Simone joins a staggering 140 child gymnasts who accuse the former team doctor of abuse...
Four-time Olympic gold medalist, Simone Biles has added her name to the extensive list of 140 gymnasts who claim they were abused by the former USA Gymnastics doctor, Larry Nassar.
The twenty year old who shot to fame in the 2016 Rio Olympics took to Twitter to share her story, using the MeToo hashtag. Simone joins her London 2012 teammates, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas and McKayls Maroney in calling out the doctor for being a sexual predator.
In the Twitter post Biles did not add details of the abuse and instead wrote about learning not to blame herself for what happened:
‘I too am one of the many survivors that was sexually abused by Larry Nassar. Please believe me when I say it was a lot harder to first speak those words out loud than it is now to put them on paper. There are many reasons that I have been reluctant to share my story, but I know now it is not my fault… For too long I’ve asked myself, “was I too naive? Was it my fault?” I now know the answer to those questions. No. No, it was not my fault. No, I will not and should not carry the guilt that belongs to Larry Nassar, USAG, and others.'
The former team doctor pleated guilty to seven counts of sexual misconduct in November and he is due to be sentenced today for sexually abusing women in his care today. In total eighty-eight women are expected to speak out against Nassar in court. In a separate case Nassar was sentenced to sixty years in prison for owning child pornography.
One of Bile’s teammates, Aly Raisman sensationally blamed USA Gymnastics for the incidents by stating on Twitter, “STOP VICTIM SHAMING. Your statements are hurtful. If you did not believe that I & others were abused than why pressure & manipulate us? WE WERE MOLESTED BY A MONSTER U ENABLED 2 THRIVE FOR DECADES. You are 100% responsible. It was mandatory to get "treatment" by Nassar.’