Gabby Douglas Addresses Recent Bullying Linked To Simone Biles

Three-time Olympic medalist Gabby Douglas has addressed a viral TikTok that suggested the increasing attention on Simone Biles had overshadowed her.

Douglas and Biles were teammates at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where they contributed to Team USA's all-around gold medal win. The 28-year-old did not participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and then, she suffered a foot injury before the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifiers, which kept her from competing.

As for Biles, she dropped out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to mental health struggles, but she made an epic comeback at the 2024 Paris Olympics as she officially became the most decorated gymnast of all time.

After Simone Biles made headlines for breaking multiple records and for bringing home four medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, many began "bullying" Gabby Douglas.

In 2012, Douglas made history as the first African-American woman to win the individual all-around Olympic gold medal, a milestone that transformed the sport.

Alongside Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, and Kyla Ross, Douglas helped secure the gold medal for the United States. Notably, she was the only member of the U.S. "Fierce Five" to compete in all four events: vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise.

She came back to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics; however, Gabby Douglas could not defend her title due to a rule limiting two competitors per country.

"After the 2016 Olympics—I honestly didn’t do my best, and that Olympics didn’t go quite in my favor," the athlete told TIME Magazine last year. "But I learned that medals, or like Grammys or Oscars, they’re amazing and they represent your hard work, but it’s not who you are. It doesn’t define you."

"You know you do your craft. That’s what you do, but it’s not who you are. And it took me a long time to figure that out. And I would always say like, without my medals I’m nothing," she added. "I’m still a human being, I still have many other talents to give, much more than just gymnastics. It’s so weird, but I guess it makes sense, because if you start to do the thing every single day… gymnastics was every single day since I was six. So, [with] gymnastics, [I was] like: this is who I am. But it’s not who I am."

On July 31, a social media user who goes by the tag @legacy.jai posted a video where they claimed, “I still never forget how y’all fumbled Gabby Douglas. Y’all dropped her like a bad habit when Simone Biles came on the scene."

"Gabby Douglas used to be the greatest Olympic gymnast and then here comes Simone Biles," they added.

The video has since gone viral.

The TikTok made waves and even caught the attention of Gabby Douglas herself, who decided to take to the comments section and clap back at the haters. “That’s ok! Constantly being bullied is very tiring and wearing on me," Douglas said. "I just want to live my life and be at peace,."

She added, "Thanks for the love! Definitely needed in this world x.”

Her comment has received nearly 27k likes and over 100 replies. "You are loved and appreciated! My daughter grew up with your gymnastics. She watched your documentary over and over. And ‘this girl is on fireeeee’ was only about you in her eyes!!!" one TikToker wrote, rallying behind Douglas.

"I never forgot you!! EVER! I almost started gymnastics again at 22 when you were competing," another said. "You’re incredible."

"We LOVEEEEEEEEEEE YOU GABBY! Don’t you ever forget it! I never dropped you!" a third expressed.

The viral TikTok received over 3.5k comments, nearly all of which backed Gabby Douglas--with some even calling her "their Simone Biles."

"I grew up with Gabby, so when Simone popped up in 2016, I was low-key a hater at first," one admitted.

"NGL back then Gabby Douglas was MY 'Simone Biles' ….. I miss watching her," another said.

"I think about her all the time if there was no Dominique Dawes, there will be no Gabby Douglas, and there would be no Simone Biles!" a third said.

Looking ahead, both Douglas and Biles have not dismissed the possibility of competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“You never say never. The next Olympics is on home turf, so you just never know,” Biles told Hoda Kotb on the "TODAY" show earlier this week. “I’m just gonna relax and see where life takes me.”

As for Douglas, she addressed the possibility shortly after she suffered from her foot injury. “I’m sad to say that due to a foot injury during practice I will not be able to continue my 2024 journey,” the Olympian wrote on a June 2 Instagram post. “This may be the end of this chapter but not the end of my gymnastics story.”