USA Gymnastics’s new president is already getting slammed over comments she made about sicko sports doctor Larry Nassar.
In an interview Wednesday on NBC’s “Today,” Li Li Leung said that she too was examined by Nassar when she was a gymnast — and put her foot in her mouth when she explained how she didn’t become one of his hundreds of sexual abuse victims.
“The reason why I wasn’t abused by him is because my coach was by my side when he saw me. I was seen by him in a public setting,” Leung said. “So I understand what the setting needs to be like in order to ensure safety for our athletes.”
The comment struck a nerve with viewers who blasted Leung on Twitter for ignoring that the depraved doc abused many of his victims even when there was another adult in the room, in some cases, with their parents present.
As backlash ignted, Leung, who became president and CEO of the organization in February apologized for her comments and said she hoped to meet with some of Nassar’s victims.
“I understand how my comment seems insensitive to the survivors and their families, and I apologize,” tweeted Leung. “My intent was not to diminish what they’ve been through. I should have clarified that my experience was completely different from theirs … and it is wrong to suggest I could have a solution based on my experience alone.”
Leung, a former NBA exec, is the organization’s fourth CEO in a 23-month span. Her predecessors include Steve Penny, who served between 2005 and 2017, when many of Nassar’s accusers say they were molested. He was arrested in October 2018 for alleged tampering with evidence related to the scandal.
The next CEO, Kerry Perry quit after nine months on the job after being blasted for not doing enough following the scandal. Next, former US Rep. Mary Bono didn’t last a week in the position after she was called out for supporting a Nike ban in the wake of their Colin Kaepernick ad.
Nassar, 54, has been sentenced to what amounts to life in prison.