During the quarterfinals of Dancing With the Stars on Monday, Simone Biles struggled to get the positive reaction that she wanted out of the judges.
Biles has yet to earn a perfect score on the show, and the judges this week told her that they wanted to see her bring more emotion to her performances. She took the critiques well, but when host Tom Bergeron asked after her second routine why she hadn’t been smiling for some of the judge’s nicer comments, she had a clap back that was absolutely flawless: “Smiling doesn’t win you gold medals.”
The Internet fell all over itself saluting Biles for the perfect comeback, especially applauding it as a new response to catcallers who ask girls to smile.
Still, Biles admitted after the show to Entertainment Tonight that she is still struggling with connecting to the judges. “I feel like everyone has their own opinion, clearly, and I feel it’s just how you take it,” Biles said. “I feel like I am trying, I am being honest, but if they don’t see that, I don’t know what more I can do.”
And while she took the criticism (and Bergeron’s comments) like a champ, it does still get to her during the judging.
“I had tears in my eyes,” she said. “I almost ran to the bathroom at one point, but I pulled it together.”