Olympic hero Simone Biles revealed Monday that she, like dozens of fellow gymnasts, was sexually abused by USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
In a note posted to Twitter on Monday afternoon, Biles wrote that for a long time. she blamed herself for Nassar’s actions, but has come to realize she bears no fault.
“For too long I’ve asked myself, ‘Was I too naive? Was it my fault?'” she wrote. “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.”
Biles also called for scrutiny of USA Gymnastics, writing that, “We need to know why this was able to take place for so long and to so many of us.”
Feelings… 💭 #MeToo pic.twitter.com/ICiu0FCa0n
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) January 15, 2018
More than 140 women, including Olympians Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and Gabby Douglas, have said Nassar abused them while serving as a physician for USA Gymnastics and at Michigan State University. Nassar pleaded guilty in July to child pornography charges and pleaded guilty in November to sexual assault charges. He has already been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison and will have several decades in state prison tacked on at a sentencing this week.
Both USA Gymnastics and Michigan State have received heavy criticism for their failure to respond to allegations against Nassar.
Biles won four gold medals at the 2016 Olympics, including the individual all-around.
