{"id":7753,"date":"2025-06-20T06:38:54","date_gmt":"2025-06-20T06:38:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/archives\/7753"},"modified":"2025-06-20T06:40:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T06:40:37","slug":"brand-backlash-simone-biles-loses-22-million-new-balance-deal-after-body-slamming-riley-gaines-on-x-was-it-worth-her-anti-woman-stance-meo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/?p=7753","title":{"rendered":"In a stunning fallout, Olympic icon Simone Biles has reportedly been dropped by New Balance after her viral takedown of women\u2019s sports advocate Riley Gaines. The move\u2014described as a \u201cbody slam\u201d on social media\u2014ignited outrage from critics who say Biles abandoned female athletes. The price? A staggering $22 million. Was taking sides in the trans sports debate worth it? FULL STORY &amp; REACTIONS BELOW \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p data-start=\"147\" data-end=\"567\">Olympic gymnastics legend <strong data-start=\"173\" data-end=\"189\">Simone Biles<\/strong> is facing a tidal wave of backlash \u2014 and the cost may be her biggest brand deal yet. New Balance has reportedly <em data-start=\"302\" data-end=\"312\">cut ties<\/em> with the decorated athlete after a heated exchange on social media, where Biles publicly criticized former NCAA swimmer and women\u2019s rights advocate <strong data-start=\"461\" data-end=\"477\">Riley Gaines<\/strong>. The fallout? A staggering <strong data-start=\"505\" data-end=\"537\">$22 million endorsement deal<\/strong> now reportedly off the table.<\/p>\n<p> <script><![CDATA[(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\"); \n ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"569\" data-end=\"602\">What Sparked the Controversy?<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.deadspin.com\/tr:w-900\/23901467.jpg\" alt=\"Deadspin | Simone Biles leaves door open to compete at LA in 2028\"\/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"604\" data-end=\"926\">The drama began when Riley Gaines, known for her outspoken views on protecting women\u2019s sports, posted a tweet condemning the inclusion of biological males in female athletic competitions. Simone Biles, a longtime advocate for inclusion and diversity, fired back with a sharp response many are calling a \u201cverbal body slam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"928\" data-end=\"1247\">Biles\u2019 tweet, which read in part, \u201c<strong data-start=\"963\" data-end=\"1048\">Real champions rise by lifting others \u2014 not by tearing them down for who they are<\/strong>,\u201d quickly went viral. But rather than sparking a wave of applause, the Olympic hero found herself in hot water \u2014 accused by many fans and former supporters of \u201cturning her back on biological women.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1249\" data-end=\"1279\">New Balance Reacts Swiftly<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1281\" data-end=\"1544\">Within days of the social media spat, rumors began circulating that New Balance, one of Biles\u2019 top sponsors, was <strong data-start=\"1394\" data-end=\"1429\">reevaluating their relationship<\/strong> with the gymnast. Late Sunday, sources close to the company confirmed the worst: <strong data-start=\"1511\" data-end=\"1544\">the $22 million deal is done.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1546\" data-end=\"1579\">In a statement, New Balance said:<\/p>\n<p> <script><![CDATA[(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\"); \n ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"1581\" data-end=\"1744\">\n<p data-start=\"1583\" data-end=\"1744\">\u201cWe believe in promoting respect and fairness in all areas of sport. At this time, we\u2019ve decided to move in a different direction with our athlete partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"1746\" data-end=\"1889\">Though they didn\u2019t mention Biles by name, insiders have confirmed that her recent online comments played a direct role in the brand\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1891\" data-end=\"1926\">Fans Divided, Fallout Continues<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com\/democratherald.com\/content\/tncms\/assets\/v3\/editorial\/e\/04\/e04da42f-6db8-5b89-ae0e-0fd07cdce0d5\/684c4dba0efe9.preview.jpg?crop=1701%2C893%2C21%2C140&amp;resize=1200%2C630&amp;order=crop%2Cresize\" alt=\"Simone Biles apologizes for exchange with Riley Gaines\"\/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1928\" data-end=\"2126\">Social media exploded with reactions. Supporters of Gaines hailed the decision as \u201ca win for real women in sports,\u201d while others accused New Balance of caving to pressure from anti-inclusion voices.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2128\" data-end=\"2173\">One comment that gained traction online read:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"2175\" data-end=\"2277\">\n<p data-start=\"2177\" data-end=\"2277\">\u201cSimone Biles was a role model to so many young girls \u2014 until she sided with ideology over biology.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <script><![CDATA[(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\"); \n ]]><\/script>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"2279\" data-end=\"2381\">Others argued that Biles was simply standing up for her beliefs and should be praised for her courage.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2383\" data-end=\"2403\">Was It Worth It?<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2025-06\/250607-biles-gaines-ch-0957-fc4e08.jpg\" alt=\"Simone Biles calls Riley Gaines 'sick' over criticism of transgender  athletes\"\/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2405\" data-end=\"2595\">The real question now: <em data-start=\"2428\" data-end=\"2445\">Was it worth it<\/em>? Losing $22 million over a social media exchange has sparked serious discussion about the <strong data-start=\"2536\" data-end=\"2557\">price of activism<\/strong> in the age of corporate sponsorships.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2597\" data-end=\"2846\">Critics of Biles say her stance came off as dismissive of women\u2019s concerns, especially coming from someone who rose to fame competing in a female-only category. Supporters argue she\u2019s being unfairly punished for expressing empathy and inclusiveness.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2848\" data-end=\"2920\">Either way, the consequences are real \u2014 and they\u2019re setting a precedent.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2922\" data-end=\"2944\">The Bigger Picture<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2946\" data-end=\"3230\">This isn\u2019t the first time a celebrity or athlete has lost a deal over a politically charged stance \u2014 and it won\u2019t be the last. But what makes this case stand out is the cultural fault line it exposes: <strong data-start=\"3147\" data-end=\"3230\">women\u2019s sports, transgender inclusion, and corporate loyalty to public opinion.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <script><![CDATA[(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\"); \n ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3232\" data-end=\"3348\">Riley Gaines has not directly responded to Biles\u2019 comments, but she posted a cryptic tweet after the announcement:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"3349\" data-end=\"3433\">\n<p data-start=\"3351\" data-end=\"3433\">\u201cTruth doesn\u2019t need defending. It just needs people brave enough to stand for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3 data-start=\"3435\" data-end=\"3453\">Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"3455\" data-end=\"3728\">As the dust settles, Simone Biles\u2019 future as a sponsored athlete is uncertain. Will other brands follow suit? Or will she double down and build a new image among progressive supporters? One thing is clear: the price of speaking out \u2014 on <em data-start=\"3692\" data-end=\"3700\">either<\/em> side \u2014 is higher than ever.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Olympic gymnastics legend Simone Biles is facing a tidal wave of backlash \u2014 and the cost may be her biggest brand deal yet. New Balance has reportedly cut ties with &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7755,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7753"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7756,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7753\/revisions\/7756"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}