The Survivors of Larry Nassar, In Their Own Words
On Wednesday, one chapter closed in what many are calling the largest sexual abuse scandal in the history of American sports. Larry Nassar—the former team doctor for USA Gymnastics, as well as a practitioner at the Michigan State University sports medicine clinic—was sentenced to 40 to 175 years behind bars in an Ingham County, Michigan court after pleading guilty to seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual misconduct. “I’ve just signed your death warrant,” said Judge Rosemarie Aquilina. “You’ve done nothing to deserve to walk outside a prison again.” Nassar has already been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for a child pornography conviction and still faces sentencing for three more counts in Eaton County. A number of civil lawsuits have also already been filed.
Over the course of the past week, however, the real story has belonged not to Nassar, but to the women and girls who survived abuse at his hands. Over seven days, 156 impact statements from Nassar’s victims—some as young as 15—were heard in court, along with a dozen more from others hurt by his crimes. The scope and horror of Nassar’s offenses is difficult for anyone to comprehend, but what makes it real—and all the more devastating—are the words from the brave victims who came forward.
Some made public statements; others wished to remain anonymous. Some asked their family members to read their statements—mothers, fathers, sisters—and others held family members’ hands while they testified. The impact of this story across not only the world of professional sports, but the global culture, cannot be understated. It is vital that we hear these stories, some of them from teenagers, and that we honor them and learn from them.
Warning: Some of the testimonies found in this story contain graphic details that some may find triggering or disturbing.
Aly Raisman
The captain of the gold medal-winning 2016 U.S. Olympics Team, Raisman says she was first treated by Nassar at age 15, and later spoke to F.B.I. investigators following the Olympics in Rio.
“Larry, you do realize now that we, this group of women you so heartlessly abused over such a long period of time, are now a force and you are nothing. The tables have turned, Larry. We are here. We have our voices, and we are not going anywhere. And now, Larry, it’s your turn to listen to me […] I am here to face you, Larry, so you can see I’ve regained my strength, that I am no longer a victim, I am a survivor. I am no longer that little girl you met in Australia where you first began grooming and manipulation. […] You lied to me and manipulated me to think that when you treated me, you were closing your eyes because you had been working hard when you were really touching me, an innocent child, to pleasure yourself. Imagine feeling like you have no power and no voice. Well you know what, Larry? I have both power and voice and I am only beginning to just use them.
“All these brave women have power and we will use our voices to make sure you get what you deserve—a life of suffering spent replaying the words delivered by this powerful army of survivors.
“Your abuse started 30 years ago. But that’s just the first reported incident we know of. If over these many years, just one adult listened, and had the courage and character to act, this tragedy could have been avoided. […] To believe in the future of gymnastics is to believe in change. But how are we to believe in change when these organizations aren’t even willing to acknowledge the problem? It’s easy to put out statements talking about how athlete care is the highest priority. But they’ve been saying that for years, and all the while, this nightmare was happening. False assurances from organizations are dangerous, especially when people want so badly to believe them. They make it easier to move away from the problem and enable bad things to continue to happen. And even now after all that has happened, USA Gymnastics has the nerve to say the very same things it has said all along. Can’t you see how disrespectful that is? Can’t you see how much that hurts? […] Neither USA Gymnastics nor the USOC have reached out to express sympathy or even offer support. Not even to ask, how did this happen? What do you think we can do to help? Why have I and others here probably not heard anything from the leadership from the USOC? Why has the United States Olympic Committee been silent? Why isn’t the USOC here right now?
“[…]Now is the time to acknowledge that the very person who sits before us now — who perpetrated the worst epidemic of sexual abuse in the history of sports, who is going to be locked up for a long, long time—this monster was also the architect of policies and procedures that are supposed to protect athletes from sexual abuse for both USA Gymnastics and the USOC.
“Your Honor, I ask you to give Larry the strongest possible sentence, which his actions deserve. For by doing so, you will send a message to him and to other abusers that they cannot get away with their horrible crimes. They will be exposed for the evil they are and they will be punished to the maximum extent of the law. Let this sentence strike fear in anyone who thinks it is OK to hurt another person. Abusers, your time is up. The survivors are here, standing tall, and we are not going anywhere. […] My dream is that one day, everyone will know what the words ‘me too’ signify, but they will be educated and able to protect themselves from predators like Larry, so that they will never, ever, ever have to say the words, ‘me too.’ Thank you.” [Source]
Rachael Denhollander
Denhollander was the first to publicly accuse Nassar, in September 2016—as reported by the Indy Star. She says Nassar began assaulting her when she was 15.*
According to the Lansing State Journal, Denhollander gave a 40-minute victim-impact statement, in which she addressed Michigan State University officials directly: “Every time I repeat these facts about the number of women who reported to employees at MSU and were silenced, you respond the exact same way,” she said. “You issue a press statement saying that there was no cover up because no one who heard the reports of assault believed that Larry was committing abuse. You play word games, saying you didn’t know because no one believed. […] And the reason everyone who heard about Larry’s abuse did not believe it is because they did not listen.”
Emma Ann Miller
Miller reportedly had known Nassar since she was born, and she first began seeing him at age 10.
“Are you listening, MSU? I’m 15 years old and I’m not afraid of you, nor will I ever be. At 15, I shouldn’t know the inside of a courtroom, but I’m going to become real comfortable in one. So should you. […] I didn’t choose this circumstance. Nasser made that choice for us—your 20-year child-molesting employee. This is a burden at 15 I shouldn’t have to bear. But believe me MSU, bear I will.”
Larissa Boyce
Boyce was treated by Nassar at MSU in 1997 after hurting her back. She was 16.
“I told Michigan State University back in 1997. Instead of being protected, I was humiliated, I was in trouble, and brainwashed into believing that I was the problem.” [Source]
McKayla Maroney
A prominent member of the gold medal-winning 2012 U.S. Olympics Team, Maroney stated that Nassar began abusing her at a training camp in Texas when she was 13 or 14, and that the abuse continued for years.
“I made the US National Team at the age of 14, and began to compete throughout the world for my country. When I first met Larry Nassar, he was the doctor for our National Team and our Olympic team. I was told to trust him, that he would treat my injuries and make it possible for me to achieve my Olympic dreams. Dr. Nassar told me that I was receiving ‘medically necessary treatment that he had been performing on patients for over 30 years.’
“[…]It all started when I was 13 or 14 years old, at one of my first National Team training camps, in Texas, and it didn’t end until I left the sport. It seemed whenever and wherever this man could find the chance, I was ‘treated.’ It happened in London before my team and I won the gold medal, and it happened before I won my Silver Medal. For me, the scariest night of my life happened when I was 15 years old. I had flown all day and night with the team to get to Tokyo. He’d given me a sleeping pill for the flight, and the next thing I know, I was all alone with him in his hotel room getting a ‘treatment.’ I thought I was going to die that night.
“Because the National Team training camps did not allow parents to be present, my mom and dad were unable to observe what Nassar was doing, and this has imposed a terrible and undeserved burden of guilt on my loving family. […]
“People should know that sexual abuse of children is not just happening in Hollywood, in the media or in the halls of Congress. This is happening everywhere. Wherever there is a position of power, there seems to be potential for abuse. I had a dream to go to the Olympics, and the things that I had to endure to get there, were unnecessary, and disgusting.
“A question that has been asked over and over is: How could have Larry Nassar been allowed to assault so many women and girls for more than two decades? The answer to that question lies in the failure of not one, but three major institutions to stop him—Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee. […] A simple fact is this: If Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee had paid attention to any of the red flags in Larry Nassar’s behavior I never would have met him, I never would have been ‘treated’ by him, and I never would have been abused by him. It is my hope that federal and state law enforcement agencies will not close the book on the Larry Nassar scandal after he receives his just punishment. It is time to hold the leadership of Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee accountable for allowing, and in some cases enabling, his crimes. Our silence has given the wrong people power for too long, and it’s time to take our power back.” [Source]
Christie Achenbach
Achenbach was a runner at MSU and was treated by Nassar in 1999, when she was 21, according to The Detroit News.
“He said his new way of treating people was going internally and manipulating the pelvic floor in order to help with any problem a female might have. He said he had to go in, but he didn’t tell me that the way he was going to go in was not using lubricant like a doctor would. He just kept rubbing back and forth—that’s when I knew something was going on […] Then he put his fingers up inside me.”
Tiffany Thomas Lopez
Lopez was a softball player who saw Nassar in 2000 for lower back pain, according to The Detroit News.
“The army you chose in the late ’90s to silence me to dismiss me and my attempt at speaking the truth will not prevail over the army you created when violating us. We seek justice, we deserve justice, and we will have it.”
Gabby Douglas
One of the most prominent members of the gold medal-winning 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, Douglas did not take part in the impact testimonies, and was initially called out for not supporting her fellow teammates when they came forward about Nassar’s abuse. Douglas later took to Instagram to publish a statement.
“First, I want to reiterate my apology for responding the way that I did to a comment that one of my teammates posted. […] I take my job as a role model very seriously and I always want to do my best to represent all the best qualities that a role model should embody. I admit there are times that I fall short. I didn’t view my comments as victim shaming because I know that no matter what you wear, it NEVER gives anyone the right to harass or abuse you. It would be like saying that because of the leotards we wore, it was our fault that we were abused by Larry Nassar. I didn’t publicly share my experiences as well as many other things because of years we were conditioned to stay silent and honestly some things were extremely painful. I wholeheartedly support my teammates for coming forward with what happened to them.”
Jennifer Rood Bedford
Rood Bedford testified that she had told one of the athletic trainers that Nassar made her uncomfortable, but was discouraged from taking anything further. Of Nassar’s abuse, she said:
“I remember having the option of keeping my spandex on, which I was very grateful for and chose. He had me lay down face down on the medical table. When he started treatment, I remember him saying his treatment relied upon applying pressure to areas around the pelvis and that this was normal. So when he went down there, I just told myself it was normal, that he knows what he’s doing and don’t be a baby. I remember laying there and thinking, ‘Is this OK? This doesn’t seem right.’ I didn’t know what to do. He didn’t say anything out of the ordinary, he just did it, as though he were doing something as mindless as riding a bicycle. … I remember laying there frozen stiff on the table, utterly mortified, confused and scared. I felt so powerless to control what was happening. … There are people that are hesitant to speak up because they think a victim wanted to be assaulted. And that’s just not true. So, in my opinion this is the worst part.”
Kyle Stephens
Stephens was a family friend of Nassar’s—and the first to publicly testify against him. According to the Detroit News, she was only six years old when he exposed himself to her; after that the abuse worsened, sometimes after hide-and-seek or while watching TV in the basement while her brother was in the room. She said Nassar fractured her family: Her father committed suicide in 2016, Stephens believes, because he realized his daughter had been telling the truth about her abuse.
“Without my knowledge or consent I had engaged in my first sexual experience by kindergarten and had joined an overwhelming statistic of sexual abuse victims. You used my body for six years for your own sexual gratification. That is unforgivable. I’ve told counselors your name in hopes that they would report you. I have reported you to child protective services twice. I gave a testament to get your medical license revoked. […] Perhaps you have figured it out by now, but little girls don’t stay little forever. They grow into strong women who return to destroy your world.” [Source]
Brianne Randall-Gay
Nassar’s abuse extended beyond gymnasts: Randall-Gay was a 16-year-old soccer and tennis player who went to local police in spring 2004 after leaving her second visit with Nassar for back pain because he had touched her bare breast and put his hand between her legs. Shockingly, police later asked her to meet with Nassar. She didn’t want to go. Her parents went instead, and said Nassar told them it was a legit medical treatment. “Larry said it was a misunderstanding because I was not a gymnast and not as comfortable with my body and that was where the misunderstanding was,” Randall-Gay told the Detroit News. The police “took his word”. “It’s really hard to see an institution that I look up to not take ownership for its mistakes of allowing a predator to continue to abuse for so long,” Randall-Gay told the News. “They should be ashamed.”
Kara Johnson
Kara and her sister Maddie both reported abuse by Nassar. Kara first saw the doctor for treatment of a hip injury when she was 13.
“[You] started touching me without consent, without telling me what you were going to do, and if that wasn’t bad enough, with your gloveless hands…I will never be able to get back what you have so effortlessly taken.”
Maddie Johnson
“I felt so lucky that I got to see the same doctor as all of my idols in the gymnastics world,” Maddie said in court. “He was the doctor. I was the child. I had no idea what to think.”
Kaylee Lorincz
Lorincz, an 18-year-old gymnast, was the 155th victim to speak at Nassar’s sentencing hearing and says she was sexually assaulted on her 13th birthday.
“I only hope when you get a chance to speak, you tell us who knew what and when they knew it. If you truly want us to heal, you will do this for us.” According to the Lansing State Journal, Lorincz went on to ask her former doctor directly which Michigan State administrators—including former gymnastics coach Kathie Klages—knew what was going on under his care.
Sterling Riethman
Riethman, a former gymnast, first met Nassar at age 10 but was not abused by him until she was 20.
“I never once considered I’d be sexually abused with acupuncture needles in my spine,” she told the court. But she added, “I cannot blame myself for trusting my physician.” According to WILX, Riethman also had harsh words for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University, asking for accountability, “We are here to show you MSU, USA Gymnastics, and the world that there is no white flag to wave it comes to protecting young girls.”
Megan Ginter
Ginter is now a high school senior. Because of the abuse by Nassar, she withdrew from her family, didn’t tell anyone about what happened, and struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts. She testified that, although the abuse happened five years ago, she still is affected by it every single day. After her court statement, Judge Aqualina said, “What you should feel is proud, and brave, and strong, and tall, and so powerful he will never do anything like that to anyone ever again. You are safe here now.”
“It was hard enough telling (my mom) who had abused me, but it was absolutely devastating telling her that she had been in the room…I am hoping to progress in therapy with support, and on my own, so that I can live comfortably…I am no longer the naive and humiliated child I once was. I am a brave young woman.”
Kaylee McDowell
McDowell was 12 when the abuse began and it continued through her high school years. She saw Nassar three times a week—at the gym and at his house.
“I have a faith that I will survive this, and come out stronger than I can imagine standing here today. You are sick in the head, and I am sick, but I will not be forever…You will fall into your grave, and I will rise.” [Source]
Kassie Powell
The former MSU pole vaulter says she only realized after the fact that she had suffered years of abuse, and went into detail about what exactly Nassar had done to her.
“You would tuck a towel in the back of my shorts as you spread cocoa butter and massaged my lower back with your left hand while your right hand made its way past my back, in my shorts, under the towel and stick your gloveless dry fingers inside of me so hard I’d want to scream,” Powell said to the former doctor according to Detroit News. “You are a thief, Larry Nassar.”
Chelsea Markham
It was Chelsea’s mother Donna who spoke in court on her behalf, detailing the abuse Chelsea endured after seeing Nassar for a medical exam for a back injury. Her ordeal led to drug abuse and deep depression, until, at 23, she died by suicide. “She took her own life because she couldn’t deal with the pain anymore…It all started with him,” she testified, later telling reporters outside the courtroom: “I wanted him to hear what happened to my daughter. … He doesn’t understand, or maybe he does and he just doesn’t care, what he has done to these young girls.”
Jade Capua
Jade appeared in court with her parents and stood up to tell the judge that she was 13 when she first saw Nassar for a gymnastics injury. Nassar, she was told, was a “miracle worker, who could fix anything.”
“You broke and shattered a lot of girls. You manipulated us to trust you because you’re a doctor, and doctors do no wrong. Only heal. You are not a healer. You performed acts of depravity … I am no longer broken by you. Every day I grow a new strength and look into the mirror to see a strong, unbreakable person. Nothing will ever take away what you’ve done to me or to the others that stand behind me. However we can walk free and radiate the strength that we have gained from your horrific acts. Something you will never be able to do.” [Source]
Nicole Walker
A gymnast when she was treated by Nassar, Walker testified that she lost 30 pounds and developed an eating disorder because of the abuse, according to WILX-TV. She testified that even today, she doesn’t feel comfortable when a doctor examines her son:
“My son had his first real exam a few months ago and was hesitant about letting the doctor pull his pants down to do an exam for a hernia. I felt extreme anxiety rush over my body. I told him that it was OK, even though I wanted to grab him and leave. I should be able to tell him it’s OK and trust the doctors. How do I ever explain this to my son? I should be able to tell him that it’s OK and that he should be able to trust the doctors, who I don’t trust anymore.” She told Nassar: “I cannot forgive you.” [Source]
Alexis Moore
Moore was seriously injured when she went to see Nassar—she had a broken pelvis. Just nine years old at the time, she endured his abuse for 10 years.
“For years Mr. Nassar convinced me that he was the only person who could help me recover from multiple serious injuries. To me, he was like a knight in shining armor. But … he betrayed my trust, took advantage of my trust and sexually abused me hundreds of times. I was the innocent nine-year-old with a broken pelvis that was willing to trust and allow the doctor to do anything to help it feel better. I had no reason not to. I was the 18-year-old preparing to go away to college, apprehensive and just hoping my body would be able to withstand four more years of the sport that defined my life. Ten years of abuse and neglect. I don’t like the word victim. I am a survivor, but more so, I am me. As a nation, we need to take control. Sexual offenders need to know that they cannot continue with the crimes they are committing, and no matter how long it takes for a survivor to come forward, their crimes will be exposed.” [Source]
Hannah Morrow
Seventeen-year-old Morrow is still involved in gymnastics and began her court statement by thanking the people who supported her and sharing a poem she wrote titled, “The Monster”.
“Because of him [Nassar], I cannot be touched without a panic being driven,” she said, but she is determined not to back down. “Life handed me lemons, and you best believe, I am well prepared to make some lemonade. You cannot break me, Larry. I am a survivor.” [Source]
Samantha Ursch
Ursch told the court that she believed for years that the procedures she endured were medically approved.
“The guilt that I didn’t say something years earlier will never go away. I was older; I should have trusted my gut. But then I think back to all of the conversations I once everything initially came out, and I know why I was so afraid. Even when there were so many people making accusations, many still defended his actions. There was a different skeptical tone in the voices of people in the gymnastics community when I told them what happened.
“The year and four months since the defendant’s arrest have been some of the happiest and toughest days of my life. On September 13th, 2016, I was just two months into a brand new job with all new coworkers. Can you imagine being surrounded by people you barely know coming to the realization that you were sexually assaulted and manipulated? Walking around your new office puffy-eyed with everyone asking if you’re okay? Having to tell your brand new boss why you were an emotional wreck because you’re staring at the computer with your mind in flashbacks a million miles away? Can you imagine planning your wedding and being nervous to share your hometown with your future in-laws only to have them ask during the trip, ‘Have you seen all that stuff about that doctor on the news? Do you think he did it?’ Because they’re just trying to make conversation with you not knowing you know he did. I have so many more wonderful things to come in my life and this ends the defendant’s cloud over them. I’m not pretending it didn’t happen anymore; I’m just moving past it.” [Source]
Bayle Pickel
Pickel started seeing Nassar as a 12-year-old gymnast and spent hours with him multiple days a week.
“I was brainwashed by the pictures you had in your office,” she told Nassar in court. “You better sit up straight, listen to what I have to say, and act like you’re somewhat [remorseful] for your actions.” Source
Chelsea Zerfas
At age 12, Zerfas first started seeing Nassar for a muscle tear in her stomach due to gymnastics.
“You, Larry, asked for forgiveness. This is all your fault. I will never forgive you for what you did to me. You are a coward. This is all your fault, we wouldn’t be here in the first place if it wasn’t for you.” Source
Anna Ludes
As a member of the MSU rowing team from 2010-14, Ludes visited Nassar for treatment of back pain and says she was assaulted during all four years.
According to WILX, Ludes said that Nassar called the procedure “trigger point treatment,” and she that “I didn’t even know it was abuse at the time.” She said she knows now that his treatment was sexual assault. At the time, however, she was so “brainwashed by him that I didn’t know it.” Anna concluded her statement by saying, “Because of Nassar I have to spend the rest of my life trying to heal and I want nothing more for him then to spend the rest of his life behind bars.” [Source]
Annette Hill
As a divorced mother, Hill sought out Nassar for treatment of pain in her knee.
Though she continues to try to be strong for her children, according to Sports Illustrated, Hill says she has contemplated suicide to “turn off the thoughts of him.” [Source]
Katherine Payne
Payne was a patient of Nassar’s as a 15-year-old gymnast suffering from back pain that was “treated” over a three-year period. Her mother, Mary Fisher Follmer, read her statement after opening with Nina Simone’s music video “Ain’t Got No” at Payne’s request.
“To the brave women who were able to speak, know that you are not alone,” her statement said. She stated, per WILX, that “my sister [Maureen] and I were sexually molested and raped as children. But she also shared gratitude for her family, “Thank you for keeping me alive when my suffering was so great I didn’t want to keep living.” [Source]
Maureen Payne
The MSU alum’s statement was also read by her mother, Mary Fisher Follmer.
“As you deteriorate in prison, I want you to remember that you lost,” Maureen’s statement said. “As you eke out your days in prison, know that you will be forgotten and left alone.”
Amy Labadie
Labadie, a former gymnast, was abused at MSU Sports Medicine where she was being treated for back pain. She saw an article about Nassar in September 2016 and realized that she, too, was a victim.
“Come hell or high water, we will find a way to take every last one of you down that could have stopped this monster. It’s hard to see into the future and not think this will affect me forever.” [Source]
Danielle Moore
Moore was a teenager when Nassar began molesting her—something that continued for years. His actions triggered a cascade of problems—self harm, abusive partners, suicidal thoughts—because what Nassar did made her feel “worthless.”
“All aspects of my young life was torn apart. I will never be whole again…I still feel unworthy of a pain-free life. The past year and few months have been the most difficult and trying time of my life. Because of this, I had to resign from my job. As I fell deeper into depression, I no longer wanted to live…You abused your power, authority and stature to prey on others who were already in pain, helpless and without a voice. I hope that your self-pity is as dark and more terrifying than my feeling of hopelessness.”
Melissa Imrie
In 1997, Imrie was just 12 years old; a broken tailbone led her to seek care from Nassar. As with some of the other women, her mother was in the room when Nassar abused her. Imrie has battled depression, but she’s hoping the trial will help her move on—she even said she forgives Nassar because she “doesn’t want to carry this around my whole life,” Michigan Public Radio reported.
“Everybody’s story that I listened today is just an echo of everything that I’ve went through. They’re just speaking like it’s my voice,” Imrie testified, adding that she wants young women, young athletes, “to be safe from sexual predators, from this kind of abuse.” [Source]
Jennifer Hayes
It has been 17 years since Hayes was abused by Nassar after seeing him for a hip and ankle injury. She testified that she still has nightmares—but is finally finding peace.
“I am still so angry at you. You had no right to lie to me, to use my body. To this day … intimate relationships are difficult. I have feelings of guilt, that I’m a disappointment. I have invisible wounds that have forever changed my life. I am changing that today. You stole my confidence and self-worth, but I am regaining it. You will not break my core and you no longer have power over me. As a mother of one—soon to be two—daughters, I have now had to redefine what it means to keep them safe. You will never again hurt me or another girl ever. I will find peace. The other survivors, my family and friends are helping me with that.”
Chelsea Williams
Williams was first named Victim 118, but in testimony, she refused to by anonymous, saying, “My name is Chelsea Williams…and I’m a survivor.”
“It was difficult enough to process I was abused by a predator. But knowing that others enabled it—that is perhaps more difficult to swallow. There will never be a time when I’m not recovering. There will never be a time when I can leave this in the past. What if you had only ever performed this horrifying procedure on one single girl? Would it matter? Would you get away with it? I believe that’s what you were hoping—that each girl would be just one isolated voice impossible to hear. But I believe we all matter.” [Source
Bethany Bauman
Bauman, 31, broke down in tears while addressing Nassar in court almost 20 years after an assault that still keeps her up at night.
“I even avoid talking about it with those close to me because I get closed off and irritable. The flashbacks of the hours spent alone in that exam room with him have at times kept me up at night. My memories are vivid and it’s hard to get the images out of my head. I remember how much it hurt but didn’t want to speak up. Because I was afraid of what you would think of me, I had to be strong. When I told my mom that it hurt, she thought I was referring to the pain in my back—not the pain in my vagina from the excruciating hour of assault that just took place. I am 100 percent confident that if he had not been caught he would continue to do this for the rest of his life.”
Katelynne Hall
Former gymnast Hall had been a patient of Nassar’s since she was eight years old. Instead of continuing treatments with Nassar, she quit gymnastics at 16. Hall was in the courtroom but a victim’s advocate read her statement.
Hall says she had no idea that “penetration was not a valid treatment.” Thanks to Nassar, “I lost the one thing I truly love and excelled at, gymnastics.” According to WLNS, her statement also included the question, “What if someone would have taken the abuse seriously?”
Kate Mahon
Mahon was 15 when she was first abused by Nassar, although she didn’t realize at the time.
“When I first read about Larry Nassar I could not believe it. I thought the women that reported the sexual assault must be mistaken. Even though I did not know this at the time, I had also gone through the same abuse, beginning when I was 15 years old. I was grieving that a person I respected and cared for had betrayed my trust. Larry Nassar is a master manipulator. His conniving and calculating behavior not only tricked me, but he tricked my mom, who was present for all my appointments as a minor. After discovering the assault had taken place, my family and I were distraught with grief. My mom blamed herself and felt she should have asked more questions and been more guarded and skeptical about procedures. The thought of my mom hurting and blaming herself was heartbreaking for me because never once did I think it was her fault.” [Source]]
Madeleine Jones
Jones, 18, originally asked to be anonymous but changed her mind at the sentencing. A gymnast for 13 years, she says Nassar’s abuse started when she was 11.
“Before every appointment, I cried in the bathroom. And after every appointment, I couldn’t wait to get home to shower because I always left his office feeling so dirty. Yet no amount of showers made me feel clean at all. You talked about Catholicism with my mother while sexually violating me. You clearly never took that to heart. You saw me, a little child of God, as an object you could use to make yourself feel more powerful. You took away my power, my self-worth, my emotional development, my happiness and my innocence. I was 11 years old, Larry. I was just beginning to development my sense of self. And you took away what little substance I had for myself. Because of you, I’ve tried to commit suicide. During the suicide attempts, I’d walk down my hallway to my bedroom, accepted I was going to die. And I felt this overwhelming sense of relief because I finally didn’t have to live thinking that my life didn’t mean anything. Now I understand that I lived because I’m meant to live. I’m meant to be happy, and I need to be alive to put abusers like you in jail.”
Trinea Gonczar
Gonczar says that Nassar gave her an intravaginal massage for a gymnastics injury in 1990 or 1991, when she was just 10 or 11, perhaps making her the former doctor’s earliest known victim. She estimates having received about 800 “treatments”.
Until very recently, Gonczar was still defending Nassar, believing her treatments to be legitimate. This week she testified, “I choose them [other survivors], Larry. I choose to protect them. I choose to look you in the face and tell you that you hurt us…I don’t know who you are now. Maybe I never knew. Maybe none of us did…It’s time for me to stand up for these little girls and not stand behind you anymore. Goodbye Larry. May god bless your dark broken soul.”
Lindsay Woolever
As a young gymnast suffering from back pain at 14, Woolever’s parents took her to see Nassar where she says he assaulted her with her father in the room. She stopped treatment and gave up gymnastics at 18.
“It sickens me that so many people have allowed you to abuse children for so many years,” she said to Nassar in court. “I thank you for admitting your wrong-doing, so that I can start to process truly what happened to me.”
Ashley Yost
Yost held her mother’s hand while she testified. She admitted that she still occasionally crawls into her parents’ bed at night.
“Your honor, I’ve started and restarted this impact statement multiple times. That’s because I never really knew where to begin. I also feel that Larry Nassar doesn’t deserve to know how I’ve been impacted; he doesn’t deserve to know anything about my life anymore. But this letter isn’t for him. This letter is for you, Judge Aqualina. It’s to show the gravity of his actions, and who I am now because of them. This is why I chose to be here today and read this letter in front of everyone … When I was 16, I job-shadowed him in high school. He was the reason I was so interested in the medical field, and specializing in sports medicine. He was the reason I wanted to help gymnasts in the future. When I was still thinking of becoming a doctor, I thought it would be the most amazing thing in the world to have him as a mentor. Now I know how wrong all of his intentions were … I also look back seeing how unnecessary his actions were; there were times where he would go through his routine, but without penetration, and I would still feel better. It only clicked with me after the news reports how he never should have had to use penetration in the first place if I was able to feel better without it. It also makes sense how he used distraction to never really let me think about what he was doing. He would hold a conversation with me for the entirety of the visit so that I would have something to focus on. He used his personal life and his family to make it seem as if he actually cared and would ask about mine as well…I still struggle with anxiety and depression, and although I have yet to completely accept all the events of this past year, I do have moments where reality hits me. And it hits hard. I feel like I can’t breathe, I can’t think straight, and everything feels upside down. And this is something my family has to deal with. They have to watch me have these breakdowns, and I know it hurts them, because there’s nothing they can really do to help. I have to work through it on my own. My brain has to process the magnitude of the situation.” [Source]
Amanda Barterian
Nasser started abusing Barterian when she was 11 years old, according to Daily Mail.
“I am here to gain closure and express the things which I think are necessary for me to move forward with my life and to continue healing. While it has not been easy to find the strength to be where I am today, I am here as a survivor. I am no longer a victim. I have wasted so much time trying to put into words the effect Larry Nassar has had on me and to put into words the damage he has done to me and how negatively he has affected my life. However I am here today because I refuse to let Larry Nassar take any more from me…Dr. Nassar used his position and his authority to take advantage of me and so many young and innocent children. Being physically violated and robbed of my innocence and my childhood does not even begin to describe the emotional damage and the lifelong challenges me and so many girls will face as a result. As a child, I may not have had the courage or even the understanding to know exactly the depth or severity of his actions. But I am no longer a child and further I have never been more disgusted or disappointed by any human being. Although ultimately it is not up to me to judge the actions of others I can finally rest knowing I have done my part to make sure Larry Nassar will never have the chance to hurt another child. I will find comfort knowing he will finally be forced to take accountability for what he has done and will suffer the consequences for his actions in this lifetime and beyond.” [Source]
Taylor Cole
Cole was 16 when she first sought treatment from Nasser for back pain from volleyball, according to Sports Illustrated. She waited three months for an appointment and, after her initial adjustment, was sent to the hospital because she couldn’t move below the waist. Nasser called her mother personally to let her know that this had never happened before; he recommended bringing Cole back for another appointment so he could fix what was wrong. She ended up being his patient for five years, enduring appointments that were over an hour long. In one instance her brother attended a treatment and Nassar asked, ‘Are you here to beat me up?’ Knowing what she does now, Cole says she wish her brother had.
“The last treatment I had with Larry, he mounted the table and penetrated my vagina, grunting and making inappropriate comments. Deep down in my gut, I knew something was wrong.” [Source]
Jeanette Antolin
Jeanette is a former artistic gymnast who was a member of the U.S. national team from 1995-2000.
“Little did I know that behind his good guy façade, there was a monster preying on innocent victims such as myself. He robbed a good portion of my gymnastics experience but not just from me, from countless women…[To Nasser:] As you sit behind bars, I pray that you are tormented by the very memory of the words spoken to you by all us brave women standing here today.” [Source]
Gwen Anderson
Anderson was in tears as she testified, according to She was accompanied by her former coach, who shouted at Nasser, “Look at her! Anderson is now a middle school teacher.
“I still remember the feeling of his hand. I still remember flinching from his touch and I still remember him saying, ‘It’s OK, I know you’re not used to being touched that way but you’ll feel better…Every single day I am reminded how young and defenseless we were when Larry Nassar assaulted us. We were just kids.” [Source]
Brooke Hylec
Brooke Hylec testified with her parents by her side. Because one of her legs is shorter than the other, she suffers from back pain. She opened her testimony with a quote: “A woman with a voice, is by definition a strong woman.” Hylec identifies not as a victim, but as a survivor.
Breanne Rata
Rata, a dancer, saw Nassar for treatment when she was 17 years old. “You were my last hope to finding a solution to my disabling problem,” she said in her impact statement. While Rata says the treatment alleviated her pain, Nassar touched her inappropriately.
“My emotional and physical strength were drained…You told me what you would do, but you went beyond that…My only relief is knowing that my picture is no longer on your wall at your Michigan State office.” Source Source
Jessica Chedler Rodriguez
Chedler Rodriguez said she went to Nassar for back pain treatment while competing as a gymnast, and was one of his victims in 1997. She addressed the court through video.
“Larry, not only did you steal my innocence and rob all these other women of their innocent childhood, but you have destroyed the joy, the trust and the freedom we should all be enjoying as mothers of young children … I can no longer leave my 5-year-old daughter to play at a friend’s house, leave her alone with her coaches or with a babysitter without experiencing constant anxiety and stress wondering if I can trust the adults she’s with.”
Victim 142
A statement read on Victim 142’s behalf said she went to Nassar to help with pain as a last resort, and that she’s still in pain today.
“I truly believed that you wanted to help me,” her statement read. “What seems the most unfair is I am the one left to pick up the pieces…I wasted my time for years going to appointments at your office. I picked myself up, the physical pain I experienced, and I can do it for this.” Source
Victim 162
A statement read on Victim 162’s behalf said she mentioned previous emotional abuse by a female coach who was in the room with Victim 162 and Nassar when he penetrated her. She alleges Nassar asked her male coach who was in the room prior to the examination to leave.
“I remember holding my breath, paralyzed,” her statement read. “USAG, and Larry Nassar, I am tough enough. It is you who are weak.” Source
Olivia Cowan
Growing up in Michigan, Cowan excelled at gymnastics and ultimately developed a lower back injury that led her to Michigan State University, where Nassar was practicing at the time. She says he abused her at age 13. She’s now a mother of two daughters.
“I can still remember the feeling of disbelief last October when I realized that what I had thought was medical treatment over 10 years [was abuse.] This case has taken all of me. Every ounce of my being to press forward. I cannot sleep because of what you have done. I have experienced flashback nightmares of the abuse. Those that truly know me know that I will never be the same. My heart is aching from not being able to trust anybody. I have become withdrawn from my own life. My peace of mind is forever taken away. I went from once trusting full-heartedly to not being able to trust at all. You can’t trust a world-renowned doctor, who in the world can you trust?”
Alexis Alvarado
Alvarado is part of a group of women suing Nassar, MSU and/or USA Gymnastics. She has said Nasser sexually abused her for six years starting when she was 12. She also said she thinks the trauma inflicted on her has been muted because she’s not a famous athlete.
“A lot of people seem to believe it’s only Olympians that this [abuse] happened to, which isn’t true.”
Morgan McCaul
McCaul, a dancer, said Nassar began to abuse her after visiting his office at Michigan State University to get treated for pain when she was 12. The abuse went on for three years.
“I remember when the Penn State scandal was talked about at length for months and months and even years. This is nearly five times the size and no one knows about it […] I think it plays into the importance that we put on male athletics versus female athletics. This is a case of gymnasts and dancers and figure skaters, not football players or basketball players. I think it’s sexism, to be honest. There’s no other explanation for why this many women have come forward and it’s not big news.”
Jessica Smith
Smith, a dancer, said Nassar abused her for a few months when she was 17 and now experiences debilitating migraines because of the trauma she faced.
“Since being victimized, I suffer from a rare form of extreme migraines that no neurologist has been able to fully understand or diagnose,” Smith said in court. “ … These migraines begin with half of my body going numb, including my tongue, causing me to be unable to speak. I also lose basic functioning skills such as fine motor and even gross motor. The effects of my migraines can cause me to be confused and unable to think straight for up to days after the initial searing headaches. This in addition to my anxiety and inability to sleep leaves me in an unhealthy state both physically and emotionally.”
Krista Wakeman
Wakeman said she was abused by Nasser when she was 16—with her boyfriend in the room—and didn’t realize what was happening. According to a reporter in the courtroom, Wakeman said she’s now speaking up for her 6-month-old daughter.
“I feel like I had to do this for her. To teach her that this is not OK. That nothing about this is OK.” She also addressed Nasser, saying: “You are a sick man, Larry. I hope you rot in prison because that’s where you belong.”
Marta Stern
Stern says Nasser molested her when she was a child gymnast, and spoke about the acts she endured, including how he “digitally penetrated” her until she was so “sore and raw” that she had to lean the seat back during the drive home.
“This has affected my ability to build and maintain relationships.” @wlns
Charla Burill
A statement was read on Burill’s behalf.
“From the day I heard you denied it, I began to question my own memories,” she said of Nassar. “Now I don’t know: Did you molest me, or was it treatment? […] I cannot confidently say what you did was wrong and move on […] A person should not walk around wondering if she was molested or not. But because of you, I do.”
Taylor Livingston
Livingston, a gymnast, gave a powerful testimony that included details on how her terminally-ill father was in the room while Nassar abused her, presumably unaware. Her father ultimately passed away without knowing the truth.
“He would have died with so much guilt,” she said. “Life is a chore. Life is a constant fight. I don’t trust anyone, and I am never comfortable. I keep my feelings to myself because for so long I felt I had to.” She believes the abuse damaged the relationship she had with her dad, and she is mad. “I am mad for my dad. I am mad that this monster took advantage of my dad’s trust.”
“I believe you are past the point of forgiveness. When you die, you are going to hell.” Livingston said. Source
Clasina Syrovy
Syrovy, a former club gymnast, says she was “treated” by Nassar at a Michigan State University facility for back pain and said the school did nothing to stop his crimes. In court, she called on MSU’s president, Lou Anna Simon, to resign.
“I remember [Nassar] telling me he was my advocate,” she said, before describing the abuse that made her cry because, she said, it hurt so much. “With my mom in the room, he would perform these treatments […] I thought nothing of it. I was being seen by the best. I trusted him, and I trusted the treatment. I now question the intent of the comments he made. His words haunt me. Was he referring to my back? Or to my vagina?” Source
Whitney Burns
Burns said she met Nassar when she was a dancer in high school, and went to Nassar for injuries from a car crash and was told he was a miracle worker.
“You not only sexually abused me, but emotionally abused me, for 15 years. I have questioned myself and second-guessed myself … Nothing goes away until it teaches us what we need to know. The power Larry Nassar held was given to him. We are here to take it away. You stole my life, Larry Nassar, and I am now taking it back.” Source Source
Anna Dayton
Dayton said Nassar was her hope to overcome gymnastics injuries, and that for ten years he” seemed to have all the answers to my problems.”
“When I look at you now, I still see this person…You were supposed to be the good guy, but instead you used your power, authority, to take advantage of me.” Dayton left sports because of Nassar, but finds strength in the community of women coming forward. “I am here to tell you that I am on the path of overcoming your manipulation…I want our voices to be heard, and positive changes to be made.” Source
Jessica Howard
A statement read on Howard’s behalf at sentencing read: “My beloved mother blames herself or not being there.” Howard’s statement said that because of the abuse, “my family has had to watch me deteriorate” and that she’s considered suicide. She blamed MSU, USAG, and the Olympics committee for failing her and all of the victims. “You have not won. I now know that we are strong.” Source
Alexandra Romano
Romano’s mother and sister delivered her impact statement to the court.
“To the soon to be forgotten Larry Nassar…I just want you to know, Larry. I trusted you, and I looked up to you as my doctor. […] “You used my innocent adolescent body, meanwhile I thought you were healing me […] The pain is just beginning for you.” Source Source
Selena Brennan
Brennan said she was 11 when she first saw Nassar, who abused her under the guise of treatment. Brennan said Nassar made her wear “special medicine shorts,” and that she last saw him at the end of August. Brennan said she’s pursuing a career in sports medicine and that there isn’t a punishment grave enough for the pain he’s caused.
“I plan on taking your job, Larry,” Brennan said. And making sure that no patient of mine ever feels the way I do.” Source
Abigail and Amanda Mealy
Sisters Abigail and Amanda say they were both abused by Nassar and appeared in court together; Abigail spoke. Abigail was a gymnast at Twistars from 3 to 15, and after receiving treatments for her back, recalls never getting a diagnosis, but abuse by Nassar escalating as she advanced in the sport.
“When this nightmare all began, I never thought I’d be able to face you again,” Abigail said.
“It’s like you had this elaborate system set up for us girls,” she continued. “It’s like being moved through these levels of your sick world.” As her appointments started moving to being in Nassar’s basement, she said she knew something was wrong. She said she can see past Nassar’s brainwashing through all of the “bravery of the women who have refused to be silenced.” She added: “You did not ruin our lives, you have stolen a chapter out of our stories, and we will never get that back.” Source
Olivia Venuto
Venuto first met Nassar at age 12, WILX reported, and was in his care for seven years. Her mother or father was in the room during the abuse. She learned of MSU’s victim’s relief fund through a mass email, according to the Athletic Detroit.
“After everything we’ve been through, the University continues to let us down,” she said in a statement read for her. “Larry Nassar is a coward.”
Natalie Woodland
Woodland says she was abused starting at age 10, and was treated by Nassar at MSU both before and after the 2014 investigation. She notes that [after the investigation], “No new protocols were followed, and I was abused again.”
“He used me as a toy for his own pleasure. […] He has ruined the way I see the world.” Source
Jillian Swinehart
Swinehart’s mother, Anne, appeared at the sentencing hearing to read Jillian’s statement. Jillian said she was abused by Nassar both at MSU and in his home from the time she was eight.
“I thought you were a good person. I thought I could trust you, but I was wrong […] I am a victim of your trap, and manipulation, but it is not going to stop me.” Source
Isabell Hutchins
Hitchins met Nassar at age 10 at Twistars, a club that offers gymnastics coaching. She says for a month she practiced and competed on a broken leg because Nassar insisted it was fine.
“My time at Twistars was the worst time of my life. It was the darkest time of my life, I was depressed, and it got to a point where I would physically harm myself.” Source
Marion Siebert
Siebert testified about her abuse at the hands of Nassar as part of the court’s impact testimony, specifically highlighting the price victims pay in coming forward.
“Every time someone Googles [Nassar’s victims], for the rest of their lives, they will see the sickening things we’re talking about here today,” she said. “When they apply for a job, when they go on a first date, they won’t be able to be the ones to fully make the choice on when to talk about what happened. This terrible part of their past is exposed to all.” Source
Makayla Thrush
As a gymnast at Gedderts Twistars from the ages of 7 to 17, Thrush began seeing Nassar at a young age. She testified about her abuse at the hands of Nassar—and Geddert—as part of the court’s impact testimony. Thrush said Geddert told her to kill herself multiple times.
“You told me to kill myself, not just once, but many other times, and unfortunately I let you got the best of me.” She said after her career ended, she did attempt suicide. “I’m sure stuff like this is still going on behind closed doors, you should not be allowed around children.” Source
Megan Halicek
Halicek says she was sexually abused at the age of 15 in Nassar’s office. At the time, she was training for Level 10 gymnastics and suffered from a fractured spine. As she tells it, she thought her gymnastics career was falling apart until she met Nasser who she thought was “an absolute God.”
He was the only one that could help me. He was absurdly nice and did everything he could to make me feel comfortable when he saw me. Most of all, he gave me hope. Here I was, a scared little girl in excruciating back pain. This grown man confidently offered me salvation, healing freedom.”
“But he turned out to be a monster,” she said. “He was an unwarranted intruder to my most private, never-been-touched places. Again, and again, and again he abused me all while telling me tales of his Olympic journey. […] My innocence was ruthlessly taken away from me, never to be returned. The most confusing part was that my mother was in the room when this happened. This sickens and continues to baffle me until this day.”
Ashley Erickson
Erickson, a former gymnast who was treated by Nassar from 1999 to 2016, testified against him with her two brothers by her side.
“I have a question for you: Why? Why did you feel that you could do this to us and not only get away with it, but also that you were allowed to? You were the adult. You were the…I want the nightmares of you coming into my room to go away […] I want to be the same Ashley to my family that they once knew.” According to reports from KWBE, Erickson also said in her testimony, “It has been hell. I put my family and friends through hell. I have no trust for anyone, because you took that away from me.”
Alliree Gingerich
Gingerich, who says the ramifications of the sexual abuse she endured has tarnished her relationship with her parents, testified via a statement that was read on her behalf, reports WILX.
“I used to see the good in everyone, now I see the worst, even if it’s not there,” she said. “I live in a state of constant fear […] I am just one of the many lives that’s ruined.”
Megan Farnsworth
Farnsworth, who testified via a statement read on her behalf, was initially ambivalent toward the accusations against Nassar.
“I was of many who at first didn’t believe the allegations,” she said, according to reports from WILX. “It is hard not to say to myself, How did I not see it?” Now, she says, she recognizes the weight of the crimes committed against her. “He took away my choice over my own body […] He took something from me that I will never gain.”
Kourtney Weidner
Weidner, who is still healing from the abuse she endured when she was younger, is now happily married. She, too, struggled to believe what she had witnessed at the hands of Nassar.
“He knows what he is doing, and he is the Olympic doctor,” she thought. “We came to you for healing, and trusted you to do so.” Source
Erin McCann
McCann, who once dreamed of becoming a “Big Ten” athlete, says she no longer even feels like exercising. She testified against Nassar via a statement read on her behalf.
“It is so very difficult to put the trauma and suffering of this assault into words,” she said. “I relive the pain and trauma every time I shower, use the bathroom, or undress.”
Reports Buzzfeed: “I was told over and over again how honored I should feel for seeing Dr. Nassar. It was no honor. It was disgust. It took more than it should have from me.”
Victim 2
Choosing not to reveal her name, this woman—who said she “endured several sessions…of endless digital penetration”—testified to the abuse via a letter submitted on her behalf, according to CBS News.
“I felt dirty and helpless…so very lost and very sad. I had to relive all of [Nassar’s] treatments and remember how he touched me and how he penetrated me without gloves…and how it affected me,” CBS News reports she said. “In the last year I have had to put a brave face on for my children. I’ve had to forgive my parents for not being involved. I’ve had to explain to my husband why intimacy has been an issue for me. […] He treated me like an animal, a piece of meat.”
Catherine Hannum
A rower for MSU, Hannum reportedly starting seeing Nassar after he came highly recommended. A statement was read on her behalf.
“You were abrasive and careless,” she wrote, adding that she wishes she’d been confident enough to stand up for herself. She also testified Nassar would walk around the room with an erection.
Valerie Webb
Webb reportedly said she began seeing Nassar when she was 10 years old and suffered a back injury as a gymnast.
“As I typed this, I was at a loss for words because my body was so enraged with anger and anxiety. My fingers and my body shake thinking about the countless times that I was molested by you.” [Source]
Whitney Mergens
Mergens was a full-time competitive gymnast, and said she was 11 when Nassar first abused her, according to WILX.
“My 11-year-old innocent mind was oblivious to what happened,” she said, adding that the memories came back to her when her mother saw what happened on the news, and asked her directly. She said she hid the truth from her parents for some time. “I was not fine, not even close. I needed to tell them.”
Marta Stern
Stern initially wished to remain anonymous, reports WILX, but changed her mind before she testified.
“As a child, I always felt weird about your treatments. As a medical professional, I am sickened by your abuse of power for your own personal gain.”
Kamerin Moore
In her court testimony, according to WILX, Moore says she first saw Nassar for an injury at age 10. She said her father passed away when she was 12, and Nassar was the only adult male she trusted.
“You molested a little girl who had just lost her father. Was my suffering making it that much more pleasurable for you? […] I could go on for days about the ways you changed me. But that would be a waste of time, wouldn’t it? Because you don’t care. […] You will never mean anything to anyone for the rest of your entire life.”
Nicole Soos
Soos addressed the court with her husband next to her, according to KWBE, recalling the first time he’d assaulted her. “I lay there in pain, unable to speak,” she said, “staring at the wall.”
“I thought he was a famous doctor. There was no way he would do anything inappropriately in front of my mom. I was wrong.”
Lindsey Schuett
*Schuett sent in a video testimony to the court, according to KWBE, saying that she was 16 when Nassar molested her: “I felt like I was trapped in some hellish situation that only a movie could dream up.”
Schuett said she told her mother and school counselor, but Nassar convinced them she misunderstood what he described as a valid treatment. She said she was sent back to him despite her objections. She said that when Nassar penetrated her again with an ungloved hand, she screamed as loud as she could to “let everyone know that something was incredibly wrong in that doctor’s office.” After that, she said Nassar didn’t want anything to do with her and sent her to see a female doctor.
Amanda Smith
Smith, who addressed Nassar directly in court, says she once’d considered him to be “a god.”
Smith said she was nine years old when she first met Nassar at the Twistars Gymnastics Club in Dimondale, Michigan. “He hugged me. He comforted me,” she said. “He was our safe haven.” Later, at 14, after leaving gymnastics and picking up pole vaulting, the back injury returned. She says she sought out Nassar for treatment. “‘I’m not a gymnast anymore, but, God I hope he remembers me,'” she recalls thinking. “He was my hero. I wanted to be just like him.”
Smith said Nassar proceeded to press himself up against her during their exam. “It was a disappointment that he violated me. He told my mom that this procedure would relieve pressure around my tailbone…I had my eyes squeezed so tight that they hurt, all while I thought, ‘It may hurt now, but he’s a doctor, a god, he knows what he’s doing. Just suck it up.” She then addressed Larry directly in court: “I want you to know that this ‘medical procedure,’ it did not help,” she said. “I told my mom that it did just so that I didn’t have to come back.”
Jordyn Wieber
A former Olympic gold medalist (and member of the famed Fierce Five at the 2012 London games), Wieber said she suffered abuse at the hands of Nassar for ten years, according to the Lansing State Journal.
“I was treated by Larry for any and all of my injuries from ages 8 till I was 18, and it wasn’t long before he had gained my trust. He became a safe person of sorts, and to my teenage self, he appeared to be the good guy in an environment that was intense and restricting. He would try to advise me on how to deal with the stresses of training or my coaches. He would bring us food and coffee at the Olympics when we were too afraid to eat too much in front of our coaches. I didn’t know that these were all grooming techniques that he used to manipulate me and brainwash me into trusting him.
“After I made the Olympic team, I suffered a stress fracture in my right shin, it was extremely painful to tumble and land using my legs but I fought through the pain because it was the Olympics and I knew it would probably be my only shot. Our bodies were all hanging by a thread when we were in London. And who was the doctor that USAG sent to keep us healthy and help us get through? The doctor that was our abuser. The doctor that is a child molester.
“Now I question everything about that injury and the medical treatment I received. Was Larry even doing anything to help my pain? Was I getting the proper medical care, or was he only focused on which one of us he was going to prey on next? What was he thinking about as he massaged my sore muscles every day. Now I question everything.” [Source]
Jamie Dantzscher
Dantzscher was a member of the bronze-medal-winning American team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. In February 2017 she joined fellow gymnasts Jeanette Antolin and Jessica Howard on 60 Minutes to discuss the abuse she experienced both with Nassar and disgraced Hungarian coach Béla Károlyi.
“Who do they believe now, Larry? I remember your obnoxious laugh, and how loud it was and then you would slurp the drool off your lip,” she is reported as saying. “I don’t see you laughing now.” She was also quoted by The Chicago Tribune as saying: “How dare you ask any of us for forgiveness? Your days of manipulation are over… We have a voice. We have the power now.”
Arianna Guerrero
Michigan high school student Guerrero, who delivered her testimony in person, was referred to Nassar after experiencing back pain.
“You seem to have a hard time looking at me now, but you didn’t when I was half naked on your table.”
Melody Posthuma Vanderveen
Posthuma Vanderveen, who was first abused by Nassar when she was 13 years old, delivered her testimony in person.
“I’m still suffering every day and will continue to do so. And I ask each one of you—and everyone this reaches—that you will help cultivate environments where women don’t have to live in fear,” she said. “I wholeheartedly believe that [our healing] begins with giving you a life sentence today.”
Christine Harrison
Harrison, 23, a senior at Michigan state, was a patient of Nassar’s for six years. During that period, she says, she lost weight and developed stomach issues.
“My family always used the saying, The lord helps those who help themselves,” she said in court. “But you had the opportunity for years to seek help. You knew what you were doing was wrong, but it wasn’t until you got caught that you started to ask for forgiveness.”
Katie Rasmussen
The gymnast said she visited Nassar for treatment for a hamstring injury.
“No one did anything because no one believed me. They didn’t understand how such a respectable doctor would do something like that. And I don’t understand how a 14-year-old could make that up.”
Maggie Nichols
Nichols released a statement regarding the abuse she experienced at the hands of Nassar at the Olympic Training Center at the Karolyi Ranch. “Up until now, I was identified as Athlete A by USA gymnastics, the US Olympic Committee and Michigan State University, “ she said. “I want everyone to know that he did not do this to Athlete A, he did it to Maggie Nichols.”
From her statement: “When I was 15 I started to have back problems while at a National Team Camp at the Karolyi Ranch. This is when the changes in his medical treatments occurred. My back was really hurting me, I couldn’t even really bend down, and I remember he took me into the training room, closed the door and closed the blinds. At the time I thought this was kind of weird, but figured it must be okay. I thought he probably didn’t want to distract the other girls, and I trusted him. I trusted what he was doing at first, but then he started touching me in places I really didn’t think he should. He didn’t have gloves on, and he didn’t tell me what he was doing. There was no one else in the room, and I accepted what he was doing because I was told by adults that he was the best doctor and he could help relieve my pain. He did this ‘treatment’ on me, on numerous occasions. Not only was Larry Nassar my doctor, I thought he was my friend. He contacted me on Facebook complimenting me and telling me how beautiful I looked on numerous occasions. I was only 15. I just thought he was trying to be nice to me.”
Jeanette Antolin
Antolin was a member of the U.S. national team from 1995 to 2000, during which time she was repeatedly assaulted by Nassar. Under the guise of medical treatment, Nassar inserted his ungloved hand into Antolin’s vagina, sometimes twice a day, she said.
“You made me believe that you were my friend. You deceived me, you manipulated me, and you abused me. I truly believe that you are a spawn of Satan,” she was quoted as saying. “As you sit behind bars, I pray that you are tormented by the very words said to you by all these brave women.”
Jaime Doski
Doski was 12 years old when Nassar assaulted her. She believes the abuse occurred on 10 separate occasions.
“I still can’t think about it without crying. We were just kids. We were just kids,” she said. “He knew exactly how to take advantage of us, and [he] did it every time. I was lied to. I was made to believe he was on my side.”
Jenelle Moul
Moul, who testified in person, says Nassar was the second individual to assault her during her time as a gymnast.
“I thought you fixed me, but you broke me.”
Kayla Spicher
Spicher, who appeared in court alongside her mom, says she decided to come forward with her story because prefers to be seen as a survivor instead of a victim.
“You have taken enough of my time, too many of my tears and taken over too many of my conversations. It ends today,” she said. Today is the last day you will be talked about from me.”
Jennifer Hayes
Hayes, a former figure skater, met Nassar at Michigan State University. She spoke extensively about the nature of the physical abuse she endured and the lack of documentation surrounding the “treatments.”
“As a mother of one—soon to be two—daughters, I have found myself redefining what it means to be safe,” she is reported as saying.
Carrie Hogan
Hogan, a former Michigan State University softball player, originally wanted to submit her testimony anonymously. When she appeared in court to give her victim-impact statement in person, she urged the jury to give Nassar a maximum sentence.
“I trusted this man, I trusted that he had every intention to heal me, and give me some relief to the excruciating pain I was experiencing,” she said. I had no idea that I was being molested. He was so incredibly kind and friendly to me. He really made me feel like he cared about my well-being, when all he really cared about was using me to fulfill his own sick desires,” she said. “For now I can be at peace knowing that you will never hurt another little girl as long as you live.”
Helena Weick
Weick, 18, saw Nasser for back pain when she was 12, during which he commented on her body. She quit gymnastics after her appointment.
“What kind of person has the audacity to assault a child in front of their mother?” she said in court. “The kind of person who deserves life in prison. […] This is not my shame anymore, it’s yours.”
Amanda McGeachie
A member of the Michigan State University Rowing Team from 2008 to 2012, McGeachie says Nassar told her she was “too small down there” and could never have children, an idea that weighed heavily on her until another doctor reassured her this year. She says she has been effectively outed as one of Nassar’s victims by the MSU investigators. McGeachie’s statement was read on her behalf:
“She was a member of the Michigan State University Rowing Team from 2008 to 2012. She says that there is an MSU investigator calling her teammates and asking about her past injuries and treatments, ‘I have been outed.’ She says Nassar preyed upon the vulnerable, and desperate. ‘You took advantage of our determination.’ She believes MSU has failed her, and the other victims – and she feels ashamed to have ever represented MSU. She says two of her friends told sports medicine psychiatrists about what happened to them, and still, nothing was done. ‘I am now 27 years old and I have been scared to have children,’ because Nassar told her she should never have children natural as she was ‘too small down there.’ It was this year that she finally asked her doctor if it would be a problem – her doctor informed her that, no, it wouldn’t be a problem. We are strong, and you are nothing. We are powerful, and you are powerless. We will destroy you, like you tried to destroy us.”
Emily Meinke
After a back injury suffered at age 12, Meinke began to see Nassar at Ohio’s Great Lakes Gymnastics Club—and later Twistars, Nassar’s home, and MSU. Her father, a physician, donated the exam table that Nassar later abused her on.
“It wasn’t until I reached my thirties that I was able to stand up for myself,” she said in court, adding that the abuse lead her on a path of abusive relationships, disordered eating, and anxiety. “I still feel stupid for not immediately recognizing that what he was doing was wrong.” She also said “It is only now that I am strong enough to share my story without fear of judgement …this is a revolution, and it’s about time we hold the power.”
Emily Morales
Morales grew up doing gymnastics, eventually seeing Nassar for back pain. She decided to come forward publicly after watching the first three days of Nassar’s trial.
“My innocent naive self, had no idea that what he was doing was not medical care. It was sexual abuse.” Before the trial she said she was in denial about what happened to her, and says she still struggles with depression and anxiety. Morales said she avoided the news for as long as possible, but when she finally confronted it and watched the first 3 days of the trial she realized she wasn’t alone.
“He took away my innocence, and that is something I will never be able to get back. […] Thanks to the court, I will never be victimized by him again.
Amanda Cormier
Cormier, a soccer player, said Nassar was recommended to her by his wife, and sexually assaulted her when she was 15 years old. She was told by the doctor that she had a severe spinal fracture, though other physicians didn’t agree. She now believes Nassar’s diasnosis was a way for him to keep her as a patient.
“I don’t believe you have changed or truly grasped the pain you have caused,” Cormier said.
Victim 178
This statement was read anonymously on the victim’s behalf.
“Larry Nassar, you put me through hell, but you will not kill the light inside of me. I will not give you that power.”
Presley Allison
Initially, Allison did “not want to give another minute of my time” to anything that had to do with Nassar. “What Larry Nassar did to me will forever be part of my past.” She told the court she was abused while her mother was in the room.
Samantha Daniels
Daniels’ mother, Paula, read her statement in the court on her behalf.
“Someone needed to protect us, I ask why no one did.. as a child I didn’t know what was happening to me was wrong.”
A.N.
In a statement read in the courtroom, a victim who reportedly wished to be known only by the initials “A.N.” said that she was a teenager when Nassar abused her.
“You said you could help me … you began touching me ungloved.” According to a reporter in the room, she said during her treatment, Nasser once told her mom, “I might have to claim workers comp for going so hard.”
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