Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner's Drama Explained: Why the Former Olympic Teammates Are Making Headlines (2024)

Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner may be former teammates, but that doesn’t mean Biles isn’t quick to protect her current team.

The record-breaking seven-time Olympic-medalling gymnast and the 2020 Olympic vault silver medalist were teammates in both the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, Biles and Skinner’s friendship appears to have met a hurdle after Skinner made negative comments about the other four members of Team USA: Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera.

"Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn't like what it used to be," Skinner said in a since-deleted YouTube video from July 3 that was captured in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "I just notice like, I mean, obviously a lot of girls don't work as hard. The girls just don't have the work ethic."

After winning the team all-around gold medal on July 30, Biles seemingly responded to Skinner’s comments with a post of the five gymnasts — who call themselves the “Golden Girls” — celebrating their accomplishment, as well as a clapping back.

From Skinner’s apology to Biles’ response, here’s everything to know about the controversy between Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner.

Skinner and Biles competed together in two Olympic Games

Skinner and Biles have been competing alongside one another since 2014 when they both represented Team USA at the 2014 World Championships in Nanning, China. They also made two Olympic appearances together, including in 2016 when Skinner was an alternate.

In 2021, the two competed at the Tokyo Olympics together, where Skinner took Biles’ place in the vault final after she dropped out of the event following her experience with the “twisties,” a situation where the gymnast loses where they are in the air, placing them in a dangerous position when landing. Skinner ultimately finished second, earning a silver medal.

However, the world champion retired following the Olympics and has since welcomed a daughter, Charlotte, with her husband Jonas Harmer.

Skinner criticized the 2024 Olympics women’s gymnastics team

After the Olympic qualifiers in June 2024, Skinner made negative comments about Team USA, sharing in a since-deleted YouTube video that she felt they didn’t work as hard as previous gymnasts have.

She blamed the low “work ethic” on SafeSport, an independent organization that works to increase safety and prevent athlete abuse. USA Gymnastics initiated the use of the program after the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case in 2018 and after cutting ties with longtime Team USA coaches Márta and Bela Károlyi, whom gymnasts accused of allegedly knowingly allowing the doctor to work on them at their renowned training facility.

“It’s hard too because of SafeSport like coaches can’t get on athletes and they have to be really careful what they say,” Skinner said in the video. “In some ways, it’s really good but at the same time to get to where you need to be in gymnastics you do have to be a little aggressive and a little intense.”

Skinner apologized for her negative comments after facing backlash

Following her remarks, Skinner faced backlash from the gymnastics world, including Biles, who seemingly addressed Skinner's comments on Instagram Threads, writing, “not everyone needs a mic and a platform.” Meanwhile, Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, wrote on X, “Whoa. She really said that out loud and posted it. That's something....”

Skinner soon responded in an apology video on her Instagram Stories, claiming that her comments were “misinterpreted.” She explained that "a lot of the stuff" she said "wasn't always necessarily about the current team, because I love and support all the girls that made it and I'm so proud of them."

"It was more about going back into my own gym, just the work ethic is different compared to when we were doing gymnastics in the Márta era,” Skinner explained. “And I'm not sticking up for Márta or saying what she did was good, I'm just saying it was different."

She concluded the video by apologizing to the current squad and sharing that she was “seriously so happy for them” and was “so sorry if that came out wrong.”

In a statement to PEOPLE, Skinner doubled down on her apology and shared that she would be cheering for Team USA as they competed in Paris.

"It was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or to take away from their hard work. Your hard work and dedication has paid off and I congratulate each and every one of you," she said in July. "Upon reflection I was comparing the 'Marta Era' to the current era. I am coming to terms that I have not fully dealt with the emotional and verbal abuse I endured under Marta that perhaps led to my hurtful comments. I take full responsibility for what I said and I deeply apologize."

Biles responded to Skinner’s comments after the team won gold at the Olympics

Hours after winning the gold medal in the team all-around competition at the Olympics, Biles posted a carousel of photos of her with Chiles, Lee, Carey and Rivera celebrating their win on Instagram — and added a cheeky caption.

"lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions ❤️🥇🇺🇸," Biles wrote, seemingly referencing Skinner’s remarks.

The comment section of the post was soon flooded with support for Biles and her teammates, from current and former gymnasts alike.

Other gymnasts including McKayla Maroney and Suni Lee clapped back at Skinner after Biles’ response

A number of gymnasts supported Biles in the comments of her post, including 2012 Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney.

“It doesn’t get more iconic than this.. She f’d around n found out fr,” Maroney wrote, referring to Biles’ joke after the gold medal win that their team name was “F[---] Around and Find Out."

“Feels like I need to apologize just to redeem my first name,” she added.

Other gymnasts chimed in, with Chiles commenting, “and that’s on periodt!!” and former Olympian Laurie Hernandez writing, “LMAOOOO I LOVE YALL.” Five-time Olympic medalist Nastia Liukin wrote, “micdrop,” while Lee wrote, “put a finger down if simone biles just ended you 🖐️.”

Skinner blocked Biles on Instagram following her post

The day after her post, Biles revealed that Skinner blocked her on Instagram. Chiles put a photo on her Instagram Stories of proof that Biles was blocked and shortly after, Biles confirmed the news on X herself.

“oop I’ve been blocked,” she wrote, along with some emojis.