We are all in this together. If we are going to create change I need all your help. pic.twitter.com/q9d12z0KHn
— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) November 17, 2017
“Just to be clear… Just because a woman does a sexy photoshoot or wears a sexy outfit does not give a man the right to shame her or not believe her when she comes forward about sexual abuse,” Raisman wrote. “What is wrong with some of you? AND when a woman dresses sexy it does not give a man the right to sexually abuse her EVER.”
Raisman continued, “Women are allowed to feel sexy and comfortable in their own skin, in fact I encourage you all to wear what you feel good in. I will not put up with any woman or girl being shamed for wanting to wear a skirt, dress, etc. I do not tolerate it. Are we clear?”
“Oh and one more thing. STOP VICTIM SHAMING. It is because of you that so many survivors live in fear,” she said.
Raisman captioned the tweet, writing, “we are all in this together. If we are going to create change I need all your help.”
The Olympian came forward with allegations against Team USA doctor, Dr. Larry Nassar, and detailed some of the abuse in her new memoir "Fierce."
Related: Report: Olympic medalist Aly Raisman claims she was sexually abused by team doctor
Despite Raisman's request, E! News reported that her teammate, Gabby Douglas, appeared to say that how a victim dresses entices others.
“However it is our responsibility as women to dress modestly and be classy,” Douglas wrote while quoting Raisman’s tweet. “Dressing in a provocative/sexual way entices the wrong crowd.”
The tweet has since been deleted, but fellow Olympian and teammate Simone Biles promptly called Douglas out and took a screenshot of the offending post.
shocks me that I'm seeing this but it doesn't surprise me... honestly seeing this brings me to tears bc as your teammate I expected more from you & to support her. I support you Aly
💕 & all the other women out there!
STAY STRONG
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles)
“Shocks me that I’m seeing this but it doesn’t surprise me... honestly seeing this brings me to tears (because) as your teammate I expected more from you and to support her,” Biles tweeted. “I support you Aly and all the other women out there! STAY STRONG.”
Earlier this week, Raisman appeared on "Today" and spoke out about the abuse she endured in an interview with Hoda Kotb.
“He was a doctor, and he told met that his ‘treatment’ would help heal all of my injuries. I was so young. I had never really worked with another doctor or trainer before, and everyone said he was the best. He would give me these gifts. So, I really thought he was my friend. He always seemed like he had my back,” she said, adding that now that she’s older, she understands what happened and that he manipulated her.
"These monsters are so good at manipulating you. You're so brainwashed to think, 'I thought he was so nice,'" she said in her interview with Kotb. "I think he's a monster. It is so disturbing to me what he did to me and so many other people. This is so much bigger than just me. It's such a horrific thing to happen."
Douglas, after trying to explain her initial tweet to some followers, posted an apology.
i didn’t correctly word my reply & i am deeply sorry for coming off like i don’t stand alongside my teammates. regardless of what you wear, abuse under any circumstance is never acceptable. i am WITH you. #metoo
— Gabby Douglas (@gabrielledoug) November 18, 2017
“I am deeply sorry for coming off like I don’t stand alongside my teammates. Regardless of what you wear, abuse under any circumstance is never acceptable. I am WITH you,” she tweeted with “#metoo.”
Nassar is currently facing 22 counts of first-degree sexual misconduct.
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