McKayla Maroney during the Senior Women Competition at The 2013 P&G Gymnastics Championship August 2013.
As if we needed another reason to love Chrissy Teigen.
Former team USA gymnast McKayla Maroney has stumbled across support from our favourite clapback queen Chrissy Teigen via Twitter, after facing a potential $100,000 penalty if she speaks up in court about the sexual abuse she says she suffered at the hands of her former USA Gymnastics team doctor.
The multiple gold medal-winning artistic gymnast received a USD $1.25 million (approximately NZD $1.72 million) settlement from USA Gymnastics in December 2016, after she sued the organisation for sexual abuse claims against Larry Nassar. She currently faces a USD $100,000 fine if she speaks out at Nassar’s sentencing due to a non disclosure agreement (NDA) she signed at the time.
Nassar, who performed treatments on the team for two decades, is currently facing his sentencing in court based on seven first degree criminal sexual abuse charges.
Given the scope of the years of abuse during his practice, around 90-100 women are expected to give victim impact statements in court, but at this stage, this does not include Maroney.
Maroney is currently suing USA Gymnastics and two other related parties involved in her case claiming that the NDA she signed, imposing a $100,000 in the instance she would speak about her experience, was illegal.
Furthermore, Maroney is also up in arms that the organisations involved failed to prevent Nassar from abusing young women following her settlement.
In light of these events, Chrissy Teigen was quick to show her support for Maroney by offering to pay the $100,000 fine.
The entire principle of this should be fought – an NDA to stay quiet about this serial monster with over 140 accusers, but I would be absolutely honored to pay this fine for you, McKayla. pic.twitter.com/lsBEgEqZpD
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 16, 2018
“The entire principle of this should be fought,” Teigen tweeted. “An NDA to stay quiet about this serial monster with over 140 accusers, but I would be absolutely honored to pay this fine for you, McKayla.”
Other celebrities, including Kristen Bell and Parks and Recreation creator Mike Schur, have also volunteered to chip in.
With parallels being drawn between the similar silencing tactics employed by Harvey Weinstein to repress stories of sexual abuse and harassment, people—generally speaking—are no longer willing to sit in silence.
If you set up a GoFundMe, I’d contribute, and any excess can be donated to #TimesUp or a similar cause
— Stuart Kliternick (@scoobystu42) January 16, 2018
Seems like NDAs in general shouldn’t be enforceable against disclosing criminal conduct. We need to get some more lawyers on this!
— Shailin Thomas (@shailinthomas) January 16, 2018
Suggestion: start a crowd fund to help victims pay NDA fines so that they can share their story to the public! I’d donate.
She’s doing the ethical thing by speaking up.
Suppression of victims has to stop! #TimesUp #USAgymnasticsComplicit
— Katie / Science Based Evidence 💜🐾 BearsEars (@Feminists32) January 16, 2018
First Hollywood, then fashion… now it looks like the sporting industry is being steamrolled by the #Time’sUp movement.
