Piers Morgan Slams 'Selfish' Simone Biles' Withdrawal From Olympics Over Mental Health Issues, Calls It 'A Joke'
It may not come as a surprise that Piers Morgan didn't approve of Simone Biles' decision to pull out of the women's gymnastics team final to focus on her mental health — as he has recently come after several women for discussing their own mental health issues.
The four-time Gold medalist confirmed her sudden departure from the Tokyo Olympics, announced on Tuesday, July 27, was not due to an injury but a "mental issue" she was having. After USA Gymnastics broke the shocking news, Biles made a statement, sharing she felt she couldn't go on after her uncharacteristic vault performance, which earned a 13.766 — the lowest score of Biles' Olympics career.
"I have to focus on my mental health. I just think mental health is more prevalent in sports right now," the most decorated US gymnast said, noting she is physically OK. "We have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do."
And while she was backed by several fellow US gymnasts and many fans, Morgan made it clear that he wasn't in her corner. "Are ‘mental health issues’ now the go-to excuse for any poor performance in elite sport? What a joke," he wrote on Twitter, stating she should just acknowledge she didn't perform well rather than quit and leave her team behind.
"Just admit you did badly, made mistakes, and will strive to do better next time," Morgan continued. "Kids need strong role models not this nonsense."
Apart from shaming her for stepping back and therefore putting the rest of her team in jeopardy of not winning the Gold medal, the former Good Morning Britain host also went after the celebs who backed the 24-year-old's withdrawal.
He questioned: "What exactly is so courageous, heroic or inspiring about quitting on your team and country in an Olympics?"
- Piers Morgan Slammed By Celebrities After Shaming Simone Biles For Olympics Withdrawal
- Simone Biles Says Support For Olympics Withdrawal Made Her Realize She Is 'More Than My Accomplishments And Gymnastics'
- Simone Biles Declares 'There's More To Life Than Just Gymnastics' Following Shocking Exit From Women's Team Final
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Morgan insisted the "old version" of Biles — who also withdrew from the final individual all-around competition — would have never quit, questioning: "It's not worth it to push yourself through a wobble to win Gold for your younger teammates who've never tasted such Olympic glory?"
According to Morgan, sportswriters would never give "selfish" Biles a hard time for her decision, "because they're all too terrified of the woke mob coming for them," he claimed in his Daily Mail story.
This isn't the first time Morgan went after an Olympian for discussing the toll their mental health has taken on them. The British personality has been a vocal critic of Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the French Open because of her own mental health. While Osaka claimed to be suffering from mental health issues, Morgan alleged she just doesn't like bad press but loves the fame.
"[Naomi] didn't like being asked by journalists why she doesn't play as well on clay as other surfaces. When she was criticized for failing to honor her contracted media obligations, Osaka suddenly cited mental health as the reason for her actions and said she'd been suffering depression for several years," Morgan shared in his piece.
"The consequence of this was that nobody now dares criticize Naomi Osaka, and if you try, as I've done, you get branded a sexist racist douchebag," the 56-year-old insisted.
Meanwhile, the professional tennis player, 23, "appeared on myriad magazine covers and interviews to promote herself at her home country's biggest sporting event – suggesting she loves to exploit the media she professes to hate, but only when she can control it," said Morgan.
Apart from Olympians, Morgan notoriously went after Meghan Markle over her claims of suffering mental health issues. As OK! previously reported, Markle made comments during her and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah Winfrey in March about her “very clear and very scary” suicidal thoughts she experienced while working as a senior royal member.
In light of the revelations made by the mother-of-two, Morgan said: "It’s not for me to say that she felt suicidal, that’s not for me to know."
