US gymnast MyKayla Skinner has called on Paris 2024 Olympic Games champ Simone Biles to put an end to “cyberbullying” following their heated sports beef.
In a video shared to Instagram (@mykaylaskinner20216), the 2020 silver medalist called on the US gymnastics team to put an end to cyberbullying, claiming that punters took aim at her friends, family and agents after the beef kicked off.
“Hey everyone, I sincerely hope that this topic wouldn’t need to be revisited, but unfortunately, things have really gotten out of hand lately,” Skinner began.
“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, watching people cheer on the bullying which has led to threats of physical harm to me, my husband and our daughter is disgusting.”
icymi: mykayla wants simone to ask people to stop leaving her hate pic.twitter.com/g6ITLvsc8Z
— SUNI LEE 2X OLYMPIC CHAMPION (@jordynsleftbrow) August 6, 2024
For folks who aren’t aware of the boiling beef between Skinner and the US Gymnastics Team, in a now-deleted YouTube video, Skinner criticised her fellow athletes for not having the work ethic to compete.
Although Skinner had apologised for her statements ahead of the US’ win at Paris 2024, Biles subtly shaded her in her victory IG Post, writing: “Lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions.”
Although sports aficionados were living for Biles’ pettiness, it appears it’s all become too much for Skinner, who claims that she and the folks in her circle have received death threats over her past comments.
“To be totally clear, I take 100% responsibility for poorly articulating the point I was trying to make, and the last thing I wanted was to cause harm or offend our US 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,” Skinner continued in her Instagram video.
Skinner went on to reveal that she was surprised to see Biles’ caption on Instagram after stating that she originally responded to her private apology in the DMs.
“I posted a video apology on Instagram, and I followed up with a written apology, and I sent individual messages to each of the women on the team. Only Simone had responded, and she told me that she was proud of me,” she continued
“You guys can imagine my surprise last week when I was celebrating our team winning gold, just to see this brought up all over again by a caption on an Instagram post.
“If Simone truly believes that I called our team lazy and lacking talent, and if that’s really how she feels, I am really heartbroken over it.”
Towards the end of her statement, Skinner addressed Biles head-on, asking her to “directly and publicly” put an end to the backlash she’s copped.
“Please ask your followers to stop. You have been an incredible champion for mental health awareness, and lot of people need your help now,” Skinner pleaded.
“We’ve been hurt and attacked in ways that I am certain you never intended. Your performance, the team’s performance, and the Olympics, in general, should be a time that we support one another and lift each other and our country up.
“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 our athletes together.”
What did Mykayla Skinner say?
As previously mentioned, Skinner’s beef with the US Gymnastic Team stems from a few statements she made, claiming that the “girls don’t work as hard”.
“Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,” Skinner shared in a YouTube video which has since been nixed from the platform.
“I mean, obviously a lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic.”
Skinner has since apologised for the statements she made ahead of the Olympics on X — formerly known as Twitter. However, Skinner could not escape her comments after Biles’ shaded it in her Instagram caption.
— MyKayla Skinner (Harmer) (@mykaylaskinner) July 6, 2024
Biles did receive some backlash from punters for being “petty”. However, the majority of the internet seemed to thrive with the messiness.
Following that subtly swipe, Biles stressed how “important” it was for her to stand up for her fellow teammates in an interview with PEOPLE.
“It’s important because you have to teach them to use their voices,” she shared.
“I just felt like it was right in that moment to stand up for them, because they’re so young and they haven’t fully stood in their power yet.”
As of writing, Biles and the other members of the US Gymnastics Team — which includes Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Suni Lee and Jordan Chiles — nor the official US Gymnastics Team have yet to respond to Skinner’s statement.
The comments for the Instagram video statement have also been limited.
Image source: Getty Images / Jamie Squire
The post Mykayla Skinner Begs Simone Biles To ‘Directly’ Stop Fans From ‘Cyberbullying’ Her appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
