Simone Biles apologizes to Riley Gaines over trans athlete row amid right-wing backlash
The most decorated gymnast in history, Biles had called Gaines 'truly sick' and a 'sore loser' in a viral social media post after Gaines misgendered a Minnesota high school softball player who is transgender. Biles later said her frustration was directed at the system that puts athletes in difficult positions and that singling out an underage player crossed a line.
'It didn't help for me to get personal with Riley,' Biles wrote in a follow-up post. 'These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don't have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect.'
The apology came days after Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer turned anti-trans activist, lashed out at Biles for her comments. The two clashed after Gaines mocked a Minnesota state high school softball championship's post by pointing out a transgender girl on the winning team, referring to the player as 'a boy' and claiming the title was 'hijacked'.
Biles, who has often advocated for mental health awareness and athlete welfare, responded sharply: 'You're truly sick. All of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser.' She followed with additional posts criticizing Gaines for 'bullying' and suggested that sports organizations create a transgender division as an inclusive alternative.
Gaines, who tied for fifth place with trans swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA championships and has since become a prominent figure in right-wing media, quickly pushed back. 'Men don't belong in women's sports and I say that with my full chest,' she wrote, reposting fan responses and accusing Biles of undermining women's spaces.
While Biles has since walked back the personal tone of her remarks, she stood by the broader point. 'I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition,' she posted. 'We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful.'
Yet the apology did little to defuse the backlash from the American right. Fox News' website has published no fewer than 17 stories about the dispute since it began on Saturday. On the highly rated Fox panel show The Five on Wednesday, co-host Jesse Watters called Biles 'mentally weak' and mocked her decision to apologize.
'We have to make sure she medals [at LA 2028], OK? So I'm gonna lay off her,' Watters said sarcastically before likening it to Elon Musk's walking back of his feud with Donald Trump. 'But I will say this, she pulled an Elon. 'Oh, I'm sorry for some of the things I said.' Come on.'
The segment included further ridicule of Biles's mental health advocacy, with Watters alluding to her high-profile withdrawal from events at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. 'This shows the power of Fox,' he said. 'This woman, Riley Gaines, did the full Kilmeade: six shows in 48 hours and just put so much pressure on Simone.'
The right-leaning sports outlet Outkick, where Gaines is a contributor, also published multiple stories criticizing Biles for 'bullying' and accused her of contradicting herself on inclusion and fairness.
Despite the pile-on, many of Biles's supporters praised her for defending a transgender minor against public attacks. A coach from the Minnesota team told local media after the championship game, 'She's a great kid and a great teammate. Her teammates love having her out there.'
Biles, for her part, appears ready to move on. 'We're all passionate about sport and the direction it's going,' she wrote. 'But we need to be able to talk about it in ways that don't tear each other down.'
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