Simone Biles Explains Why She Chose Not to Speak At Larry Nassar Trial

Simone Biles, one of the over 150 women who were sexually assaulted by former USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar, went on Buzzfeed’s live morning show AM2DM this morning and spoke about her decision to not provide a statement at his sentencing, like other fellow gymnasts Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney did, among many others. Nassar has been sentenced to 175 years in prison for his crimes. 

The Olympic gold medalist explained that she had not yet spoken to a therapist about the experience. Plus, she was still in training. “I think for me that would be too much to handle, personally, especially before going to counseling and talking to anyone," Biles said. "And I was still training, so I couldn't take the time out and go, and I think it would just put too much stress on me."

After Nassar’s sentencing, Biles called Judge Aquilina, who was in charge of overseeing the case, her “hero.” In a tweet, the gymnast thanked the survivors for being “brave” and “speaking like the queens that you are while looking at that monster.”

Biles was determined to focus on the positives. “I think with us speaking out about it, people don’t need to feel so ashamed," Biles said on AM2DM. "They need to feel they’re not alone. Sometimes talking about it is relieving, and that’s a first step, and then you can go to therapy."

Biles also appeared on the Today Show on Wednesday morning, where she shared more details about her experiences competing despite being the victim of abuse.

"I think we're very good at compartmentalizing things," Biles said. "We push it in the back of our heads because we don't want anyone to think of that, or we don't want ourselves to think about that. We go out with a full heart and compete because that's what we love to do, to represent our country."

Judge Aquilina has been praised by many for her steadfastness during the trial. “I just signed your death warrant,” she said after delivering her sentence.

"The judge is my hero because she gave it to him straight and didn't let him get the power over the girls," Biles said on the Today Show. "And letting the girls speak is very powerful."

Biles also spoke to Buzzfeed about her boyfriend and the upcoming Lifetime movie based on her life. The Simone Biles Story: Courage To Soar is set to premiere this weekend. In addition to training for the 2020 Olympics, Biles is also  gearing up to start classes at the non-profit, tuition-free online University of the People, where she will study business administration.