U.S. Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, who has 1.9 million Twitter/X followers, has seemingly deleted her profile following the intense transgender feud against OutKick’s Riley Gaines, host of “Gaines for Girls.” Twitter/X users started sharing screenshots Sunday of Biles’ account leading to an error message, and this is how word got around that she may have nuked the account entirely.
The beef sparked up after Biles came at Gaines for wanting to keep transgender (biological male) athletes out of female sports. “You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead… You bully them… One thing’s for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!” Biles said.
This led to even more personal attacks from Biles, including comparing Gaines to a man. But we all know the story: Biles ended up backtracking on her transgender support and issuing an apology to Gaines, giving the conservative activist the victory in their beef. But it appears that none of Biles’ public relations moves have worked, and that has resulted in her now deleting her Twitter account.
Hey there — this one’s got everybody talking. Olympic legend Simone Biles appears to have deleted her Twitter/X account after a heated online showdown with former collegiate swimmer and vocal critic Riley Gaines over the role of transgender athletes in women’s sports. What looked like a sports debate quickly morphed into a social media explosion, complete with insults, apologies, and questions about fairness, identity, and influence.
In this article, we’ll break down the timeline, the arguments, public reactions, and the deeper implications of this dramatic turn of events. Are you ready? Let’s dig in.
What Sparked the Feud?
The firestorm began when Riley Gaines posted about a Minnesota high school softball championship and raised eyebrows by targeting a transgender athlete on the team. That post grabbed the attention of the sports world, and Simone Biles—the most decorated gymnast in history—jumped into the conversation.
The exchange escalated quickly, with Biles taking a hard stance and Gaines pushing back. What started as a tweet turned into a full-blown public drama about identity, fairness, and respect.
Riley Gaines’ Controversial Social Media Post
Who’s Marissa Rothenberger?
Marissa Rothenberger is the transgender athlete in question. She played on the Champlin Park High School softball team, which won the state title. Gaines criticized the situation by suggesting that having a trans athlete changed the nature of women’s competition—an angle that many viewed as inflammatory.
“Comments off lol” — The Trigger
Gaines reposted a state league photo and added:
“Meet Champlin Park, the Class AAAA Softball State Champion for 2025… Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy.”
This was the spark. Many saw it as a deliberate insult, misgendering the athlete and framing the win as illegitimate.
Simone Biles Fires Back
“You’re truly sick” & More
Simone Biles didn’t hold back. She reposted Gaines’ message and responded with force:
“You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser.”
Biles called for empathy, inclusion, and constructive solutions rather than attacks on individuals. She even proposed creating a transgender category in sports to foster fairness.
The Body-Shaming Comment
One of the more contentious lines was:
“Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.”
That remark was widely criticized as body shaming and intensified backlash. Biles later acknowledged that going personal was a mistake.
The Apology & Deletion of Twitter/X
Why Delete Only X?
After a wave of criticism, Biles issued a public apology:
“It didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley. These are sensitive, complicated issues …”
Soon after, she deleted her X account (formerly Twitter). Notably, her Instagram and other platforms remain active.
Nobody knows for sure why she opted to remove only X. Some speculate it was a response to the backlash and desire to step away from the noise.
Was It Damage Control?
Many see this move as strategic damage control: remove the platform where the feud erupted, cool down the firestorm, and wait until things settle. Whether that’s wise or too little, too late is still under debate.
Public Reaction and Media Fallout
Supporters Weigh In
Many praised Biles for standing up for marginalized athletes and refusing to let Riley Gaines’ rhetoric go unchecked. Some used her disappearance as proof of how fraught social media can get when heated issues collide.
Critics and Backlash
On the flip side, critics accused Biles of overreaching, playing identity politics, and stifling dissent. Some conservative outlets framed her reaction as an example of cancel culture in action. Gaines, for her part, called the deletion an attempt to “pretend it never happened.”
Media coverage has been relentless, dissecting every word, every implication, and every possible next move.
Broader Implications in Sports & Society
Balancing Inclusivity and Fairness
At the heart of this mess lies a tension: how do we include transgender athletes while preserving fair competition? Both sides have passionate arguments. Some propose new categories or clearer policies. Others assert that current systems are inherently flawed. This feud spotlights how unresolved and emotionally charged this debate remains.
Social Media’s Role in Amplifying Conflict
Platforms like Twitter/X can turn disputes into public spectacles. A single post spirals, and before you know it, reputations, platforms, and legacies are at stake. The immediacy and volatility of social media make it harder to de-escalate.
What Happens Next?
Biles’ Return?
Will Simone Biles ever come back to Twitter/X? If she does, will it be with caution, silence on controversial topics, or a defiant return? Only time will tell.
Policy Changes & Sports Governance
This incident could spur governing bodies to take clearer stances. We may see more formal regulations, review committees, or new categories to address inclusion vs. equity. The pressure is on systems to evolve.
Conclusion
Simone Biles’ apparent deletion of her Twitter/X account following a fiery exchange with Riley Gaines is more than just a celebrity social media move—it’s a reflection of a culture grappling with identity, fairness, and online conflict.
This episode exposed how deeply divided public opinion is when it comes to transgender participation in sports, how vulnerable even high-profile individuals are to backlash, and how social media can amplify dispute to dramatic ends. Whether we’ll see policy shifts, reformed discourse, or lasting silence remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the debate is far from over.
