Olympic gold-medal gymnast McKayla Maroney said Wednesday that she was molested by Dr. Larry Nassar, who is accused of sexually assaulting more than 100 patients under the guise of medical treatments.
Maroney, a member of the Fierce Five squad that competed in the 2012 games, said she was inspired to go public by women posting accounts of harassment and abuse under the hashtag #metoo in response to the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
“Everyone’s words over the past few days have been so inspiring to me. I know how hard it is to speak publicly about something so horrible, and so personal, because it’s happened to me too,” Maroney wrote on her verified Twitter account.
“People should know that this is not just happening in Hollywood. This is happening everywhere. Wherever there is a position of power, there seems to be potential for abuse. I had a dream to go to the Olympics, and the things that I had to endure to get there, were unnecessary, and disgusting.”
Maroney said that Nassar, then the team doctor, began abusing her when she was 13-years-old and didn’t stop until she left the sport.
“It seemed whenever and wherever this man could find the chance, I was ‘treated.’ It happened in London before my team and I won the gold medal, and It happened before I won my Silver,” she wrote.
“For me, the scariest night of my life happened when I was 15 years old. I had flown all day and night with the team to get to Tokyo. He’d given me a sleeping pill for the flight, and the next thing I know, I was all alone with him in his hotel room getting a ‘treatment.’ I thought I was going to die that night.”
Nassar’s attorneys could not be reached for immediate comment. In the past he has said the invasive treatments he performed were medically sound.
The former team doctor for USA Gymnastics, he is currently in jail awaiting two trials on state charges alleging he molested former patients and a family friend. He pleaded not guilty. He is also awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty on a federal child pornography possession charge.
More than 100 women have filed police complaints against Nassar, and he is the target of dozens of lawsuits, which also name Michigan State University, where he had his sports medicine practice, and USA Gymnastics, the national governing body for the sport.
Maroney — who charmed the public with her “not impressed” face after she won silver in the vault — is the highest profile athlete to lodge accusations against Nassar, who treated many Olympic gymnasts.
“The Olympics is something that brings people hope, and joy,” she wrote. “It inspires people to fight for their dreams, because anything is possible with hard work and dedication. I remember watching the 2004 Olympics. I was 8 years old, and I told myself that one day I would wear that red, white, and blue leotard, and compete for my country.
“Sure, from the outside looking in, it’s an amazing story. I did it. I got there, but not without a price.”
The gymnastics world has been rocked by the Nassar scandal and also by accusations that officials mishandled sexual abuse allegations against coaches for many years. The president of USA Gymnastics was forced to resign, and an internal review of the organization’s practices found a sweeping culture change was needed to protect children.
In her post, Maroney called for victims to speak about abuse and for people and institutions in positions of power to be “held accountable for their inappropriate actions and behavior.”
“Is it possible to put an end to this type of abuse? Is it possible for survivors to speak out, without putting careers, and dreams in jeopardy? I hope so,” she wrote.
“Our silence has given the wrong people power for too long, and it’s time to take our power back.
“And remember, it’s never too late to speak up.”