"I didn't correctly word my reply" - When Gabby Douglas was misinterpreted on her statement on Larry Nassar abuse allegations

Gabby Douglas, who was also abused by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, was lambasted in 2017 when she criticized fellow gymnast Aly Raisman for taking to Instagram about victim-shaming.

Raisman had told 60 Minutes that she was sexually abused by Nassar, who was accused of sexually abusing more than 100 girls. The former artistic gymnast then shared a lengthy post on Twitter, now X, saying:

"Just because a woman does a sexy photoshoot or wears a sexy outfit does not give a man the right to shame her or not believe her when she comes forward about sexual abuse...Women are allowed to feel sexy and comfortable in their own skin, in fact I encourage you all wear what you feel good in."

Douglas faced backlash when she tweeted that it was their responsibility to dress modestly and be classy. She wrote:

"However it is our responsibility as women to dress modestly and be classy. Dressing in a provocative/sexual way entices the wrong crowd."

Gabby Douglas' tweet.

Douglas, 28, was criticized by fellow teammate Simone Biles, who expressed shock. Biles wrote:

"It doesn't surprise me...honestly seeing this brings me to tears bc as your teammate I expected more from you & to support her."

Douglas apologized for her comments, saying that she had been misunderstood. She released the following statement:

"I didn't view my comments as victim shaming because I know no matter what you wear, it NEVER gives anyone the right to harass or abuse you."

The 2012 Olympic all-around champion explained further:

"Because of the leotards we wore, it was our fault that we were abused by Larry Nassar. I didn't publicly share my experiences as well as many other things because for years we were conditioned to stay silent and honestly some things were extremely painful."

In a subsequent tweet, Douglas apologized for not framing her reply correctly. She wrote:

"I didn't correctly word my reply & i am deeply sorry for coming off like i don't stand alongside my teammates. Regardless of what you wear, abuse under any circumstance is never acceptable. i am WITH you."

Gabby Douglas is preparing for Winter Cup competition, aims for Paris Olympics

Douglas is set to compete at the elite gymnastics event - the Winter Cup competition, which will be held from February 23 to 25 in Louisville, Kentucky. This will be her first competition in nearly eight years.

She had been on a hiatus to focus on her mental health, having last competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Gymnastics - Artistic - Olympics: Day 4

Douglas announced her comeback on Instagram, saying:

"Wow guys, what a journey so far. It's had its ups and downs, but I'm not done pushing the boundaries. I'm determined to make every moment count! SO happy to get back out on the competition floor and enjoy this sport that I fell in love with as a little girl. Here's to never giving up on our dreams. Let's do this."

Douglas also told NBC News Now that she can't believe she's in the sport again. She said:

"I was watching the 2022 (US) Championships, and I was like, 'Man, I miss competing'."

Douglas shared that she is still a competitor at heart and decided to resume training.