A third prominent American gymnast has stepped forward to accuse former U.S. team doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas, alongside Mckayla Maroney and Aly Raisman, claim that Nassar abused them during their time on the U.S. Olympic team. Douglas has been on the receiving end of criticism on social media after Raisman’s tweet defending women’s right to dress without facing sexual harassment. Douglas’s response was later deleted, but her general message stated that women should “dress modestly and be classy…dressing in a provocative/sexual way entices the wrong crowd.” Douglas apologized for the tweet in a message on Instagram and went on to claim that she had been abused by Nassar as well.
Nassar was the former USA Gymnastics team physician and former Michigan State University associate professor. After being fired in 2015, Nassar was arrested in November 2016 and has been accused of sexually assaulting numerous underage girls throughout his career. In July 2017, he pleaded guilty to charges of possession of child pornography.
On Nov. 22, Nassar pleaded guilty to seven counts of first degree sexual assault charges, some to victims under the age of 13. More than 100 women have accused Nassar of sexual abuse.
Image Courtesy of NBC News.
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After Douglas’s message, Raisman sent a tweet to her former teammate to stand by her. “I applaud your bravery @gabrielledoug,” Raisman tweeted on Nov. 22. “I support you.“
USA Gymnastics also released a statement in support of Douglas. They said, “We admire the strength shown by Gabby and her teammates in speaking out publicly to hold a predator accountable.”
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