Simone Biles remains unbothered as Riley Gaines claps back in transphobia-fueled feud

Riley Gaines used her pregnancy announcement to shade Simone Biles in an ongoing social media feud over trans athletes.

Simone Biles is minding her own gold-medal business—and yet, somehow, Riley Gaines can’t seem to keep the gymnastics icon’s name out of her mouth.

Over the weekend, Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer-turned-conservative culture warrior, announced her pregnancy during a public appearance. But instead of keeping the moment about the new life she’s bringing into the world, she made sure to throw shade at Biles while doubling down on the anti-trans rhetoric that started this feud in the first place.

Gaines, 25, shared that she and her husband, Louis Barker, are expecting a baby girl. But her announcement took a turn when she recalled how Biles recently called her out online for targeting a trans high school athlete.

 “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?” Gaines said, revealing her baby bump to a cheering crowd.

This petty shot at Biles, 28, came days after the Olympic gymnast took to X to condemn Gaines’ comments about a trans teen athlete. Gaines had ridiculed Minnesota State High School League’s softball champions, misgendering pitcher Marissa Rothenberger, a trans girl, and attributing the win to so-called “unfair” advantages.

That’s when Biles stepped in with a now-viral clapback: “@Riley_Gaines_ You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,” she posted, referencing Gaines’ outspoken crusade against trans athletes following her 2022 loss to trans NCAA swimmer Lia Thomas. Biles continued, “You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive, OR creating a new avenue where trans [athletes] feel safe… But instead… You bully them.”

Biles didn’t stop there. She followed up with another message: “Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male,” before providing more clarity and an apology for taking personal digs at Gaines in a subsequent social media post where she called for more respect in conversations about trans-athletes, especially when talking about children.  

 Biles hasn’t directly responded to Gaines’ latest dig.