Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas apologized Friday after being criticized for tweeting that “dressing in a provocative / sexual way entices the wrong crowd” in response to a message by her Team USA teammate Aly Raisman to stop “victim shaming.”
Earlier this week, Raisman told “60 Minutes” that she was sexually abused by Team USA doctor Larry Nassar, who has been accused of sexually abusing more than 100 girls.
“I was just really innocent,” Raisman told CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook. “I didn’t really know. You know, you don’t think that of someone. You know, so I just– I trusted him.”
Gabrielle Douglas and Alexandra Raisman of the United States are seen in the stand at the appratus finals on day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Rio Olympic Arena on August 15, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
On Friday, Raisman tweeted “we are all in this together” with a note reading “just because a woman does a sexy photoshoot or wears a sexy outfit does not give a man the right to shame her or not believe her when she comes forward about sexual abuse … Women are allowed to feel sexy and comfortable in their own skin, in fact I encourage all of you to wear what you feel good in.”
Douglas, who was on the 2012 and 2016 Olympic teams with Raisman, quoted Raisman’s tweet and wrote “however it is our responsibility to dress modestly and be classy.”
Douglas was criticized for the sentiment on Twitter.
Her fellow gymnast Simone Biles then tweeted “honestly seeing this brings me to tears bc as your teammate I expected more from you & to support her.”
Douglas eventually apologized and deleted the tweet. She posted that she “didn’t correct word my reply” and “i am deeply sorry for coming off like i don’t stand alongside my teammates. regardless of what you wear, abuse under any circumstance is never acceptable. i am WITH you.”
Douglas and Raisman’s 2012 teammate McKayla Maroney said last month that Nassar sexually abused her before the team’s victory. In a Twitter post, Maroney wrote that Nassar’s abuse, “Started when I was 13 years old, and it didn’t end until I left the sport…”
Raisman told “60 Minutes” that the culture in gymnastics had kept her silent.
“Why are we looking at why didn’t the girls speak up?” Raisman said. “Why not look at the culture? What did the USA Gymnastics do and what did Larry Nassar do to manipulate these girls so much that they are so afraid to speak up?”
© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
