Gabby Douglas tells Oprah about bullying, being called 'slave' by fellow gymnast
theGRIO REPORT - In her highly anticipated sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey on Oprah's Next Chapter, Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas spoke candidly about the bullying, taunts and racism she endured from her fellow gymnasts on her historic rise to the top...
In her highly-anticipated sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey on Oprah’s Next Chapter, Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas spoke candidly about the bullying, taunts and racism she endured from her fellow gymnasts on her historic rise to the top.
She says that the she experienced the most disrespect at her hometown gym in Virginia, where she alleges that another girl once quipped that Douglas was her “slave.”
“I definitely felt isolated. I felt, why am I deserving this?” said Douglas. “Is it because I’m black? Like, those thoughts would go through my mind.”
The unpleasant atmosphere in Virginia forced Douglas to relocate to Iowa, where her career really began to take off.
The 16-year-old two-time Gold medalist became the first African-American gymnast to ever win all-around gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
