Draped in a navy gown and fresh off a sun-soaked vacation in Belize, Simone Biles stepped onto the ESPYs stage tonight with her usual poise. And as expected, a prestigious award in hand. The night had already crowned her as one of the evening’s biggest stars, but as she took the mic, it wasn’t just grace or gratitude that turned heads. A single line from her speech lingered…
In recent weeks, Biles has found herself at the center of controversy. Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer, publicly criticized her stance on transgender inclusion in sports. Not long after, MyKayla Skinner, a former U.S. gymnastics teammate, shared past frustrations in a social media post, describing interactions with Biles earlier in the year. While Biles has not addressed either of them directly, the timing of her ESPYs speech left some observers drawing their own conclusions.
It was against this backdrop that Biles delivered the line now widely interpreted as a probable jab. “Well, that was very unexpected, especially in a category of all men, so thank you guys so much,” she said, standing before a crowd of athletes, celebrities, and cameras. While the remark could easily be seen as a lighthearted nod to the male-dominated nominee list, it also sparked discussion online. A gesture to the recent controversies, a rebuttal crafted in public, under lights, in one of sport’s most visible arenas. However, regardless of intent, it marked a memorable moment in one of sport’s biggest nights…
Simone Biles is HER pic.twitter.com/UlxxGdSryf
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 17, 2025
This reporting is developing…
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