Laurie Hernandez wants you to check your tweets before their dismount. The 24-year-old gymnast—who won an individual silver medal and team gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics —recently shared insight into her experience dealing with online critics of her commentating at the 2024 Paris Games . “It can be really difficult to release a lot of that,” she told E! News in an exclusive interview.
“Everybody has tastes and preferences. If you want to share that opinion, absolutely go ahead. But if you're going to tag me in it, you've got to be kind.
” But Laurie—who was recently at Sprouts Farmers Market in New Jersey to sign copies of her 2018 book She’s Got This —doesn’t want to silence people’s opinions, she just wants to “scroll on Twitter in peace.” “If you want to share that opinion and it's unkind, just don't tag me in it. I don't want to see that,” she continued.
“Share those opinions. I think that's great. That's a lot of times what social media is for.
It's not for unkindness. Express yourself. But just be respectful.
” During the Paris Games, Laurie received flack from fans online for comments she made during her coverage of Team USA’s women’s gymnastics. In one instance, she shared her opinion that Suni Lee needed “set up that good energy” to prevent the “domino effect”—the tendency for later gymnasts to fall off the beam once a competitor falls off during their routine—which led to some fans being critical of her, with a fe.