Gabby Douglas’ mom defends the Olympic gymnast after she was bullied online: ‘We’ve been brought to many tears’
Gabby Douglas' mother is fed up with people talking about her daughter's appearance.
"She's had to deal with people criticizing her hair, or people accusing her of bleaching her skin. They said she had breast enhancements, they said she wasn't smiling enough, she's unpatriotic," Natalie Hawkins told Reuters. "Then it went to not supporting your teammates. Now you're ‘Crabby Gabby.' You name it and she got trampled. What did she ever do to anyone?"
Douglas, 20, was targeted online after she failed to put her hand over her heart as the national anthem played when the U.S. gymnastics team won a gold medal Aug. 9.
Natalie Hawkins said her daughter was "brought to tears" by bullies.
(Lars Niki/Corbis via Getty Images)
She later apologized.
Days later, fans dubbed her "Crabby Gabby" after she didn't deliver a standing ovation when Aly Raisman and Simone Biles won silver and gold medals, respectively.
U.S. gymnastics gold medalists, dubbed the "Final Five" (from left) are Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez Madison Kocian, Alexandra Raisman and Aly Raisman.
(MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS)
"We've been brought to many tears because I don't know what she's done to warrant such an attack." Hawkins told the news outlet.
Douglas placed seventh in the uneven bars on Sunday, her final event in Rio de Janiero and the Olympic Games.
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On Sunday, the three-time gold medalist fought back tears when she was asked by a reporter about the mean-spirited comments made about her looks.
"When they talk about my hair or me not putting my hand (on) my heart or me being very salty in the stands, they’re really criticizing me, and it doesn’t really feel good,” Douglas said. “It was a little bit hurtful.”
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