US Gymnast: 'Dress Modestly and Be Classy' to Avoid Abuse

Three former USA Gymnastics teammates were arguing about sexual abuse and victim-shaming Thursday on Twitter, with Gabby Douglas responding and then later apologizing to Aly Raisman after being called out by Simone Biles, ET reports. "Just because a woman does a sexy photo shoot or wears a sexy outfit does not give a man the right to shame her or not believer her when she comes forward about sexual abuse," Raisman tweeted. "When a woman dresses sexy it does not give a man the right to sexually abuse her EVER." According to Sports Illustrated, Raisman opened up about being sexually abused by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who is currently jailed, earlier this month.

Douglas replied to Raisman in a since-deleted tweet that "it is our responsibility as women to dress modestly and be classy. Dressing in a provocative/sexual way entices the wrong crowd." That earned a response tweet from Biles: "Shocks me that I’m seeing this but it doesn’t surprise me ... honestly seeing this brings me to tears [because] as your teammate I expected more from you. I support you Aly & all the other women out there!" Raisman's mother also responded, tweeting it is "devastating to see a post like that." On Friday night, Douglas apologized in a new tweet. "I didn't correctly word my reply & I am deeply sorry," the gymnast said. "Regardless of what you wear, abuse under any circumstances is never acceptable." (More Aly Raisman stories.)