Simone Biles has apparently been blocked on social media by former USA Gymnastics teammate MyKayla Skinner amid their escalating online feud.
Issues between the two began when Skinner criticized USA Gymnastics’ Olympic roster heading into the ongoing games, saying in a since-deleted YouTube clip that ‘besides Simone’ the ‘girls just don’t have the work ethic’ or ‘talent.’
Having won team gold at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, Biles shot back at Skinner on Instagram, writing: ‘lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions.’
Now, as Biles hinted on X, she no longer has access to Skinner’s social media posts: ‘oop I’ve been blocked.’
And just in case there were any doubt, Biles’ current teammate Jordan Chiles shared a photo online showing Skinner’s blank Instagram page appearing on a mobile phone. And to clear up any confusion, Chiles added a caption: ‘When she blocks Simone.’
Simone Biles took aim at ex-Olympic teammate MyKayla Skinner (left) on Instagram this week
Simone Biles has apparently crossed a line with former teammate MyKayla Skinner
Biles’ current teammate Jordan Chiles shared a photo online showing Skinner’s blank IG page
Biles isn’t the only current and former Team USA member poking fun at Skinner after Tuesday’s gold medal-winning performance. USA gymnastics royalty McKayla Maroney has become embroiled in the bitter feud as well.
‘It doesn’t get more iconic than this,’ Maroney wrote on Instagram in response to Biles’ post. ‘[Skinner] f’d around n found out fr.’
Maroney then joked about sharing a moniker with Skinner.
‘Feels like I need to apologize just to redeem my first name,’ she wrote.
Skinner, who won silver on the vault at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has been under fire for her comments about her former teammates.
‘Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,’ the 27-year-old said on YouTube.
‘The girls just don’t have the work ethic,’ Skinner continued before referencing the US Center for SafeSport – a non-profit organization set up to reduce sexual and emotional abuse of athletes in US Olympic sports.
‘And 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.
‘Which, in some ways, is really good. But at the same time, to get to where you need to be in gymnastics you do have to be, I feel like, a little aggressive and a little intense.’
In the immediate aftermath of that, Biles clapped back at Skinner, writing on Threads, ‘not everyone needs a mic and a platform’.
