Back to the Top News Newsfeed

Laurie Hernandez details emotional abuse from former coach: 'I thought I deserved all of it'

Speaking out for the first time since she testified against her former coach, gymnast Laurie Hernandez finally feels validated.

Hernandez, a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. team in 2016, was one of at least a dozen gymnasts who said they were verbally or emotionally abused by former USA Gymnastics coach Maggie Haney.

Haney was suspended by USA Gymnastics for eight years on Wednesday, having failed “to provide a safe, positive and healthy environment with a culture of trust and empowerment.”

“I thought they were just going to try to sweep it under the rug,” Hernandez said, via The New York Times.