Simone Biles Deactivates X Account Following Controversy

Renowned gymnast Simone Biles has recently deactivated her X account amid escalating tensions after a feud with swimmer and women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines. This event unfolded following a heated discussion involving a transgender high school softball player.

Biles, now 28, still maintains an active presence on other social media platforms, including Instagram, where she has 12.4 million followers.

Gaines, 25, expressed her disappointment upon discovering Biles’ departure from X, stating, “It’s sad to see such a genius fall like this.”

The former NCAA swimmer noted on X, “There’s an incredibly unpopular, morally unprotected take that I was ridiculed for, and after facing significant backlash, I ended up issuing a public apology.” Gaines had previously competed against a transgender athlete at Pennsylvania’s Thomas Transgender University in 2022.

In early June, Marissa Rothenberger, a transgender athlete, led Minnesota’s Champlin Park High School to a state championship with a remarkable shutout.

After this significant victory, the state’s high school league shared team photos on social media, but comments were disabled.

Gaines commented, “We expect it when your star player is a boy,” referencing the ongoing discussions surrounding gender in sports.

In response to Gaines’ critiques, Biles defended her stance. “This campaign is about losing a race, and we are raising the pain of the losers. We need to uplift the trans community and find ways to make sports inclusive, or alternatively, create spaces where trans individuals feel secure in athletics,” she stated.

Biles later acknowledged and apologized for her remarks directed at Gaines, clarifying her views. “I wanted to follow up on my last tweet. I believe both competitive equity and inclusivity are crucial in sports. The current system often fails to balance these principles, leading to frustration and intense exchanges,” she reflected.