MyKayla Skinner Harmer issued a plea to Simone Biles.
Impressive performances by Simone Biles and other Team USA gymnasts have earned her 7 Olympic medals. All three are gold.
However, just last week, MyKayla Skinner Harmer, who had technical never made the Olympic team except as an alternate, stirred up controversy by attacking gymnasts now. Simone Biles clapped back.
Now, MyKayla is asking Simone to rescue her from an online attack. Did he make this all about himself? And is this really Simone’s responsibility?
Remember MyKayla Skinner Harmer?
MyKayla was an alternate at the 2016 Olympics. That year, she was at the center of controversy after photo editing over Team USA gymnast Gabby Douglas. The accompanying racist emojis didn’t help.
Later, he participated in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics (as an individual), winning a silver medal in the vault.
Except for diehard gymnastics fans, many people have forgotten about MyKayla Skinner Harmer until now. In a now-deleted YouTube video, MyKayla attacked Team USA gymnastics.
Do Olympic athletes tend to be ‘lazy people’?
MyKayla Skinner Harmer has accused the Olympic gymnasts representing the United States at the Paris 2024 games of being “lazy” and lacking in athletic talent.
“I think the talent and the depth isn’t what it used to be,” he said. “Just notice, I mean, a lot of girls don’t work hard. Girls just don’t have the work ethic. It seems so patently wrong.
There is also an implication by MyKayla that the safety rules, which came after the many crimes of Dr. Nassar, in some ways make the team worse. It’s hard to understand why MyKayla would take that position, or what she hopes to achieve by sharing it.
Simone Biles takes the high road
For her, the Simone Biles clapback is mild. He didn’t mention MyKayla Skinner Harmer by name, for example.
Instead, she captioned the cheeky Instagram of a photo of her and other gymnasts for Team USA.
“Lack of talent, laziness, Olympic champion,” he explained. Other Olympians, past and present (and especially McKayla Maroney)
Now, MyKayla Skinner Harmer is asking Simone Biles to leave her fans and followers alone
On Tuesday, August 6, MyKayla took to Instagram to directly address Simone Biles. Although the women have definitely met again at the Tokyo games, one can only assume that they do not have each other’s contact information.
MyKayla lamented what she called a “wave of hateful comments” that included “death threats”.
He pleaded: “Simone, I am asking you directly and publicly, to put an end to this.”
MyKayla Skinner Harmer wants the backlash to end
“Please stop your followers, you have been an amazing champion for mental health awareness and so many people need your help right now,” pleaded MyKayla Skinner Harmer.
He said of himself and his family: “We’ve been hurt and attacked in ways I’m sure you’ve never tried.”
We’re also pretty sure that Simone Biles didn’t mean anything. But it seems MyKayla believes that SIMone is responsible.
He said there was a threat
“Watching people cheer on bullying – which has led to threats of physical harm to me, my husband, and our daughter – is disgusting,” MyKayla Skinner Harmer wrote. “So please at this point I’m just asking you to just stop for my family because enough is enough.”
He also tried to take back his previous comments, insisting: “I know these women are amazing – the best of the best – and almost all of them are my former friends that I’ve had a lot of fun with in the past few years.
“If Simone really believes that I’m calling our team lazy and untalented, and if that’s the case, I’m really sad,” he said.
It’s unclear how Simone was at fault
“But not only is it heartbreaking because it’s not what I feel or what I’ve said before, but because Simone’s latest post and others who have followed it have caused a wave of hateful comments,” MyKayla Skinner Harmer said.
“Hate that includes death threats to me, my family, and even my agent,” he continued. “My family and friends do not deserve to be caught here. He didn’t do anything.
We always hope that the threats of death or violence stop. Although it’s hard to see how Simone Biles is in business, let alone responsible, threats are not an appropriate response.
