“Felt like I was in jail,” Simone Biles shares how Larry Nassar’s ‘abuse’ affected her during 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Netflix docuseries

GOAT Simone Biles talks about how mental pressure became one of the tumbling points in her career in Netflix’s latest docuseries.

“Felt like I was in jail,” Simone Biles shares how Larry Nassar’s ‘abuse’ affected her during 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Netflix docuseries

Simone Biles [Image Credit: Imago]

Netflix docuseries ‘Simone Biles Rising’ will be released in just two days. Prior to the release, the 4x Olympian talked about how mental pressure affected her professionally and her journey from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics withdrawal to the Paris Olympics comeback.

Simone Biles speaking about ‘twisties’ noted how her mind went “silent” and she could no longer trust herself to land safely. Even, 1992 Olympic bronze medalist Betty Okino said “You can die” from twisties, as it messes with your head and “your head could go (down) first”.

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She withdrew from the Games midway and admitted that she still was tormented by the abuse she suffered at the hands of former USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar. The latter was convicted of sexually abusing several athletes for decades.

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I don't want another young gymnast, or Olympic athlete, or any individual to experience the horror that I and hundreds of others have endured before, during and continuing to this day in the wake of the Larry Nassar abuse.
Simone Biles as per Rebecca Shabad of NBC News.

She admitted that “push(ing) down” her trauma did not help her and after quitting the 2020 Olympics “I literally had not one ounce of belief in myself.” She knew it would be hard to avoid criticisms and soon after many started labeling her as a “loser” and “quitter”.

It felt like I was in jail with my own brain and body.
Simone Biles as per Jacki Thrapp of The Things.

She further revealed that she used to “just cry and cry and cry and ask God why this happened to me” while taking a break from gymnastics. She even thought of quitting, but didn’t want to make a rash decision with an unstable mind. 

It took until 2023 for Biles to look up to gymnastics again. It all again started from scratch and breaks in between. However, despite all the hardships the 4x Olympic gold medalist is ready to make her triumphant return in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Simone Biles thanks her family and friends for being there during tough times

While speaking about the dark times, Simone Biles thanks her family, friends, and therapist for being there. However, her marriage with Jonathan Owens met with controversies despite the duo themselves being happy with their lives. Owens’ comment on how he’s the “catch” in their relationship enraged many fans worldwide.

Simone Biles
Simone Biles ( Image via Imago )

Regardless of the turbulent times, she is ready for the Summer Games and Owens is expected to be present to cheer for Biles at the Olympics. She further said that her sessions with her therapist and beach visualization before taking the stage freed her from “a lot of that big stuff.”

She also thanked her friends like Aly Raisman who helped her bounce back on the stage. In an exclusive clip from the docuseries that Essence shared, it was noted how her mother Nellie Biles braids her hair and it was only during the Tokyo Olympics, “the one time I did not braid Simone’s hair.”

She talked about the importance of their braiding time, labeling it as a special “bonding” time. Biles has time and again expressed how grateful she is to her parents and how they are her life models.

The docuseries ‘Simone Biles Rising’ will be released in two parts. The first part is scheduled to debut on July 17, 2024 on Netflix. Along with the release of the docuseries, the world will also be keeping a watch on Biles’ comeback performance at Paris Olympics.
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