Riley Gaines sends message to Simone Biles amid trans athlete feud

Political activist Riley Gaines and former US Olympics gymnastic star MyKayla Skinner fired off a plea to Simone Biles in the wake of the Supreme Court's women's sports ruling on Tuesday. 

Donald Trump secured a landmark victory this week when the Supreme Court paved the way for states to ban transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports by upholding state laws.

The ruling overturned decisions by lower courts in siding with trans students who challenged bans in Idaho and West Virginia as violating the Constitution and a federal anti-discrimination law. 

The bombshell decision came just over a year after Biles called out Gaines online for criticizing a Minnesota softball team that were competing with a trans pitcher, sparking a bitter social media feud between the pair over the issue. 

Now, in the wake of Tuesday's ruling, Gaines, who has long campaigned against transgender athletes competing in women's sports, has sent a message to not only the Olympic hero but a number of high-profile female athletes to join her cause. 

'Let this be a clarion call, not just to Simone, but to every, I think especially elite female athlete, professional female athlete, the likes of Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, Serena Williams, to link arms,' the former college swimmer told Outkick.

Riley Gaines fired off a message to Simone Biles after the Supreme Court's ruling this week 

The former University of Kentucky swimmer, who first gained notoriety in 2022 when she tied trans athlete Lia Thomas for fifth in the NCAA Women's Swimming Championships, added that the ruling made her feel 'vindicated.'

'I feel, of course, excited, I feel optimistic about the future,' Gaines said. 'But I think the feeling that I feel the most of is vindicated.'

'Let it be known that you also think young girls are worthy of calling themselves champions one day,' Gaines added. 

Biles' former Olympic teammate Skinner, who became a close ally of Gaines in the wake of her feud with Biles, joined the conservative activist in celebrating the ruling. 

'Just being able to try to find my voice and how I could use my voice after Simone had come out against Riley, it had really affected me,' Skinner said. 'I have a little daughter, and we are hoping to put her in sports soon, and I just really want her to have everything that I got to have, all the opportunities.'

'I've broken records, I've been an Olympian, I was a college athlete, and I want her to have the opportunities that I had,' Skinner added of her daughter. 'And so this, for me, was a way that I felt like this is the time for me to come up and stand for what I believe in, stand with Riley, and to join in on this fight.' 

Skinner, who previously accused Biles of 'bullying,' then turned her attention directly to the decorated gymnast, echoing Gaines's petition for her to join their cause. 

'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.'

Gaines shakes Donald Trump's hand on the day he signed an executive order on trans athletes

Biles' former teammate MyKayla Skinner says she was bullied by the Olympic great

'To be able to see her as my teammate, as an Olympian, as an amazing athlete that she is, to be able to stand with us and fight alongside Riley and everyone else on this road,' Skinner added. 'I would just love, love to see my teams, especially Simone, in step with us.'

Gaines's campaigning has won praise from Trump, who welcomed her to the White House before signing the 'Keeping Men out of Women's Sports' executive order in February 2025. 

However, it has also triggered backlash from many including Biles, who branded Gaines a 'bully' in their now-infamous online feud. 

'You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,' Biles said, referencing the 2022 NCAA Championships where Gaines competed against trans swimmer Lia Thomas .

'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 things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!'

The seven-time Olympic gold medalist then got personal in a follow-up tweet to Gaines, saying: 'bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.'

Four days later, Biles publicly apologized on X, writing: '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.'

University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who is transgender, and Kentucky swimmer Gaines tied for fifth place in the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships

Gaines is known for campaigning against the participation of trans women in women's sports

In the lengthy apology, Biles also admitted she didn't have the answers on how to include trans athletes in sports in a way that keeps everyone happy - seemingly acknowledging how polarizing her criticism of Gaines had been.

While Gaines accepted the apology at the time, she continued to criticize Biles for her views and opinion - all while using the horrific abuse Biles suffered at the hands of Larry Nassar in defense of her own position. 

Furthermore, the onslaught of backlash towards Biles for her remarks saw Skinner, former Olympic gymnastics teammate of the seven-time gold medalist, come forward with accusations of her own.

Skinner - who notably said that the US Olympic team at the 2024 games in Paris lacked quality outside of Biles - accused the Texas native of bullying.

After the war of words with Gaines began, Skinner claimed that there were 'many times' in her career where she felt 'belittled and bullied by Simone'.