DETROIT – Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas has become the latest athlete to come forward as a victim of abuse by former USA Dr. Larry Nassar.
Douglas took to Instagram Tuesday to apologize for comments she made after Fierce Five teammate Aly Raisman came forward as a Nassar victim. In the post, she said she was also a victim and was conditioned to stay silent about what was happening.
McKayla Maroney has also accused Nassar of abusing her.
Here is Douglas' full Instagram post:
Raisman says she was 15 when first treated by Nassar
Raisman was the star of the Summer Olympics in Rio, snagging the gold medal along with her Fierce Five teammates, but Friday she did something much more difficult.
In an interview with "60 Minutes," Raisman admitted she was a victim of Dr. Larry Nassar.
Raisman had hinted in previous interviews about the alleged abuse she suffered, but this was her first time saying that she was also a victim as a teenager.
The three-time gold medalist is now 23 years old.
"Why are we looking at, 'Why didn't the girls speak up?'" Raisman said. "Why not look at, 'What about the culture?' What did USA Gymnastics do, and Larry Nassar do, to manipulate these girls so much that they are so afraid to speak up?"
READ: Nassar pleads guilty to child pornography charges
Raisman said she was just 15 years old when she was first treated by Nassar.
"I am angry," Raisman said. "I'm really upset because it's been -- I care a lot, you know, when I see these young girls that come up to me, and they ask for pictures or autographs. Whatever it is, I just ... every time I look at them, every time I see them smiling, I just think -- I just want to create change so that they never, ever have to go through this."
Raisman competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, winning six medals overall.
She now joins dozens of other women who have accused the disgraced former Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics team doctor of abuse.
In August, during an interview with The Guardian, Raisman said, "Even if he didn't do it to you, it's still the trauma and the anxiety of wondering what could have happened. I think that needs to be addressed."
Local 4 reached out to USA Gymastics, which released a lengthy response that reads, in part:
"Aly's passion and concern for athlete safety is shared by USA Gymnastics. The Safe Sport Policy strengthens policies that include mandatory reporting, defines six types of misconduct, sets standards to prohibit grooming behavior and prevent inappropriate interaction, and establishes greater accountability."
Maroney says she was molested by Nassar
Maroney posted a statement to Twitter, where the 21-year-old alleges Nassar molested her for many years. “People should know that this is not just happening in Hollywood,” she wrote
“It started when I was 13 years old, and it didn’t end until I left the sport,” Maroney continued. “I had a dream to go to the Olympics, and the things that I had to endure to get there were unnecessary and disgusting."
The former Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics physician was arrested last year on the child pornography charges including:
- Receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography
- Possession of child pornography
- Destruction and concealment of records and tangible objects
Nassar agreed to plead guilty to all of those charges. As part of the plea agreement he will not be prosecuted for sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of children, as well as interstate or international travel with intent and engaging in illicit sexual conduct. Those charges were related to an incident which is alleged to have occurred in Nassar's swimming pool with two children in the summer of 2015.