Simone Biles fired back at detractors claiming her hair looked “undone” during this year’s Olympics, delivering a short but stern statement towards those remarking on her coiffure prior to the women’s gymnastics team final Tuesday.
Biles, 27, wasn’t too pleased with those making comments about her hairdo throughout her spell in Paris. The five-time Olympic gold medalist took to Instagram to discuss the matter, explaining just how the conditions — both in Paris and on the bus she was riding — impacted her look.
“Don’t come for me about my hair,” she wrote in the first video, in which her hair is pulled back into a ponytail. “It was done but bus has no AC & it’s like 9,000 degrees.”
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Biles then delivered a crushing blow, telling those who feel the need to comment on Black women’s hair to keep their mouths shut.
“Next time you want to comment on a Black girl’s hair,” Biles added. “Just don’t.”
Another public service from Simone Biles pic.twitter.com/VURjFzhDBd
— elena ilana alana alina elana (@lenibriscoe) July 30, 2024
The Team USA star has faced a torrent of criticism for her hair in years past. Some social media trolls derided the Olympic icon for her wedding-day style, not even taking into account that Biles lives in Houston, Texas, a place known for its humid climate — one that can affect anyone’s hairstyle.
MORE: Simone Biles comes all the way back to lead USA gymnastics to gold
Paris is experiencing similar conditions during the 2024 Summer Games. A heatwave has baked the city, making hairstyles that much more difficult to maintain.
In the team final, Biles opted for a simple pulled-back ponytail. The selection worked like a treat for Biles and her compatriots: Team USA cruised to gold, outscoring second-place Italy by nearly six points to take their spot in Olympic immortality.
Regardless of what she’s wearing (or how she’s wearing it), it seems Biles is in a better place than ever before. She used to focus on looking as professional as possible, a paradigm that can prove especially harmful to people of color. That’s not the case anymore.
“I used to worry about [my hair being considered] not professional,” she said in an interview published on Elle earlier in July. “But I’m not embarrassed about it anymore.”
