Former Olympian Gabby Douglas Says She’s “Constantly Being Bullied” by Gymnastics Fans
“Constantly being bullied is very tiring and wearing on me.”
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas reveals that she is "tired" of being bullied by gymnastic fans online.
Recently, a TikTok user posted a video discussing how she believed Olympics and gymnastics fans left Douglas out of the conversation, so-to-speak, when Simone Biles emerged on the scene and over time became the most decorated American gymnast in history.
“I’ll still never forget how ya'll fumbled Gabby Douglas," the woman says while looking directly at the camera. "Ya’ll dropped her like a bad habit when Simone Biles came on the scene.
"Gabby Douglas used to be the greatest Olympic gymnast and then here comes Simone Biles," she continued. "Nobody cares about Gabby Douglas anymore. When is the last time you thought about Gabby Douglas? I think about her all the time."
To date, the video has been shared more than 2,900 times, garnishing over 224,000 likes and over 3,000 comments.
One commenter just-so-happens to be Douglas, who revealed that she's been the target of gymnastics fans' ire for some time.
@legacy.jai ♬ original sound - Legacyyy
“That’s OK!” Douglas commented from her official and verified TikTok account.
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“Constantly being bullied is very tiring and wearing on me,” she continued. “I just want to live my life and be at peace. Thanks for the love! Definitely needed in this world.”
Back in 2012, during the London Summer Olympics, Douglas faced racist criticism of her hair. At the time, she fired back those who took issue with how she appeared while performing routines that truly defied the laws of physics.
"I just made history and people are focused on my hair? It can be bald or short; it doesn't matter," she said at the time. "Nothing is going to change. I'm going to wear my hair like this during beam and bar finals. You might as well stop talking about it."
A post shared by Gabby Douglas (@gabbycvdouglas)
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Douglas faced the same racist backlash in 2016, only this time the internet came to her defense...and fiercely.
"If you were mad about Gabby's hair in 2012...& you're mad about it AGAIN in 2016...that's not her lack of growth, but yours," one user posted on X, at the time referred to as Twitter.
"Our community is being systematically oppressed & eliminated and you want to come for #GabbyDouglas hair? Shame on you. Do better," another commented.
"Folks talmbout Gabby Douglas' hair. SHE IS FLIPPING AROUND. How is her hair supposed to be perfect?" another posted. "Yours ain't and you ain't doing that."
Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.
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