Simone Biles Has No Regrets About Her Spat With Former Olympic Teammate MyKayla Skinner

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Amid the drama with MyKayla Skinner, gymnast Simone Biles is speaking out in defense of her teammates.

In an interview with People magazine after the Olympics on Tuesday, Biles explained why it’s important to speak out. “It’s important because you have to teach them how to use their voice… and even if they don’t, you become a voice for people who don’t have a voice, and that’s okay.”

Biles was seemingly referring to her criticism of former gymnast and former Olympic teammate Mikayla Skinner on Instagram last week.

In July, Skinner criticized current Team USA members in a YouTube video that has since been deleted. In the video, Skinner questioned the “talent” and “depth” of the gymnasts on the team. Skinner has since apologized for any offense she caused with her comments. MyKayla Skinner calls for end to ‘cyberbullying’ amid feud

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In response, Biles posted a photo on Instagram after the team won gold with the caption: “No talent, lazy, Olympic champions.” After his post, Skinner blocked Biles.

“I just felt like it was right at that time to defend them because they’re so young and they haven’t completely settled into their power yet,” Biles told the magazine at about her teammates Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Sunisa. Lee and Hezley Rivera. Following Biles’ comments in People magazine on Tuesday, Skinner revisited the controversy. In an Instagram video, she called for an end to “cyberbullying” after revealing she received “death threats” following Biles’s harsh post. She spoke directly to Biles, a mental health advocate, saying: “I ask my followers to stop.”