2024, Skinner posted a new Instagram video, stating that Biles’ caption resulted in her and her family being cyberbullied. The Olympic medalist pleaded with her former peer to end the rift between them.
"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. We've been hurt and attacked in ways that I’m certain you never intended.”
Skinner also expressed surprise regarding this stir-up, stating that she apologized to Team USA members individually.
“I love our country, and I love our team,” Skinner added. “And I hope that we can move on and move forward and cheer on the rest of our teammates and athletes together.”
Noting her love for the team, she revealed the desire to move on from this topic altogether.
But in a statement released to One America News in June 2025, Skinner claimed to have felt bullied and ostracized by Biles. The seven-time Olympic gold medalist has yet to respond to her former teammate's accusations.
What’s your take on this matter? Which event strained their friendship? Let us know in the comments.
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Written by
Deblina Roy
Edited by
Sijo Paul