Just when we thought the dust had finally settled, Riley Gaines is back in the headlines and not for the reason you’d expect. After her public feud with Olympic legend Simone Biles rocked social media earlier this month, many believed both stars had moved on. Gaines, ever outspoken, seemed to shift her focus away from the controversy… because a surprising moment changed everything. And now? Let’s say the story has taken a personal and emotional turn, albeit with some pain.

On June 14, during a lively public event, the 25-year-old former swimmer made a big announcement: She’s expecting her first child, a baby girl, with husband Louis Barker. The crowd roared as she revealed her baby bump at an event. And even later, speaking on OutKick’s YouTube, Gaines reflected on the emotional moment when she shared the news with the fans, saying, “It was just the most incredible response,” especially from “so many young girls” in the audience, which moved her deeply. She admitted that announcing the pregnancy felt like “the final step in admitting… to ourselves that this is real.” Riley added that she was “overwhelmed with emotion,” and tears came to her eyes that were “almost uncontrollable.”

In a YouTube video, the couple shared how they found out together, saying, “It just completely changes everything we’ve been working towards.” Riley revealed she had a strong instinct early on—“I would have bet our house… our life savings on the fact that it was a girl”—and although the first blood test came back inconclusive due to lab contamination, the couple finally received the results via email while in the bathroom. Hilariously, when they scrolled to the bottom and saw “girl,” her husband, in shock, joked, “I’m going to jail,” already feeling protective over their future daughter. She also took to social media to later share, “Surprise! Baby GIRL coming in September.🤰🏼🩷🍼👶🏼 God is so good all the time.” However, days after the big reveal, Riley took to Instagram with a worrying health update.

Captioned, “THIS has been my worst pregnancy symptom. I’ve been getting charley horses in my calves. Every. Single. Night,” the post also contained a screenshot of a ChatGPT message explaining the intense leg cramps. Notably, Charley Horse is a common but painful pregnancy symptom, especially in the second and third trimesters. The text cited causes like increased pressure on nerves, reduced circulation, dehydration, and fatigue from extra body weight. It also listed ways to relieve the pain: staying hydrated, stretching, and maintaining proper electrolyte balance.

In a follow-up story, she shared a photo of herself sitting in a recliner, hooked up to an IV drip. The caption read, “Post travel IVs to the rescue.” But even through the pain and the struggles of pregnancy, Gaines hasn’t forgotten the feud that went down.

When she revealed it to the world about the good news, Gaines also reignited the buzz just as things had started to cool down. “I think the funniest thing about this to me, and her saying, ‘Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a man’ … How many men do you know that have this?” she said. Biles, on the other hand, chose to take a different road—the one filled with honesty and self-reflection.

Taking to X three days after the social media back and forth, Biles wrote, “I wanted to follow up from my last tweets. I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for. These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don’t have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect. I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports.”

“My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful. Individual athletes—especially kids—should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over. I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition. We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful,” she concluded.

But what exactly went down between the two?

Why did Simone Biles and Riley Gaines go head-to-head?

Well, we know Gaines’ pregnancy announcement came on the heels of a heated social media feud with Olympic legend Simone Biles. The controversy ignited on June 6 when Gaines criticized a high school softball team’s championship win, writing on a Minnesota State High School League post, “Comments off, lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy,” referring to Marissa Rothenberger, reportedly a transgender athlete who was a pitcher for the team.

Biles swiftly fired back, calling Gaines “truly sick”, “straight up sore loser” and a “bully.” She urged Gaines to focus on inclusivity and even proposed a transgender sports category, writing, “Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!!” In another response, the gymnast also wrote, “bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines_” leading Gaines to accuse her of subtle “body shaming”.

Talking more about it during an interview later, the 25-year-old said, “First of all, I’m 5’5”…I’m about 130-135 lbs. Not overly big. Yes, I’m muscular. I think that’s part of being an athlete. If anyone would understand that you would imagine it would be Simone Biles.” Additionally, she also called Simone Biles’ remarks “so disappointing” and sarcastically added, “Simone Biles being a male‑apologist at the expense of young girls’ dreams? Didn’t have that on my bingo card,” on X. Gaines even suggested Biles try competing in events like pommel horse and rings at the 2028 Olympics.

Then, after Biles posted the apology, Gaines tweeted, “I accept Simone’s apology for the personal attacks including the ones where she body-shamed me. I know she knows what this feels like. She’s still the greatest female gymnast of all time. A couple of things. Sports ARE inclusive by nature. Anyone can and everyone SHOULD play sports. Competition, on the other hand and by definition, is exclusive. So the idea of “competitive equity” is nonsensical.”

“I welcome you to the fight to support fair sports and a future for female athletes. Little girls deserve the same shot to achieve that you had,” part of her tweet read.