Simone Biles Vanishes From X After Explosive Feud With Riley Gaines: 'Farewell Sweet Princess'

Simone Biles has vanished from X (formerly Twitter), leaving fans stunned and speculation swirling that the Olympic icon may have deactivated her account following a fiery public spat with former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines.

The disappearance of Biles' account comes just days after she and Gaines clashed over the controversial topic of transgender athletes participating in girls' youth sports.

While Simone Biles has not confirmed the reason behind her exit from the platform, Gaines appeared confident it stemmed from the intense backlash the Olympian faced during their exchange.

"Sad to see such a phenom go down like this," Gaines posted on X, implying Biles' departure was tied directly to the fallout from their feud.

The feud erupted in early June when Gaines criticized a high school for allowing a transgender girl to compete in girls' sports.

Simone Biles, widely considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, did not hold back, slamming Gaines as "truly sick" for targeting the athlete and calling on her to focus on finding solutions instead of publicly shaming individuals.

After fans noticed Biles' exit from X, they attacked her for her "cowardness."

"Farewell, sweet princess," one person wrote sarcastically.

"Quitter on and off the mat. Bye," another said.

"Her apology was written by the HodgesTwins social media lady," a third wrote.

"Biles fully stepped in it! Legacy crashed and burned!" someone else chimed in.

"She couldn't take the heat," an X user expressed.

Taking to social media before deactivating her account, the seven-time Olympic medalist acknowledged that she let her emotions take over in what she described as one of the most divisive debates in modern sports.

"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," Biles wrote. "I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women's sports. My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful."

"Individual athletes, especially kids, should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over," she continued. "I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition. We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful."

She clarified that her issue wasn't with the debate itself, but rather Riley Gaines' choice to single out a young athlete online. "Calling out a child publicly is personal and harmful," Simone Biles added.

And, despite their very public spat, Riley Gaines said she is ready to move forward, and maybe even collaborate with the gymnast.

In a recent interview with TMZ, the outspoken political activist and former collegiate swimmer extended an olive branch to Simone Biles, revealing she's open to working with the Olympic icon.

"Look, Simone is someone I've looked up to, I've respected for so long," Gaines said. "She has done so much for women's sports, of course, for the sport of gymnastics, but even broader than that for women in general."

Still, Riley Gaines expressed disappointment over Simone Biles' recent remarks on the hot-button topic of transgender athletes in youth sports, saying the issue wasn't personal, but about how Biles used her massive platform.

"A platform where young girls, all across the nation. Young girls like my little sister, who's a gymnast, look up to her," she continued. Gaines called Biles' initial reaction "rushed" and "ignorant," claiming the gymnastics legend "pulled up the ladder behind her" by not engaging with the full scope of the debate.

Yet, she believes there's still potential for common ground.

"I think Simone would be a fantastic ally in this fight," Gaines added. "Her platform is still incredible. Her career has been illustrious, to say the least. I think we could do a lot together if she was willing to do it."