Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Former Olympic Gymnastics Coach Found Dead Hours After He Was Charged With Human Trafficking

Former Olympic Gymnastics Coach Found Dead Hours After He Was Charged With Human Trafficking
Ben Radford/Corbis via Getty Images

WARNING: The following article contains discussion of suicide/self-harm and abuse

Former USA Gymnastics coach John Geddert was found dead by suicide on Thursday afternoon, less than a day after Michigan prosecutors announced criminal charges of human trafficking and sexual assault against him, Huffington Post reported.


In a Thursday evening statement, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel confirmed Geddert, who was 63 years old, killed himself.

"My office has been notified that the body of John Geddert was found late this afternoon after taking his own life."
"This is a tragic end to a tragic story for everyone involved."

That tragic story began decades ago, in 1992.

Geddert founded the Twistars USA Gymnastics Club in Diamondale, Michigan. He coached hundreds of female teenage gymnasts eager to compete on the world stage at the Olympics.

He went on to coach the gold-medal winning 2012 U.S. women's Olympic team. Geddert was known by many to embody a hot-tempered, strict, often physically abusive coaching style.

But in 2018, Geddert faced a new level of scrutiny following the highly publicized trial of Larry Nassar, the USA Gymnastics team doctor who sexually abused over 500 girls over the course of decades.

During Nassar's trial, which effectively landed him in prison for life, dozens of the doctor's victims read impact statements outlining all Nassar did to them.

Throughout the trial, it became clear Nassar abused many girls in a back room at Twistars gym and Geddert was complicit in a systemic campaign allowing Nassar's physical, sexual and emotional abuse to continue unabated.

Those claims led USA Gymnastics to suspend Geddert. The claims also initiated a separate criminal investigation into allegations Geddert physically abused gymnasts, the Lansing State Journal announced at the time.

That investigation eventually culminated in the 24 charges against Geddert announced less than a day before his suicide.

Those charges included 20 counts of human trafficking of a minor, first-degree criminal sexual assault, second-degree criminal sexual assault involving a minor, and racketeering, the Detroit News reported. Only one charge of lying to an officer directly related to Larry Nassar, however.

The Detroit News went on to report Geddert's body was found at 3:24 pm, about an hour after he was expected to turn himself in to authorities. Following Geddert's death, several of his victims came forward to share their responses to the news.

Survivor Strong, a survivor advocacy group founded by the victims of Larry Nassar, reminded people where this story began.

"While it has been over three years since the first criminal charges were brought against members of USA Gymnastics' staff, many of the survivors still confront the pain of the consequences of their actions daily," the statement reads."
"It is important to understand that today's news neither heals the harm, nor guarantees safety to the people left in the former coach's destructive wake. When people refuse to practice accountability for harm they commit, the community must intervene to prevent further destruction."
"Today's news serves as a reminder that while headlines and documentaries fade from the spotlight, the effects of these abusive and selfish acts will be felt by many for decades to come."

Sarah Klein, who trained under Geddert for 10 years, had this to say, according to Yahoo! Sports:

"John Geddert's escape from justice by committing suicide is traumatizing beyond words. He tortured and abused little girls, myself included, for more than 30 years and was able to cheat justice."
"Geddert was a narcissistic abuser. His suicide is an admission of guilt that the entire world can now see. The bravery of Geddert's many victims will stand for all time in stark contrast to his cowardice. A tragic end to a tragic story for everyone involved."

Another survivor of Nassar's abuse, Grace French, acknowledged how difficult it must be for survivors to lack closure in the face of his sudden death.

"Part of my closure was submitting my victim impact statement and hearing the justice system say 'I believe you' through the act of convicting."
"My heart hurts for those who do not get that opportunity. Know I believe you. You are worthy of justice. Whatever that means to you."

Aly Raisman, who won six gold medals on the USA Gymnastics Olympic team, responded by calling for continued work toward justice.


People across Twitter also offered visceral reactions to the news.



With Geddert now deceased and Nassar behind bars, the last place focus will remain is on USA Gymnastics.

Time will tell if the organization can revive the trust of athletes, families, and fans in the wake of so many unsafe years.

*If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

More from Trending

Carnie Wilson and Brian Wilson
KMazur/WireImage for The Recording Academy/Getty Images

Carnie Wilson Shares Heartbreaking Tribute To Dad Brian Wilson After His Death At 82

Beach Boys founding member Brian Wilson died on Wednesday at the age of 82. Tributes from friends, fellow musicians, and fans referred to him as a musical genius for his songwriting, musical composition style and innovative recording techniques.

He's also patriarch to a musical dynasty, with his daughters, Carnie and Wendy, and granddaughter, Lola, following in his footsteps. Carnie and Wendy Wilson formed Wilson Phillips with their childhood friend Chynna Phillips—whose own parents are Michelle and John Phillips of '60s super group The Mamas And The Papas.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nancy Mace; Simone Biles
Win McNamee/Getty Images; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Netflix

Nancy Mace's Claim That No One Would Know Simone Biles' Name If Men Competed Against Her Gets Epically Fact-Checked

South Carolina MAGA Republican Representative Nancy Mace has been making a name for herself by being the most vulgar and vile anti-trans person in Congress. She's screamed transphobic slurs in official committee meetings and attacked anyone who opposes her bigotry.

Now she's decided to take on the most decorated gymnast in history—in women's and men's gymnastics—Simone Biles, who holds the record for the most Olympic and World Championship medals combined. Biles won 41 medals in just those events, surpassing all other gymnasts.

Keep ReadingShow less
JD Vance
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Vance Tried To Make A Joke About Seeing 'Les Misérables' At The Kennedy Center—And It's Peak Cringe

Vice President JD Vance had people groaning after he made a bad joke about the production of Les Misérables he and his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, attended at the Kennedy Center with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.

The musical, set in 19th century France, tells the story of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who is released from prison for stealing a loaf of bread. The story touches on timeless themes such as justice and mercy—and also happens to be about people resisting an authoritarian takeover, which many find ironic given the Trump administration's response to protests in Los Angeles.

Keep ReadingShow less
bride and groom cutting wedding cake
Wedding Dreamz on Unsplash

People Who Smashed Wedding Cake In Their Spouse's Face Reveal How Their Relationship Is Going Now

According to The Knot wedding resource magazine and website, smashing cake into the face of a spouse after tying the knot is a tradition tied to medieval England. To celebrate the marriage, the bride would toss a piece of piece of cake over her shoulder for good luck.

This evolved into newlyweds feeding a piece of cake to one another, then taking frosting or a small bit of cake and rubbing it gently onto each other's faces—usually the cheek or tip of the nose.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of U.S. Army veteran who criticized Donald Trump
@btnewsroom/TikTok

U.S. Army Vet Goes Viral With Blistering Speech Ripping Trump For Deploying Troops To L.A.

A U.S. Army veteran went viral after she spoke out to encourage other current and former military members to publicly condemn President Donald Trump for using them as "pawns" to suit his own ends after he deployed the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles amid ongoing protests against his administration's immigration raids.

Trump has activated over 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines, despite opposition from city and state leaders. He has painted a bleak picture of Los Angeles—claims that Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom say are wildly exaggerated.

Keep ReadingShow less