Jordan Chiles’ mother Gina Chiles makes stance clear about ghostwriting claims with respect to her memoir

Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles released her memoir, I'm That Girl: Living the Power of My Dreams, in which she shared her journey in gymnastics. The book cover credited Felice Laverne as the co-writer, showing that she helped write it. Laverne, a professional writer, also listed the book under her ghostwriting projects on her website.

Users on the internet have questioned how much Chiles actually wrote. Some believed that having a co-writer meant she was not very involved, while others thought it was normal for public figures to work with writers to tell their stories.

On March 14, 2025, a user posted a comment on X supporting the issue of ghostwriting:

"All this drama for a book that was almost certainly ghost written"

Jordan Chiles' mother also responded, saying:

"Take a look at the cover...under her name...shows you who co-wrote it with her. She did in fact open word documents for her book. I think ghostwriters are not acknowledged as writers or given credit on covers. But aside from that how did you like it?"

The situation became more controversial because of Jordan Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, who was reportedly convicted of stealing over $1.2 million from her business clients. She was allowed to delay her prison sentence so she could support Jordan during the Tokyo Olympics.

Because of this, users have doubted the truthfulness of the memoir and its content. Recalling the issue, a user added a comment in reply to the gymnast's mother:

Jordan Chiles reflects on how "people can say a lot of things about you"

Jordan Chiles at the Stanford v UCLA match - Source: Getty

Jordan Chiles discussed the controversy surrounding her revoked bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics in her memoir, I'm That Girl: Living the Power of My Dreams. She shared insights into her gymnastics career, personal struggles, and the obstacles she faced. She sought to present her perspective and recount the experiences that defined her path.

Reflecting on the struggles, the gymnast said, via abc7.ny.com:

"Was to show the world that it took me 23 years to get into this position that I am in right now, being a two-time Olympian, a world champion and many more other accolades. People can say a lot of things about you and create a story, but why not tell your story the right way?"

During the Paris Olympics, Chiles secured a gold medal in the team all-around event and was initially awarded bronze in the floor exercise following a successful appeal by her coaches. The challenge moved her from fifth to third place, marking the first all-Black podium in Olympic gymnastics history.

The Romanian team later argued that the appeal was submitted too late. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in Romania’s favor, reinstating Ana Barbosu as the bronze medalist and removing Chiles from the podium.

Jordan Chiles continued competing with UCLA while her legal team worked on the case. The US team provided video evidence showing the appeal was submitted on time, but the court refused to review it.