He’s Not Getting Off So Easy: Gabby Douglas Blames Father For Her Mother’s Bankruptcy

August 8th, 2012 - By madamenoire

Source: people.com

After Gabby Douglas’ disappointing day in an otherwise outstanding Olympics, the golden girl of the games is allegedly discussing her father, Timothy Douglas, who has been noticeably absent from the events, in a less than positive light.

According to the New York Post, Douglas slammed her Air Force father as a deadbeat yesterday, blaming him for her mom, Natalie Hawkins’, financial woes.

“It was really hard for us growing up — my dad had left us, so he wasn’t really in the picture anymore,” Douglas reportedly said. “So my mom had to front all these bills. My dad didn’t really pay the child support. He was short [on money]. It was definitely hard on her part, and she had to take care of me and the rest of my siblings.”

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get real

Why didn’t anyone in her circle prepare her for this bullshi? If a reporter asked my kid about a personal matter he’she would repsond with “I’m not here to talk about personal issues but I will talk all day about gymanastics”. End of story. Her mother and people in her circle left her out there. Michael Phelps was caught smoking weed and got a DUI. Have you heard about that one single time?
mrswright

gabby is 16 yrs old and has not been dealt with honestly. if her mother actually got a court order for her father to pay child support, then her mother should have had his wages garnished. it is easy enough when the person is in the military…he’s in the air national guard.
http://profile.yahoo.com/TK3FTZ2766LKFUQGLAICP7IP2M c

How did she even get on the topic of money? Did the reporter ask her “why did your mom file for bankruptcy?” If so, same on them, you don’t ask a child about grown people business.
http://www.facebook.com/thankgoditstodd Todd Todd B Bell

I’d like a verified source, other than what she “reportedly” said. The NY Post has been known to lean into the “Tabloid Zone.” That’s too serious an issue to just run and put something like this out there. All that aside, I find it hard to believe that the family got NOTHING from the dad, ’cause the military don’t play that! They will garnish a check in a minute over car payments, and especially child support!
disqus_X49lkw3yrF

She didn’t “slam” him, she told the truth. Sometimes he couldn’t pay all the money. If he’s trying to pay, how does that make him a dead beat?Times are hard a Staff Sargent doesn’t make much especially when they are overseas.
I have a problem as to why are you asking a 16 year girl about grown folks business? She should of never been asked that question. It seems like the media is trying to pick her apart because she doesn’t fit the mold.
Treacle234

I’m sorry Gabby, it’s not right to share such issues publicly. It’s not nice to slam your dad publicly either even if he isn’t in the picture. There’s no need to worry, your million dollar contract with Kellogg should settle all your mom’s bills.
Tudbee

I’m glad i’m not the only one that thinks she needs to keep her business to herself. God has blessed her efforts and i’m sure her fortune (and maybe her family) will change as a result. She needs to realize not everyone is happy for her success and will be eager to pick her and family apart. Stay away from the media because tthe same people who label you darling of america this minute will turn around and tear you down the next if given the opportunity. God forbid. Besides, I saw her father cheering wildly at one event, i’m sure he’s proud of you today…….thats all that matters.
- http://profile.yahoo.com/PHFUXMPNYZZDNBBPEGA4IYSFFY Christy
  
  This story could be false. She may have never said that. I am getting to the point that I will not read any articles about Gabby unless its about her accomplishments. It is ridiculous the type of articles they have on Gabby. The media put that hair thing out. People say stupid things all day everyday, and these fools in the media make a big deal about what some black people put on twitter. People have said stupid things about alot of the athletes in the olympics, but u didn’t see the media making an ordeal of it. There were so many positive tweets out there on gabby and the media chose the tweets about her hair. So, I really don’t like to read anything about her unless its positive, because the media, especially white media, is selecting everything negative to report about. Do u see any articles about Michael Phelps daddy? No, and I never see his daddy on TV, but no one has made a big deal of it. So why are we even asking Gabby about her daddy? I tell you why, because she is black!! They think all black kids have dead beat dads, and they don’t.
  - Nisa
    
    Could not agree with you more. We cannot expect the media, even black media to be fair to US! It is what it is and the media has no responsibilities or morals.
island man

Riiigggghhhhtttt!!!This brilliant and highly talented gymnast seem to be getting a lot of negative press lately…hmm I wonder why?Trying to overshadow her accomplishments? Definitely! If it’s not her hair its family issues and I truly doubt that gabby even said such a thing about her father. Stop playing into the media hype…
- toosharp
  
  No that hair ‘ish is all black folk not the media. I swear since Obama became president folk black and white have lost their damn minds.
- toosharp
  
  No that hair ‘ish is all black folk not the media. I swear since Obama became president folk black and white have lost their damn minds.
GaGirl

I’m confused. I read an article where Gabby’s mother said she applied for a military scholarship so Gabby could train for the Olympics. If I’m wrong somebody correct me but don’t you have to be a dependent to get military scholarships. If she’s a dependent she should be getting support whether her dad wants to give it or not. I don’t think the military gives people the option to opt out of child support.
Kayo

I’ve been watching the Olympics and it appears that the media is purposely tainting the stories of Black, Hispanic and African athletes with stories like this. Just the other night, I learned that one of the African athletes (runner) had been in trouble for assaulting a woman and then when the announcer started speaking about one of the White athletes, it was about his hard work and training in the sport.
- NSimonefan
  
  Accurate observation.
Anon

Gabby, you are a positive, brilliant athlete and you should stay away from putting personal business to the media. Divorce hurts, and mom has been the one sacrificing the most but out of respect, don’t bash your dad to the public, the media will take it and run far away with it and blow it out of proportion.
MLS2698

If he is serving in the military, then she should be getting support. If you don’t file the papers, then you get nothing. Regardless of the reason for divorce, children still have to be taken care of. Maybe he has other children that he pays support to, and that puts him in a crunch. IDK
guest510

I really don’t want her to make any more comments about things that aren’t anybody’s business. yes her mother is in debt. so are many other families. yes her parents are going through a divorce. those things have nothing to do with her accomplishments. Don’t make this girl choose between her mother and father in front of the world
- FromUR2UB
  
  I agree. It’s no one’s business. Hopefully she can remain focused on the positive things going on in her life right now, and not dwell on the bad stuff.
- NSimonefan
  
  The first week of the Olympics, the media reported that Ryan Lochte’s parents filed for foreclosure. Yet when he was interviewed, the reporters never brought that up in his face and asked him about that, nor did any of the correspondents bring it up during any of the games. Like Kayo said, double standard in how the members in the media treat that White athletes in contrast to the Black, Hispanic and African athletes.
  - Hey
    
    Like someone noted below, seems like she brought it up herself. And correct me if am wrong but wasn’t it the black folks ones that started the mud slinging concerning her hair on social media? Stop acting like someone is always out to get minorities. The first magazine to put her up on their cover was people’s magazine, not essence, not jet nor ebony. She has received more positive attention than any of her colleagues that contested in the Olympics. It’s not like this was a dirty on her or something. Please sheath the race sword.
    - NSimonefan
      
      Hey FOOL! If you’re going to make a point know what the hell you’re talking about. I was very vocal and outraged about how Blacks were criticizing her hair. Regarding her “bringing it up herself” regarding her mother filing for bankruptcy, quit lying. The media asked her the question and she responded. The only thing she is bringing is her gymnastics skills to the game! When ANY race of people do wrong, I call them out. I’m not the only one who sees the biased reporting on an athletes personal lives based on their race. Yeah she’s received positive attention from the media, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to turn a blind eye when the media is asking an athlete questions that have nothing to do with their sport, especially when they are still in competitions. Regarding referring someone as a “minority, all races outnumber White people globally. There are Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Arabs, Chaldeans, Native Americans; then there’s your people. So, you may want to rethink about who you label minorities. Also, a word of advice. Since you’re a White person who is so overly sensitive that you feel that people are going to use the race sword, maybe you shouldn’t come on a Black website like this one.
      - Nisa
        
        @N Simonefan….I do not think HEY is white, which furthers the point she was trying to make. We cannot call the media out on something like this because look at how we acted and look at the things we said about Gabby and Serena. In other words, the race card gets trumped in this scenario. I believe that was the point that was trying to be made.
        
        http://profile.yahoo.com/PHFUXMPNYZZDNBBPEGA4IYSFFY Christy
        
        I understand it was blacks commenting on her hair, but as a journalist covering the olympic games and following an athlete such as Gabby, I would not take such stupid tweets and make an article of it. There were more profound tweets that was posted, why as a professional would you make a such a big deal about hair? You couldn’t find any other tweets? There were millions of tweets on Gabby, but these journalist and reporters chose the tweets about her hair. Thats what I don’t understand. Even as a journalist, didn’t they think that those tweets were stupid? Didn’t they think that these people really didn’t understand exactly what Gabby had done as an African American? Why did they think such stupidity deserve to get that type of attention? We can’t control what some black people post on the internet, but as a journalist, they should have had more creative control.
        
        NSimonefan
        
        As you said, you “do not think HEY is white”, which means you’re not sure. The reason that I called Hey out for being White is because Whites are the only people who use the “race card” term. This is understandable since they are the ones who developed the term in the first place. To suggest that because me and other people were pointing out the obvious we are playing the race card, it is an insulting lie. White people get upset when some of their people get called out. Blacks don’t even have to bring up slavery, all they have to do is critique some of the dumb racist crap that White people do TODAY! In conclusion, regarding the race card, how can White people accuse us of playing the race card, when their the ones who are always putting out the deck of racism cards in the first place.
- 1micmcna1
  
  I understand your comments about what she is saying but from the article it seems as if she brought it up herself. I mean, let’s be real. By this time in her life, she’s 16, knows a little about what’s going on and wants to express her opinion on the situation. There are plenty of girls today who are not afraid to talk about their absentee parents and shouldn’t be afraid to do so. We might feel that it’s embarassing for her, but she may very well feel empowered by it, to say, “look at all I’ve accomplished without you, even though I still wish you were around.”
- 1micmcna1
  
  I understand your comments about what she is saying but from the article it seems as if she brought it up herself. I mean, let’s be real. By this time in her life, she’s 16, knows a little about what’s going on and wants to express her opinion on the situation. There are plenty of girls today who are not afraid to talk about their absentee parents and shouldn’t be afraid to do so. We might feel that it’s embarassing for her, but she may very well feel empowered by it, to say, “look at all I’ve accomplished without you, even though I still wish you were around.”
Miss D

Did she really say this? Her father has attended the games, at least for one event. I’ve read elsewhere that her parents were divorced and that he wasn’t around because he was serving in the military. I don’t think he could get away with not contributing financially if he was in the military. I can’t help but feel like this is some twisted media stunt to make her family look bad.
- FromUR2UB
  
  Yeah, that’s true. If you work for any branch of the federal government, you’d better keep your bills current.
- NSimonefan
  
  I’m confused as well. I read somewhere that her father attended the games and although her parents are divorced, he was active in Gabby’s life.
- kierah
  
  He attended the trials. He can’t be there for all her meets while he is in the military.
  If her mom was serious about getting her money, the military will garnish his pay. If he did not meet his obligation, then it is her mom’s duty to pursue the funds. Sometimes children don’t understand the complexities behind their parents’ relationship. For this reason, her mom needs to teach her about keeping family business a private matter.

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