Simone Biles came into the Paris Olympics carrying a mountain of pressure. The Tokyo Olympics had left her in a media whirlwind, with cameras and expectations glued to her every move. The aftermath was rough, and in Netflix’s Simone Biles Rising Part 1, we got a peek into the sheer intensity she faced. Clips show cameras in her face, media declaring her as the ‘gold medal favorite’ long before she even stepped on the mat. And after her withdrawal due to the “Twisties,” the backlash was brutal—online trolls branded her a “quitter,” “selfish,” and worse. But this time around?

Simone Biles had a different game plan: protect her peace at the Paris Olympics. She explained, “Because of everything that did happen in Tokyo. So we wanted to try to take a different approach and not talking to media. Just kind of staying in my zone. Still following up with my therapist. I turned off the comments on my Instagram, which I don’t care. If you wanna comment good or bad, you’re not gonna be allowed. And then, Twitter, I’ve actually deleted a couple times off my phone. So yeah, I think I’m getting there.” Spoiler alert—it worked. Biles walked away from Paris with three gold medals.

Of course, fans had a lot to say. One X user, Maile, put it perfectly: “Olympic gymnast Simone Biles had to delete Twitter/X off her phone to compete at the Olympics. She was able to keep her other social media but said X was just too hateful, vile, and full of negativity. Why is that? Why do people behave so poorly here in a way they would never on another platform?”

Simone Biles was laser-focused heading into Paris, and she made some big sacrifices to keep it that way. Social media was just the beginning—she also took a serious step back from the media circus. No fan photos, no pre-competition interviews, no snapshots with starstruck admirers. Her mission was clear: stay locked in, eyes on the prize, and chase redemption on the competition days at the Paris Olympics.

Reflecting on her Tokyo experience, Simone felt that all the hype and attention in the lead-up had only piled on the pressure. So, despite knowing some might criticize her choice, she went full steam ahead. In Simone Biles Rising, her resolve was crystal clear, and fans rallied behind her, applauding her every decision. This comment set off a firestorm.

Why should a world-class athlete like Simone have to dodge social media just to get in the right headspace for competition? And when did fans lose all compassion for what she’s been through? They even took it upon themselves to shield her from any online hate.

Fans cheer Simone Biles’ social media detox at the Paris Olympics

The gymternet was all-in on Simone’s decision to protect her peace at the Paris Olympics. Fans rallied to her side on X, with one saying, “Oh it is way worse on FB, Instagram and TikTok.” But this is true for all platforms online. In fact, social media users know the comment sections can get brutal, but Simone didn’t ditch Instagram or TikTok because, well, she actually enjoys creating content there!

In an interview with TODAY, she said, “Insta is good. It’s a good way to connect. It’s a way to share what we’re going through. And TikTok. I’ve tried to make a little more TikToks, I’m not the greatest at that. I’m learning.” Safe to say, Biles wasn’t leaving these apps anytime soon—unless, of course, things took a nasty turn. Another fan commented on X, “There are other possibilities to why she might do that,” hinting at deeper reasons.

True enough, Simone’s decision to delete X was simple but necessary. The post-Tokyo backlash had been intense. She even told Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast, “As soon as I landed, I was like, oh, America hates me. The world is gonna hate me. And I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now… I was, I thought I was gonna be banned from America because that’s what they tell you. Don’t come back if it’s not gold, gold or bust, don’t come back.” So, to avoid history repeating itself, she hit pause on X—for her mental health. The irony?

One fan summed it up bluntly: “The reality (my opinion, of course) is this…PEOPLE ARE UGLY. Full stop. Don’t care which direction you “lean” ugliness flows in all directions. She kept her other platforms… why? Because those platforms block, censor, and dictate what’s acceptable or not, yet it depends on what & who it is towards those platforms.”  They added that X is like a town square where people know it’s nearly a free-for-all, allowing almost anything to be said.

The fan wasn’t sympathetic to the idea of Biles leaving because people were so mean, pointing out it’s a humanity problem, not just an X issue. But they’d take the hate if it meant freedom of speech, noting it’s up to adults to block or ignore the nastiness. That being said, the 11x Olympic medalist had a massive outpouring of love, too.

But platforms like Twitter often give hate the loudest mic. Things got so bad after Tokyo that even public figures were taking shots. Ohio Senator JD Vance weighed in with, “What I find so weird about this–and it reflects on the media more than it does on Simone Biles – is that we’ve tried to turn a very tragic moment, Simone Biles quitting the Olympic team, into this act of heroism.”

Luckily, her Paris performance shut down the critics. One fan perfectly summed up the general sentiment: “It’s unfortunate that Twitter/X often amplifies the loudest and most toxic voices, making it difficult for people like Simone Biles to maintain their mental well-being.” So, what do you think? Did Simone Biles make the best choice for her mental health by taking a break from the hate? Whatever your take, let’s remember this: she just added four Olympic medals to her collection, three of them gold, in a jaw-dropping comeback!