The war of words between Riley Gaines and Simone Biles just got messier, and now a former ESPN host is in the mix too.
The controversy over transgender athletes in women’s sports boiled over when Riley Gaines sent a blunt five-word message aimed at analyst Katie Nolan: “Uh, easily and peacefully lol.” That was Gaines’ response after Nolan slammed her on a podcast, questioning how she could sleep at night amid the outrage around her stance on trans inclusion.
Riley Gaines, the former NCAA swimmer turned outspoken activist against trans participation in women’s sports, has been in the middle of the storm ever since she and Olympic legend Simone Biles went head-to-head on social media. The clash, which started over differing opinions on transgender athletes in female competitions, quickly escalated. Both women ended up calling each other bullies, and Biles even issued an apology for getting personal. But Gaines wasn’t backing down, and apparently still isn’t.
Katie Nolan, now hosting her own podcast Casuals, stepped in to defend Biles and the trans community, delivering an emotional rant about the harm caused by anti-trans rhetoric. She called out Gaines directly, arguing that targeting high school athletes, especially those who are trans, is deeply damaging. “These are children,” Nolan said. “The trans community is already at huge risk of suicide, of isolation, of being ostracized… You are attacking a very vulnerable community very maliciously.” She even took it a step further, saying she didn’t understand how Gaines could sleep at night knowing the effect her words have.
That’s when Gaines hit back with her now-viral five-word response, short, sarcastic, and crystal clear. And just like that, the feud wasn’t just between Gaines and Biles anymore.
But Nolan didn’t stop there. She criticized Gaines for sharing a photo that included Larry Nassar, former USA Gymnastics doctor and Biles’ abuser, suggesting that Gaines’ attempts to “protect women’s sports” felt hollow and harmful. “You don’t get to say that you’re protecting women’s sports when you tweet a photo of our greatest female athlete’s abuser at her,” Nolan added. “She’s successful in women’s sports and yet still advocates for a solution.”
Gaines, meanwhile, continued posting about a Minnesota high school pitcher, implying comments were turned off to protect a transgender player. That’s what sparked the latest wave of backlash and put her feud with Biles and now Nolan back in the spotlight.
This fight isn’t just personal, it’s political and cultural. And it’s not showing signs of slowing down. Whether it’s about fairness, inclusion, or the future of women’s sports, people on all sides are digging in their heels. Biles wants solutions, Gaines wants restrictions, and Nolan wants compassion.
What’s clear is that the trans athlete debate has moved far beyond sports, drawing in major voices from media, activism, and Olympic royalty. And now, thanks to one sarcastic tweet, it’s gaining even more traction online. In a time where every opinion becomes a headline, Gaines’ “easily and peacefully” quip might be remembered as one of the most biting responses in a very serious debate.
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