- Simone Biles shared a #MeToo post on her social media accounts revealing that she was sexually assaulted by USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar
Simone Biles was sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar while training and competing with the US national team.
The five-time medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro shared the news on her social media account, becoming the third member of the Final Five to reveal they were abused by Nassar, following Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas.
‘I too am one of the many survivors who was sexually abused by Larry Nassar,’ wrote Biles.
This revelation comes just days before Nassar is sent to be sentenced in a Michigan courtroom after entering a guilty plea to to seven counts of molesting girls as young as 10 while working with USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University.
Coming forward: Simone Biles (above) shared a #MeToo post on her social media accounts revealing that she was sexually assaulted by USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar
‘Most of you know me as a happy, giggly and energetic girl. But lately…I’ve felt a bit broken and the more I try to shut off the voice in my head the louder it screams,’ wrote Biles at the beginning of her post.
She then shared that Nassar had also been sexually abusing her while she trained at the national facility in Texas.
‘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,’ explained Biles.
‘There are many reasons that I have been reluctant to share mu story, but I now know it is not my fault.’
Three members of each of the past two US Olympic Women’s Gymnastics teams have no revealed they were molested by Nassar.
McKayla Maroney was the first to come forward followed by her 2012 London teammates Raisman and Douglas, who also competed in Rio with Biles.
It is unclear if any of the young women will be appearing at Nassar’s sentencing, with Raisman announcing Monday she will not be in attendance.
‘I will not be attending the sentencing because it is too traumatic for me. My impact letter will be read in court in front of Nassar. I support the brave survivors. We are all in this together. #StopAbuse,’ wrote Raisman on Twitter.
The hearing for Nassar’s sentencing will begin on Tuesday and is expected to last until Friday, with 88 victims set to read letters and impact statements.