*Down in Rio covering the gymnastics competition at the 2016 Olympics, NBC announcer Al Trautwig most likely didn’t even think about the implications of his Tweet saying that the adoptive mother and father of American gymnastics star Simone Biles were not her parents.
Trautwig found out it wasn’t a good move after he had been scolded by a woman on Twitter for not referring to Ron and Nellie Biles as the 19-year-old gymnast’s parents.
According to theAP, Ron Biles, her maternal grandfather, and his wife Nellie adopted Simone and her sister after they spent time in foster care.
NBC even ordered Trautwig to delete his tweet that said Ron and Nellie Biles “may be mom and dad but they are NOT her parents.”
The tweet angered advocates for adoption. Trautwig said Monday, “to set the record straight, Ron and Nellie are Simone’s parents.”
READ RELATED STORY: THE STORY BEHIND TIME’S NEW OLYMPICS COVER FEATURING SIMONE BILES (WATCH)
Trautwig was criticized by Carrie Goldman, an adoptive mother who writes a blog, “Portrait of an Adoption.” Goldman said NBC needs to make sure its commentators are educated about adoption. She says the comments deeply disrespect adopted children and parents.
When she was a toddler, Simone and her little sister, Adria, still in diapers, went to live with their grandparents in Texas while their mother struggled with addition to alcohol and drugs back in Ohio.
The report says the couple adopted Simone and Adria in 2000 when the birth mother’s parental rights were terminated.
Though Simone remains in contact with Shanon Biles, she is quick to correct anyone that calls Shanon her mother. Shanon Biles is her biological mother, she says; Nellie Biles is Mom.
Get MORE of this AP story at WNEM.
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