Douglas has been targetted over her hair, a perceived lack of patriotism for not placing her hand over her heart as the USA anthem was played during a medal ceremony, and for not joining a standing ovation for team mates Simone Biles and Aly Raisman.
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“There’s been a lot of negativity, it’s just been a little bit hard and at the same time very upsetting”, she said. “Either it was about my hair or my hand not over my heart [on the medal podium] or I look depressed.It was hurtful”. It was hurtful. It was hurtful.
Her mother, Natalie Hawkins, says Douglas is heart-broken.
Sunday, after closing out her second Olympic games with a disappointing finish, landing in seventh place on the uneven bars, Douglas addressed reporters, answering questions on a wide range of topics including the negative comments levied against her on social media.
Another big point of contention was how Douglas appeared to show some bitterness last Thursday, when her teammates Simone Biles and Aly Raisman won the gold and silver medals respectively in the individual all-around. “Because no matter what I do, I am being attacked”, said Hawkins, who said her daughter was being called “Crabby Gabby”. “I always supported them”.
“When I heard some of the comments, I was finally like ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, that’s far from me and far from my personality at all”, Douglas said. “It’s been teaching me a lot”. And I’ve been through a lot.
Douglas” mom, Natalie Hawkins, spoke with Reuters about her daughter’s treatment, saying, “What I saw in the stands was someone who was hurting and she was also angry. But in her defense, Douglas explained that it is her custom to stand at attention in respect to the national anthem, tweeting that she didn’t mean to disrespect or offend anybody through her actions. Then it went to not supporting your teammates.
They again made her fun of her hair as they did in 2012 – the type of thing that comes with racial implications and stings so much more when you’re a minority in a mostly white sport.
Douglas swears she has no regrets about coming back to the Olympics, that the work it took to get here was worth it even in spite of the ugliness on the periphery. And I didn’t just want to talk up her numerous accolades, either. In the face of everything, still stand.
“I wanted to finish on a stronger note”, she said.
Her mother had suggested to Reuters that some of the comments made about her were racially driven, which seems nearly certain, especially the way she has been attacked for her hair and not having her hand on her heart.
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No, the Games weren’t ruined, she responded, they were “an awesome, crazy-also fun-experience”. Many viewers had taken to Twitter to accuse her of not saluting the flag like a good American should, even if many other American athletes don’t put their hands on their chests during the singing or playing of the national anthem.
