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Simone Biles is arguably the best gymnast in the world. The 25-year-old athlete shocked many when she announced her withdrawal from the gymnastics finals at the Tokyo Olympics. Biles cited mental health problems as the reason for her bowing out of the competition.
Biles has been in the news for a while. Before she spoke out about her struggles with mental health, the athlete was tangled in the Larry Nassar scandal. Simone Biles in 2018 came out to speak against former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar and alleged that he s*xually abused her.
On January 6, 2018, Biles described the abuse in a statement posted on Twitter. In a post filed under the #metoo hashtag, Biles said that she was s*xually harassed:
“Most of you know me as a happy, giggly, and energetic girl. But lately I’ve felt a bit broken and the more I try to shut off the voice in my head the louder it screams. I am not afraid to tell my story anymore. I too am one of the many survivors that was s*xually abused by Larry Nassar.”
Simone Biles went on to describe the events of abuse. She further pleaded:
“Please believe me when I say it was a lot harder to first speak those words out loud than it is now to put them on paper. There are many reasons that I have been reluctant to share my story, but I know now it is not my fault.”
Biles noted that she found the strength to reveal the stories after she saw her “friends and other survivors” speak out.
Larry Nassar, the team physician of the US women’s gymnastics, was accused of s*xual abuse by over 140 women and girls. Biles’ teammates, including gold medalists Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and Gabby Douglas, came forward against Nassar.
The former doctor was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison on counts of seven charges including s*xual abuse and child p*rnogr*phy.
Simone Biles slams authorities for inaction against Larry Nassar
In September 2021, Simone Biles spoke out in an emotional testimony at a US senate hearing into the Larry Nassar abuse scandal. Biles was in tears as she slammed the FBI and gymnastics officials for turning a blind eye towards Nassar’s abuse.
The 2016 Olympic champion said that she blamed the system that allowed the former doctor to get away with his crime, saying:
“I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse. If you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe. Enough is enough.”
This came after an internal investigation by the Justice Department showed that the FBI made fundamental errors in the probe. It noted that the agency did not show “utmost seriousness” towards the charges filed against Nassar.
Simone Biles joined dozens of other survivors who sought over $1 billion from the FBI for failing to stop the sports doctor despite the allegations leveled against him.
