Riley Gaines slams Simone Biles after social media exit amid transgender athlete feud

Riley Gaines has reignited her feud with Simone Biles following the gymnast’s recent departure from X (formerly Twitter), accusing Biles of backing down from criticism over her support for transgender inclusion in women’s sports.

The dispute began when Biles defended a transgender high school softball player’s participation, prompting backlash from Gaines. After a heated online exchange, Biles issued a public apology, acknowledging she should not have taken Gaines’ comments personally but maintained her stance on inclusion.

Now, Gaines is accusing Biles of fleeing the platform to escape accountability. “She gave a groveling apology after backlash and deleted her account to pretend it never happened,” Gaines posted, adding, “Sad to see such a phenom go down like this.”

The commentary has divided fans. Some sided with Gaines, praising her advocacy for fairness in women's sports, while others criticized her for continuing the feud despite Biles’ apology.

The tension escalated when Gaines referenced Biles’ past testimony against Larry Nassar, suggesting hypocrisy in defending transgender athletes while once fighting against male abuse in women’s sports.

Simone Biles clarified in her apology that while she supports transgender inclusion, she opposes public scrutiny of children and denies advocating for policies that jeopardize fairness.

Gaines, however, dismissed that distinction, reiterating her belief that biological males should not compete in girls’ sports. With Biles now off X, it remains to be seen whether the controversy will settle or continue to spark debate in the sports world.