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Olympic gymnast Michaela Skinner and Simone Biles Skinner made an urgent call for an end to cyberbullying, which has reached a fever pitch. A week after Biles made headlines by criticizing her former teammate in an Instagram post celebrating her victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Skinner responded.
Skinner, 27, shared a video on Instagram on Tuesday with a clear message: “I love our country and I don’t want to take anything away from our athletes. Let’s use this time to support each other instead of putting others down.”
Skinner’s touching video
In the video, Skinner explains that the online hate he’s received from Biles’ shadow has reached uncontrollable levels. In June, Skinner criticized the work ethic of Biles’ teammates Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Sunesha Lee and Hazel Rivera in a YouTube video — sparking a wave of negative reactions. Since then, she has received threats directed at her, her husband Jonas Hammer and her 10-month-old daughter Charlotte.
“It’s disgusting to see people cheering on harassment,” Skinner said. “Please, at this moment, I’m just asking you to stop for my family, because enough is enough.” Skinner claimed to have apologized to her colleague and received a response from Biles, who said she was “proud” of her. “Imagine my surprise last week, when I was celebrating our team’s win, only to have this issue come up again because of a comment on an Instagram post,” Skinner continued.
In the post, Biles sarcastically called her gold medal team “incompetent, lazy Olympic champions.” Skinner expressed her sadness, saying: “If Simone really thinks I called our team lazy and untalented, I’m heartbroken if she really believes that. “I am heartbroken not only because this is not how I feel or what I have said before, but because Simone’s latest post and others that followed have unleashed another wave of hateful comments, direct messages, articles, and emails,” she said before addressing Biles directly.
“I’m asking you directly and publicly to put an end to this,” he implored. “Please ask your followers to stop.” Noting that Biles is “an incredible advocate for mental health awareness,” Skinner concluded: “A lot of people need your help right now. “We are under attack in ways I’m sure you never expected.” The situation highlights the importance of empathy and support in sports, underscoring how words and actions can have a profound impact on an athlete’s personal and family lives.
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