Former NASCAR and IndyCar driver Danica Patrick has voiced her support for women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines in a growing online feud with Olympic gymnast Simone Biles over the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s competitions, as reported by The New York Post.
Posting to Instagram on Sunday, Patrick, 43, praised Gaines for standing up for biological women in sports, stating:
“This issue has a shelf life. I truly believe common sense will prevail. But until then, I am grateful for people like Riley Gaines who are making sure no one gets away with it. Not to mention the fact that she actually lived it. Defending men in women’s sports is the woke mind virus and/or another issue that requires therapy. Either way, it is so irrational.”
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The clash began Friday when Biles, 28, criticized Gaines in a post on X.
The comments followed controversy surrounding a transgender high school softball player in Minnesota who pitched a shutout in the state championship.
Comments off lol
To be expected when your star player is a boy https://t.co/2qY2onUhNW
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 6, 2025
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Biles posted, “@Riley_Gaines_ You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race,” referencing Gaines’ tie with University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a biological male, at the 2022 NCAA championship.
Biles continued, “Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!!”
@Riley_Gaines_ You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender… https://t.co/pjpzuZ0AlO
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) June 6, 2025
She later added, “bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.”
bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines_
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) June 6, 2025
Gaines, 25, responded directly: “It’s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces. You can uplift men stealing championships in women’s sports with YOUR platform. Men don’t belong in women’s sports and I say that with my full chest.”
This is actually so disappointing. It’s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces.
You can uplift men stealing championships in women’s sports with YOUR platform.
Men don’t belong in women’s sports and I say that with my full chest.
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 6, 2025
Gaines also referenced Biles’ past comments on sexual abuse within the Team USA gymnastics program involving former physician Larry Nassar.
“All the horrific sexual abuse @Simone_Biles witnessed and spoke out against caused by one man, yet [she] believes women should be forced to strip naked in front of men to validate the man’s feelings,” Gaines tweeted.
In a separate post, Gaines highlighted a 2017 tweet from Biles, in which the gymnast wrote: “ahhhh good thing guys don’t compete against girls or he’d take all the gold medals !!”
Gaines responded, “Oop don’t you hate it when your past self completely undermines your current nonsensical argument?”
She added, “How has 2025 Simone reconciled with the fact 2017 Simone was a ‘truly sick bully’ by her own standard?”
Oop don’t you hate it when your past self completely undermines your current nonsensical argument?
How has 2025 Simone reconciled with the fact 2017 Simone was a ‘truly sick bully’ by her own standard? https://t.co/aQjKuNSmMh
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 8, 2025
Patrick’s comments come months after she publicly supported President Donald Trump during the 2024 election. In October, Patrick appeared at a campaign event with now–Vice President JD Vance and announced she would be voting for the first time at age 42.
“I just want to say I’ve never voted before, but this time around, I have to vote,” Patrick said. “It’s that important.”
Vance asked her on stage, “You’re voting for us, right?” to which Patrick replied, “1,000%,” adding that if she “could vote twice,” she would.
Patrick retired from professional racing in 2018 after competing in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500.
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