Back when Simone Biles pulled out of most of her routines at the Tokyo Olympics due to experiencing the “twisties” mid-air, she faced immense trolling from people who accused her of abandoning her teammates at a crucial moment. “America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,” she recalled thinking at the time. Biles further added, “If I could’ve gotten on a plane and flown home, I would’ve done it. I thought I was going to be banned from America ‘cause that’s what they tell you: ‘Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back.”

The Tokyo setback in 2021 was the biggest challenge of her career. Despite being one of the best from the U.S., she was trolled by her own people, who blamed Biles for the gymnastics team bringing home only silver. She redeemed herself at the Paris Olympics, but has the noise gone down? Not exactly. This past June, amid her back-and-forth with Riley Gaines over transgender athletes, she deleted her X account, leaving a cryptic message on her Instagram that read, “Strength is what we gain from the madness we survive.” Back in 2024, she took to her X handle to write, “X is a scary a– place,” expressing her emotions publicly. The tweet seemed like an outburst triggered by the public scrutiny she and her partner, Jonathan Owens, faced after his comments on The Pivot Podcast.

After years of trolling, Simone Biles, who is currently on a hiatus, has come forward to clap back at the haters. Taking to her TikTok handle, the Olympian lip-synced to the popular Nicki Minaj quote, “If you don’t like me, that’s fine, but you know, watch your mouth.” This was understandable, considering that Biles, despite achieving so much, has repeatedly been trolled on X for even her simplest comments.

The Tokyo Olympics scare will always remain a scar in Biles’ life—the mid-air twisties, walking off during her routine, and the backlash she received, all of it will be remembered by her. In her latest confession, she expressed that her docuseries might help ordinary people understand what an athlete has to go through.

Simone Biles reveals the struggles of athletes in her Netflix docuseries

Simone Biles’ documentary, Rising, has become one of the most-viewed and critically acclaimed documentaries of recent times. Directed by Katie Walsh, it showcases Biles’ journey after her Tokyo scare, how she dealt with the backlash, and her redemption at the Paris Olympics, where she won three gold medals and one silver. At the screening dinner for her documentary, she revealed that the series will help common people understand what an athlete goes through when faced with failure.

“Behind the scenes, people don’t get that inside view. We wanted to take them through the whole process — the good days and the bad days — and make it feel real and raw. And with Netflix being global, it means everyone has the opportunity to watch,” said Simone Biles.  Ending her statement, the Olympian gave a message for the young folks.

She further added, “Always be brave. Always be kind because you never know what people are going through behind the scenes. It’s okay to take a break, to pause, to recollect your thoughts … to rise again. Everyone’s journey is unique. Go out there and write your own story.” Taking a break from her career, Biles is looking to compete at the LA Olympics in 2028—but will she do it?