Breaking Down Simone Biles and Riley Gaines’ Messy Feud

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Simone Biles wasn’t afraid to dive headfirst into controversy to call out behavior she found toxic.

Riley Gaines, a previous college swimmer turned advocate for excluding transgender females from female-based sports, sparked Simone Biles’ displeasure on June 6th, as she ridiculed the Minnesota State High School League’s policies.

The league disabled commenting on a post congratulating Champlin Park, this year’s 2025 Softball State Champion, whose prominent 17-year-old pitcher identifies as transgender.

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The league chose to disable comments for a victorious post about the 2025 Softball State Champions, Champlin Park, which features their notable 17-year-old transgender pitcher.

“Comments off lol,” Gaines wrote. “To be expected when your star player is a boy.”

In a post on June 6th, Biles described Fox News commentator Gaines as “really unwell” and a “poor loser,” seemingly in response to Gaines tying with Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, for fifth place at the 2022 Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. The gymnast, who is 28 years old, also criticized Gaines for stirring up division instead of using her influence to promote inclusivity in sports or establish a safe environment for transgender individuals in sports.

Gaines was unfazed, calling the 11-time Olympic medalist’s response “so disappointing.”

Of course, that was only the beginning.

In a turn of events, their verbal dispute spread rapidly across various platforms, ultimately leading Biles to issue an apology. Instead of merely debating her stance, she admitted that she had crossed the line by making it personal.

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Their back-and-forth banter escalated and quickly gained traction online. In the end, Biles felt compelled to apologize for straying from a straightforward debate about their positions and instead resorting to personal comments.

Despite this, Gaines continued to fuel the dispute, even mentioning it during an interview with Turning Point USA, where she shared that she’s expecting her first baby.

Read on for all the details as to how Biles vs. Gaines started and how it’s going:

It appears that conservative activist Riley Gaines expressed some thoughts towards the Minnesota State High School League, who acknowledged Champlin Park High School’s 2025 Class AAAA softball state championship in their June 6 X post.

In the comments section restricted only to those who are already followers or mentioned by the league’s account, Gaines (a previous swimmer from the University of Kentucky) shared the joyful team picture and captioned it, “Comments disabled haha…Not surprising when your standout player is a male.

The triumphant Champlin Park team included a 17-year-old pitcher who’s a trans girl.

Upon noticing Gaines’ post incorrectly gendering the teen softball player, Simone Biles promptly expressed her disagreement.

On June 6th, the seven-time Olympic gold medalist wrote, “You’re genuinely upset, continuously campaigning because you didn’t win a race, and this was tagged towards Gaines.” “Instead of being a sore loser, it would be more beneficial if you were to support and uplift the transgender community. Perhaps you could work on making sports more inclusive or even creating a new platform where trans individuals feel safe participating in sports. How about introducing a ‘transgender category’ across all sports?

Allow me to rephrase that statement from a personal perspective as a lifestyle advisor: “Instead of supporting and encouraging your peers, it seems you resort to bullying. There’s no doubt about it; the sports world becomes an unfriendly place when you are present.

In the 2022 Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer from the University of Pennsylvania, tied for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle with Biles referring to this event.

Publicly criticizing the NCAA for granting Thomas eligibility in the women’s division, Gaines later spoke about fairness in female sports before Congress. Additionally, she teamed up with a dozen other student-athletes to file a lawsuit in 2024, accusing the NCAA of breaching their Title IX rights by not upholding equitable standards.

Beginning in February 2025, the NCAA amended its rules so that only individuals who were designated female at birth are eligible to participate in women’s athletics.

I find this truly disheartening. It’s not our responsibility or any woman’s to make room for men in our domains. You have the power to highlight men winning titles in women’s competitions through your influence. Men don’t belong in women’s sports, a belief I stand by strongly.

Biles, who stands at 4 feet 8 inches tall, quickly retorted, once more mentioning the 5 feet 5 athlete. She playfully said, “Pick on someone your own height, which would surprisingly be a man.

It’s not clear which of these two comments by Gaines was posted first, as they both have the same timestamp of 4:25 p.m.

On June 6th, approximately four hours following their first interaction, Gaines shared a video of Biles’ 2021 Congressional testimony concerning the abuse she and others experienced at the hands of former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. This was counterposed with a post by Biles criticizing Gaines. The retired swimmer expressed this comparison through text: “Simone Biles, who had to suffer from a predatory man, versus other girls who have to endure predatory men.

In his Instagram post titled “My Response to Simone Biles After She Personally Attacked & Body Shamed Me…”, Gaines claimed that Biles, being the exceptional gymnast she is, was instead betraying women and girls by her actions.

Gaines emphasized that if someone intends to utilize their platform to support male athletes in female sports, then they are free to do so. However, he doesn’t see it as his role or that of any other woman to carry out such a task.

Biles emphasized self-love and acceptance, to which Gaines added, “And yet, she has audacity to comment on my appearance, saying I look like a man. This is remarkable coming from someone who has shown immense courage in speaking out about and bearing witness to the horrific sexual abuse inflicted upon her and hundreds of other female gymnasts by Larry Nassar. It’s ironic that she would advocate for forcing vulnerable women to undress in front of men, all in the name of making a man feel comfortable.

Gaines stated, “What if Larry Nassar identified as transgender, would Simone Biles consider it appropriate or secure for him to reside in a female correctional facility?

In a June 10 post, Biles didn’t waver from her advocacy for inclusivity in sports and civil conversations regarding trans athletes. However, she did express regret for making sharp comments aimed at Gaines.

Simone Biles stated, “I’ve consistently felt that competition, equality, and inclusivity are all vital in sports. The current system struggles to strike a balance between these crucial principles, often resulting in tension and heated discussions. I regret that my personal interaction with Riley escalated the situation, for which I apologize. These are delicate, intricate matters that I don’t have the answers or solutions for, but I believe it begins with understanding and respect. I was not promoting policies that undermine fairness in women’s sports.

The gymnast went on, bringing attention to the fact that Gaines had criticized a high school student in her post which led to their exchange, “What I object to is singling out minors for public criticism that feels personal and damaging. Young athletes, particularly those in school, should never be the subject of critique directed at a system they cannot change. I believe sports institutions must create regulations that uphold inclusivity while maintaining fair competition. We all aspire for a future in sports that is equitable, inclusive, and respectful.

On the air of The Stephen A. Smith Show podcast on June 10th, Gaines affirmed that she fully supported her earlier remarks about Nassar and used the opportunity to elaborate more on her stance.

Initially, for the sake of understanding, I firmly believe that Larry Nassar is an abhorrent individual who deserves to endure a lifetime of misery and decay behind bars. That sentiment aligns with mine and Simone’s as well.

However, she went on to explain, “Isn’t such an act more obscene than finding oneself completely unclothed in a shower, with a towering 6-foot-4 individual entering the shower next to you? This person then removes his clothes entirely, exposing himself naked, and observes you while you bathe. To my understanding, this constitutes sexual abuse.

As a dedicated follower, I’d like to rephrase the statement in my own words: I too noticed that both she and Biles became emotional, as mentioned by Gaines. However, I firmly believe it is equally important to criticize those who try to make it seem acceptable or unproblematic for men to undress and shower alongside women, as this behavior should not be considered anything less than a severe violation of women’s and girls’ privacy on the scale of gross sexual misconduct.

In a recent development, NFL player Jonathan Owens, who has been married to Simone Biles for two years, reposted her message on his Instagram Stories to make clear her position and express an apology towards Gaines. He accompanied this with three heart emoticons.

Previously, Kayla Skinner, who won the silver medal for vaulting at the 2020 Olympics, sparked disagreement with Simone Biles when she expressed criticism about the U.S. women’s gymnastics team prior to the 2024 Paris Games.

Later, Skinner supported Gaines during this contest, stating on June 13 to One America News, “As a sportsman who’s invested years in my discipline, I’ve always thought that genuine competition should uplift us, not bring others down. It’s worrying to see [Biles] criticize another female athlete as a ‘poor loser’ just for voicing fairness concerns about women’s sports. I admire and respect [Gaines] for standing up for what she believes.

On June 14th, Gaines made it official that she and her husband Louis Barker are welcoming their first child. She shared ultrasound images and discussed her dispute with Simone Biles during her speech at a Turning Point USA gathering.

What cracked Gaines up was when she said, ‘Pick on someone your own size, which would be a man,’ given the situation. Considering how many men don’t carry a baby like I do, it’s quite amusing, doesn’t it?

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2025-06-18 02:17