Olympic gymnastics legend Simone Biles has deactivated her account on X (formerly Twitter) following a heated exchange with anti-trans activist Riley Gaines.
The social media feud began when Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer and outspoken critic of trans inclusion in sports, made disparaging comments about a transgender high school softball player. In response, Biles defended trans athletes and called out Gaines’ continued targeting of transgender competitors.
“You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race,” Biles posted on June 6, referencing Gaines’ past loss to trans swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA Championships. “Straight up sore loser… You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive.”

Biles further suggested the creation of a dedicated transgender sports category and accused Gaines of bullying, stating:
“No one in sports is safe with you around!”
However, the Olympic champion later apologized for a separate comment that many considered a personal jab:
“Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.”
Before deactiving her X account, Biles wrote:
“I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles… and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for.”
Despite her absence from X, Biles remains active on Instagram, where she shared a powerful quote on her story:
“Strength is what we gain from the madness we survive.”
The post is widely believed to be her final word on the matter.