After exchanging words over a year ago, Simone Biles and Riley Gaines’ controversy is back on the table! The feud began in June 2025 when Gaines criticized the participation of a transgender pitcher who helped the Minnesota high school softball team win a state title. At the time, Biles called out Gaines on social media, “Bully someone your own size…” While the exchange eventually faded over time, a major legal decision has brought it back into focus.

On June 30, SCOTUS ruled that states can pass laws prohibiting transgender girls and women from participating on the girls’ and women’s teams. Supporters of the “Save Women’s Sports” movement celebrated the decision as a major victory, including Gaines, the former University of Kentucky swimmer who has become one of the movement’s most recognizable advocates. But the ruling also prompted reactions from Simone Biles’ former teammate, MyKayla Skinner.

Gaines welcomed the decision and said, “Let this be a clarion call, not just to Simone, but to every elite female athlete and professional female athlete,” Gaines said. She then addressed Biles directly, adding: “I hope Simone has the humility to admit she was wrong.”

And soon after, Skinner praised Gaines for her advocacy. “I stand by Riley and the amazing way that she is helping athletes fight for women,” Skinner said. “Now that I have a daughter, it really helps me to want to stand by Riley’s side because I want the future of women’s gymnastics  and women’s sports in general to have fairness…”

Skinner also said she is grateful for what she believes the ruling means for future generations of female athletes, adding that protecting women’s sports “should never have been controversial.” The Olympic silver medalist then turned her attention directly to Biles. “I think it would just be really cool to see Simone stand with us,” Skinner said. “She’s one of the best athletes in the world.” But for Skinner, the disagreement was never only about a single social media exchange.

Old friction between Simone Biles and Skinner resurfaces

When Simone Biles publicly criticized Gaines last year, Skinner was among the first high-profile athletes to defend the former swimmer and question Biles’ stance. “I’ve known Simone since I was 13 years old, and we’ve had our moments,” Skinner said. “There have been times where she has belittled me as an athlete, as a person. So this wasn’t a shock to me when she came out against Riley.”

Those remarks drew renewed attention to a relationship that had already been under scrutiny long before the Gaines controversy. The tension between the two gymnasts became public in 2024 after Skinner posted a video questioning the overall talent and depth of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team. The comments sparked widespread criticism, and Biles appeared to weigh in with a viral post that read, “Not everyone needs a mic and a platform.” Skinner later apologized.

In the months that followed, Skinner became vocal on issues surrounding women’s sports and eventually joined XX-XY Athletics’ “Gold Medal Campaign” as an ambassador.

Now, following the SCOTUS ruling, both Skinner and Gaines have once again directed their messages at Biles.