Gabby Douglas Hair Criticism: Gymnast's Mother Responds To Hurtful Hate [VIDEO]
Gabby Douglas’s mom is coming for the U.S. Gymnast’s haters and anyone who has something negative to say about her hair.
Douglas, who fought a similar battle when her natural hair became a topic of conversation during the 2012 Olympics in London, has faced similar scrutiny four years later for the Olympic games in Rio. And while she is now 19 (after facing the hate at just 16 in 2012), it is safe to say she is just as hurt this time around. And her mother has stepped in.
“She’s had to deal with people criticizing her hair, or people accusing her of bleaching her skin,” Natalie Hawkins said according to Reuters earlier this week. “They said she had breast enhancements, they said she wasn’t smiling enough, she’s unpatriotic. Then it went to not supporting your teammates. Now you’re ‘Crabby Gabby.’”
She went on to say that Douglas has never done any harm to anyone and does not deserve to be scrutinized so harshly.
“We’ve been brought to many tears because I don’t know what she’s done to warrant such an attack. To me it looks like she is being bullied.”
Douglas, whose family has a strong military background, received lots of backlash when she did not place her hand over her heart during the national anthem before one of the gymnastic events last week.
Hawkins pointed out, “I don’t think respecting your country or your flag boils down to whether you put your hand over your heart or not.”
She went on to explain that what appeared to be Douglas not supporting her teammates, was the result of someone “hurting.”
“What was going through her head was ‘I’m being attacked for everything I do so I might as well not do anything; because no matter what I do, I am being attacked.”
