Gaines’ extensive history of attacking transgender (and cisgender) women in sports led Biles to call her a “bully” in an X post.
In June 2025, gymnast and 11-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles was suspended from Team USA over online comments she made to former college swimmer and anti-transgender activist Riley Gaines.
In June 2025, a rumor appeared on Facebook that gymnast Simone Biles, the 11-time Olympic medalist, had been suspended from competing for Team USA over comments she made online to Riley Gaines, the anti-transgender activist and former college swimmer.
Some readers seemed to interpret the rumor as a factual recounting of real-life events. However, there was no evidence that Biles had faced any repercussions over her response to Gaines.
Rather, the rumor about Biles and Gaines originated with America’s Last Line of Defense — a network of social media pages and websites that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature. The America’s Last Line of Defense Facebook page bio states:
The fictional story spread following real comments the two exchanged on X.
Gaines posted a photo of the Class AAAA Minnesota high school softball state championship team with the caption “Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy.”
Biles responded, calling Gaines “truly sick,” and a “sore loser” (Gaines tied for fifth place with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA championships). She said Gaines should try to support the trans community or find a way to make sports more inclusive. “But instead … You bully them,” she said. “One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!”
Biles later posted a follow-up, telling Gaines to “bully someone [her] own size, which would ironically be a male.” (Biles is 4 feet, 8 inches tall).
America’s Last Line of Defense has a history of making up stories for shares and comments, and, as noted in its bio, for advertising revenue.
Snopes has addressed similar claims based around Gaines’ anti-transgender statements in the past, including the assertion that the NCAA would transfer medals won by Thomas to Gaines, and a rumor that Gaines had criticized WNBA star Brittney Griner for kneeling during the national anthem. Both claims were also satirical in nature.
