{"id":174053,"date":"2025-06-11T20:42:49","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T20:42:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/11\/celebrities-and-athletes-react-to-the-simone-biles-riley-gaines-feud\/"},"modified":"2025-06-11T20:42:49","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T20:42:49","slug":"celebrities-and-athletes-react-to-the-simone-biles-riley-gaines-feud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/11\/celebrities-and-athletes-react-to-the-simone-biles-riley-gaines-feud\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrities and Athletes React to the Simone Biles, Riley Gaines Feud"},"content":{"rendered":"


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An online debate about the inclusion of trans athletes in sports between Simone Biles<\/strong><\/a> and former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines<\/strong> has earned reactions from all corners of the sports landscape.<\/span><\/p>\n

The back-and-forth started via social media on Friday, June 6, when Gaines, 25, alleged a Minnesota high school softball team won the state championship because their \u201cstar player is a boy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Biles, 28, responded, \u201cYou\u2019re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead\u2026 You bully them\u2026 One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gaines, who now works for Outkick<\/i>, has become a staunch advocate for excluding trans women from competing in women\u2019s sports. In 2022, while a swimmer at the University of Kentucky, Gaines tied for 5th place in a race that included Lia Thomas<\/strong>, the first openly trans woman in the NCAA women\u2019s division.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Simone Biles Slams \u2018Sick\u2018 Transphobic Comments About Student Athletes<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tSimone Biles went toe-to-toe with political activist Riley Gaines after the former competitive swimmer allegedly made comments about transgender athletes playing sports. OutKick podcaster Gaines, 25, reposted the Minnesota State High School League\u2019s Friday, June 6, X upload about winning a softball tournament. \u201cComments off lol,\u201d Gaines wrote on Friday. \u201cTo be expected when your [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Things escalated on Friday, when Gaines drew a parallel between trans athletes and the abuse of former Team USA doctor and convicted child predator Larry Nassar<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2016, Nassar was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography, of which he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 years. Nassar was also charged on several counts of criminal sexual misconduct, including two charges related to girls between the ages of 13 and 15 and one with a child under 13. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More than 60 women gave victim impact statements and more than 260 accused Nassar of sexual abuse. In 2018, Biles came forward as one of Nassar\u2019s victims.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Biles testified before the U.S. Senate in 2021, alleging the FBI botched the investigation into Nassar and, as a result, allowed the abuse to continue.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gaines posted video of Biles\u2019 testimony via X on Friday, writing: \u201cSimone Biles when she had to endure a predatory man Vs Simone Biles when other girls have to endure predatory men,\u201d attempting to conflate Nassar\u2019s abuse with young athletes sharing a space with a trans person.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Biles apologized on Tuesday, June 10, saying she regretted making things \u201cpersonal\u201d with Gaines. (In a post via X on Friday, Biles called on Gaines to \u201cbully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport,\u201d Biles wrote. \u201cThe current system doesn\u2019t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn\u2019t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Biles continued, \u201cThese are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don\u2019t have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Riley Gaines Defends Referencing Larry Nassar in Simone Biles Trans Debate<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tRiley Gaines defended invoking Simone Biles\u2019 history of sexual abuse at the hands of former USA doctor and convicted child predator Larry Nassar in their debate about the inclusion of trans athletes in sports.\u00a0 Gaines, 25, appeared on \u201cThe Stephen A. Smith Show\u201d podcast on Tuesday, June 10, where Smith, 57, asked the former University [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Gaines responded in short order, saying she accepted Biles\u2019 apology for the \u201cpersonal attacks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know she knows what this feels like,\u201d Gaines wrote via X. \u201cShe\u2019s still the greatest female gymnast of all time. A couple of things. Sports ARE inclusive by nature. Anyone can and everyone SHOULD play sports. Competition, on the other hand and by definition, is exclusive. So the idea of \u2018competitive equity\u2019 is nonsensical.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gaines added, \u201cWomen\u2019s sports can\u2019t be used as an excuse for girls to center the feelings and validation of men and boys. I welcome you to the fight to support fair sports and a future for female athletes. Little girls deserve the same shot to achieve that you had.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Keep reading to see how celebrities and members of the sports world have reacted to the discussion surrounding Biles and Gaines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stephen A. Smith<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
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\n Stephen A. Smith attends the 2025 Disney Upfront at Javits Center on May 13, 2025 in New York City.<\/span> Arturo Holmes\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The ESPN personality attempted to take both sides of the debate<\/a>, first criticizing Gaines for invoking Biles\u2019 history of sexual abuse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRespectfully, Gaines I was with you until that last quote,\u201d Smith, 57, said Monday, June 9, on his podcast, \u201cThe Stephen A. Smith Show.\u201d \u201cRespectfully, that\u2019s going a bit too far. Talking about transgender women competing in sports in one issue. Using a guy like Larry Nassar \u2014 one of the most despicable human beings we\u2019ve ever witnessed on this Earth who molested and abused numerous women, numerous gymnasts, including Biles \u2014 to go that low, Gaines you lost all credibility.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Smith continued, \u201cYou could have made your argument without going that far. No matter what Simone Biles said to you, how she may disagree with you on your position, did not warrant you to go that far. Certainly you\u2019re not suggesting that it was okay for her to be molested. Certainly you\u2019re not suggesting it was okay for her to be abused. So why would you say something like that? It\u2019s just cruel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Smith pivoted to explain that he mostly agreed with Gaines\u2019 overall argument about the inclusion of trans athletes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is that it is a disservice to women in a lot of people\u2019s eyes that men transitioning to women get to compete in women\u2019s sports,\u201d Smith argued.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He added, \u201cThere\u2019s an abundance of women out there who have a right to feel the way that Riley Gaines feels, Simone Biles. Now whether it\u2019s right for me or somebody else to say, it\u2019s a different argument.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Smith welcomed Gaines as a guest on his podcast on Tuesday, where he called Gaines\u2019 overall argument \u201cvery, very valid.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, [it\u2019s] your personal experience,\u201d Smith told Gaines. \u201cSecondly, you\u2019re a lady. I am not. So when you talk about what\u2019s offensive to you, one of the things that I have a problem with \u2013 particularly with people on Capitol Hill \u2013 is when men are trying to tell women about their experiences.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Katie Nolan<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
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\n Katie Nolan participates in the Inaugural Inside JEOPARDY! live event at Edge at Hudson Yards on April 12, 2024 in New York City.<\/span> Roy Rochlin\/Getty Images for Edge at Hudson Yards<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Emmy-winning journalist and former ESPN host dissected Gaines\u2019 \u201cinsane\u201d point of view on the Tuesday, June 10, episode of her podcast, \u201cCasuals.\u201d<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey think that a transgender athlete being in a locker room would force every other girl on that team to be naked in front of a transgender athlete,\u201d Nolan, 38, said. \u201cIt is such a leap of a thing that could happen, as is any argument that anybody passionately makes against trans athletes in sports.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She continued, \u201cTrans women are not men. That\u2019s where the disconnect is happening. Men go into women\u2019s sports and do evil things all the time. We don\u2019t have to come up with some fantasy scenario where this might happen. It\u2019s happening. And you know that, because you\u2019re tweeting it at the woman it happened to. I just am sick of people acting like keeping people out of sports is some revolutionary position to take, when actually, if you look through the history of sports, it\u2019s kind of the establishment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nolan criticized Gaines for \u201cattacking a very vulnerable community very maliciously.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how you go to sleep at night, talking the way that you do about children,\u201d Nolan added.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam Phillips<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Phillips, a male gymnast at the University of Illinois, championed Biles\u2019 abilities in his defense of the 11-time Olympic medalist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis whole fight between Riley and Simone is NULL & VOID because the basis of the right\u2019s attack is that she would lose medals in the men\u2019s gym category when in reality, she would actually STEAL GOLDS from LOTS of the best Male floor and vault workers. So their base is FLAWED,\u201d Phillips wrote via X<\/a> on Friday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Phillips said he was forced to mute the replies to his post.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNothing to debate about,\u201d he wrote<\/a>. \u201cYou\u2019re just here to fight and insight violence. Goodbye.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonathan Owens<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Biles\u2019 husband, a safety for the Chicago Bears, showed his support for his wife on Tuesday<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Owens, 29, shared Biles\u2019 apology via his Instagram Story and commented with three white heart emojis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sophia Bush<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
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\n Sophia Bush attends the 2025 American Ballet Theatre Spring Gala at Cipriani South Street on May 28, 2025 in New York City.<\/span> John Nacion\/WireImage<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The actress argued that Gaines\u2019 vitriol toward Biles was rooted in the former swimmer\u2019s own athletic aspirations coming to an end.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe just can\u2019t get over that she was never that good \u2014 would never be a champion like you \u2014 so she has to make it someone else\u2019s fault,\u201d Bush, 42, wrote via X<\/a> on Friday. \u201cIt\u2019s not that hard. Me? I\u2019m an asthmatic who can\u2019t keep up for shit. And I know it. NBD. Not my calling. Her? Never placed higher than 5th, right?? But I guess it\u2019s 1% of the populations\u2019 fault and not just the fact that she isn\u2019t that fast? K. Sure. Makes total sense \ud83e\udee0.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Danica Patrick<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

The former race car driver decided to weigh in, supporting Gaines and her \u201ccommon sense.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDefending men in women\u2019s sports is the woke mind virus and\/or another issue that requires therapy,\u201d Patrick, 43, shared via her Instagram Story on Friday. \u201cEither way, it is so irrational.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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