Simone Biles insisted it was ‘right’ to ‘stand up’ for teammates before MyKayla Skinner called out cyberbullying

Simone Biles is defending her decision to “stand up” to MyKayla Skinner.

Shortly before Biles’ former teammate begged her to “put a stop” to cyberbullying, the most-decorated Olympic gymnast insisted to People that she was “right” to call out Skinner.

Biles made headlines last week when Team USA won gold — and she referenced Skinner’s controversial comments about Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, Hezly Rivera and Jade Carey’s “work ethic” in her celebratory Instagram post.

Simone Biles defended her decision to call out MyKayla Skinner. Getty Images The Olympian insisted it was “right” to “stand up” for her teammates. Getty Images

“lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions ❤️🥇🇺🇸,” she wrote.

On Tuesday, Biles said, “I just felt like it was right in that moment to stand up for them, because they’re so young and they haven’t fully stood in their power yet.

“It’s important because you have to teach them to use their voices,” she continued. “And if not, you’re a voice for the voiceless, which is okay.”

Biles called herself a “voice for the voiceless.” Getty Images In June, Skinner dissed Biles’ teammates in a YouTube video. MyKayla Skinner Official/Youtube

Biles noted that her social media move “meant a lot” to Chiles, 23, Lee, 21, Rivera, 24, and Carey, 16.

Skinner, however, slammed Biles’ shade in an Instagram video Tuesday.

“I love our country and don’t want to take anything away from our athletes,” the retired athlete, who competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, captioned the footage. “Let’s use this time to build each other up, not tear others down ❤️🇺🇸.”

Biles, pictured above at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Monday, referenced the comments in an Instagram caption. REUTERS Skinner subsequently blocked her. Instagram/@jordanchiles

The 27-year-old addressed Biles, also 27, directly in the upload after revealing she had received death threats.

“I am asking you directly and publicly to please put a stop to this. Please ask your followers to stop,” she begged the “incredible champion for mental health awareness.”

Skinner noted that she previously apologized for dissing the gymnasts in a YouTube video — and allegedly received a direct response from Biles.

Skinner begged Biles to end the cyberbullying in an Aug. 6 Instagram video. mykaylaskinner2016/Instagram Biles, pictured above at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Tuesday, has yet to respond. Getty Images for USOPC

“You guys can imagine my surprise last week when I was celebrating our team winning gold just to see this brought up all over again,” she claimed. “If Simone truly believes that I called our team lazy and lacking talent and if that’s really how she feels, I am really heartbroken over it.”

Biles has yet to comment on Skinner’s response.

Notably, Skinner blocked Biles on the social media platform, which Chiles proved with an Instagram Story photo.