Gabby Douglas, the first Black woman to win the Olympic gold medal in the all-around competition, took to TikTok to share her thoughts on being bullied by fans. In a viral clip on the popular social media app, a user shared her thoughts on Douglas not receiving the credit she deserves.
“I still never forget how ya’ll fumble Gabby Douglas,” the woman, whose TikTok handle is @legacy.jai, said in the clip. “Gabby Douglas used to be the greatest Olympic gymnast and then here comes Simone Biles. Ya’ll dropped her like a bad habit when Simone Biles came on the scene.”
The TikTok user ended her video with: “When the last time you thought about Gabby Douglas?” Douglas went to the comment section to voice her opinion about what the woman said.
The gymnast wrote, “That’s ok! Constantly being bullied is very tiring and wearing on me. I just want to live my life and be at peace.” Douglas then added, “Thanks for the love! Definitely needed in this world.”
Biles, like Douglas, has faced a fair amount of criticism about everything ranging from her appearance to her personal life. Last month, Biles addressed her haters directly on Instagram.
“Don’t come for me about my hair. IT WAS DONE but bus has NO AC & it’s like 9,000 degrees,” she captioned in a post. “Gonna hold your hand when I say this, next time you want to comment on a Black girl’s hair, JUST DON’T.”
In addition, after being victorious in the Paris Summer Games she told People Magazine about how Gabby Douglas was pivotal and inspirational regarding diversity in the Olympics.
“It was representation,” Biles stated. “For all the little girls and boys that look like us, for them to believe in themselves that they can do it too. I was one day in their shoes when I saw Gabby [Douglas] win and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, if she can do it, I can do it.’”
Hopefully, Douglas has found that peace she was looking for.