Simone Biles Dropped by New Balance After Riley Gaines Clash, Loses $22 Million Deal

Olympic icon Simone Biles is facing the fiercest public backlash of her career—and the consequences are no longer just online. New Balance, one of her most prominent sponsors, has reportedly severed its partnership with the gymnastics legend after a controversial social media exchange with Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer and outspoken women’s rights advocate.

The sponsorship, worth a reported $22 million, was one of Biles’ most lucrative deals. Its sudden termination highlights a growing cultural divide over transgender inclusion in women’s sports and the steep price celebrities can pay for weighing in on hot-button issues.

What Sparked the Backlash?

The controversy ignited when Riley Gaines tweeted criticism of policies allowing transgender women—biological males—to compete in women’s sports. Gaines, known for her activism around preserving female-only competition, wrote a post expressing concern for what she called “the erosion of fairness in women’s athletics.”

Simone Biles, a longtime advocate for inclusion and LGBTQ+ rights, responded with a sharply worded tweet:

“Real champions rise by lifting others — not by tearing them down for who they are.”

Her tweet, viewed millions of times within hours, struck a chord with supporters of transgender rights. But it also sparked a firestorm of criticism from fans and women’s sports advocates, who felt Biles was disregarding the concerns of biological female athletes.

The phrase “verbal body slam” quickly gained traction online, describing what some saw as Biles’ takedown of Gaines’ views. The reaction was swift—and polarizing.

New Balance Pulls the Plug

Just days after the Twitter exchange, reports began to emerge that New Balance was reconsidering its relationship with Biles. By Sunday night, sources close to the company confirmed what many had feared: the deal was done.

In a statement released to the media, New Balance said:

“We believe in promoting respect and fairness in all areas of sport. At this time, we’ve decided to move in a different direction with our athlete partnerships.”

Though the statement did not mention Biles by name, insiders have verified that her comments about Gaines—and the ensuing backlash—were directly tied to the decision.

Divided Public Reaction

Public opinion has been anything but unified. While many hailed the move as a win for women’s sports, others saw it as corporate overreach and a chilling message to athletes who advocate for inclusivity.

“Simone Biles was a role model to so many young girls — until she sided with ideology over biology,” one viral comment read. Another response countered: “She’s standing for what she believes in. That’s courage, not controversy.”

The emotional divide is emblematic of a much larger debate playing out across locker rooms, legislative halls, and social media platforms: Should transgender women be allowed to compete in female-only sports categories?

While Biles has since issued a brief apology for the tone of her initial tweet, she has not retracted her core message. “I’ll always stand for inclusion and kindness. We can disagree, but I won’t stop advocating for respect,” she wrote in a follow-up post.

The High Cost of Taking a Stand

Simone Biles is no stranger to scrutiny. Her openness about mental health during the Tokyo Olympics earned her both praise and criticism. But the stakes this time are different—and financial.

Losing a $22 million endorsement deal is no small matter, even for an athlete of Biles’ stature. The situation raises a critical question: At what point does using your voice become a liability in the age of corporate sponsorships?

For brands like New Balance, aligning with a public figure is no longer just about performance or popularity—it’s about values. When those values come into conflict with a brand’s audience, action often follows.

Broader Implications for Women’s Sports

This incident has once again spotlighted the tension surrounding transgender inclusion in sports. It’s not the first controversy of its kind, and certainly won’t be the last.

Riley Gaines, while not naming Biles directly in her response, posted a cryptic tweet after the announcement of the endorsement fallout:

“Truth doesn’t need defending. It just needs people brave enough to stand for it.”

Supporters of Gaines argue that her mission is about preserving fairness for biological women in competitive settings, not discrimination. Meanwhile, Biles’ defenders say the backlash against her is a dangerous signal that empathy and inclusion are being punished.

What’s Next for Simone Biles?

With the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics still on the horizon, Biles’ future remains full of possibility—but also uncertainty. Will other brands follow New Balance’s lead, or will new, more progressive companies rush to fill the void?

In today’s divided cultural landscape, the fallout from a single tweet can be enormous. Biles now finds herself navigating a new chapter in her public life—one shaped not just by medals and records, but by the politics of inclusion and the unpredictable terrain of brand loyalty.

Regardless of where public opinion lands, one thing is certain: The conversation Simone Biles helped ignite is far from over.