“I Am NOT Your Object of Amusement!”: Simone Biles Publicly Humiliates Emirates After VIP Executive’s Disgusting Advances — Then the Sheikh’s Response Leaves Her Sobbing in Disbelief
In a moment that instantly became the most explosive celebrity-airline scandal of the decade, 11-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles detonated social media late Wednesday night with a furious 3-minute Instagram Live that has already been viewed over 187 million times.
Standing in her Texas home still wearing the elegant black dress from the event, America’s most decorated gymnast held back tears of rage as she recounted what happened just hours earlier at a star-studded Emirates sponsorship gala in Dubai:
“I am not your object of amusement! Emirates, I refuse! I will never fly with you again in my life!” she shouted, voice cracking.
“A senior executive — someone high enough to wear the gold wings — put his hand on my lower back, slid it down, and whispered in my ear that if I was ‘interested in deeper cooperation,’ he could arrange a private jet anytime, anywhere.
When I pulled away, he laughed and said, ‘Come on, everyone wants a photo with the little champion.’”
Within minutes of the livestream ending, #BoycottEmirates was trending worldwide in 47 countries. By sunrise, Emirates shares on the Dubai Financial Market had plunged 3.1% — wiping out nearly $1.4 billion in market value in a single trading session described by analysts as “pure panic selling.”
The Internet Erupted Like Never Before Celebrities lined up to condemn the airline within the hour:
Serena Williams: “Disgusting. We stand with Simone. Emirates, do better or lose ALL of us.” Megan Rapinoe: “Another day, another day another powerful woman treated like meat by men who think money buys dignity.” Sha’Carri Richardson: “Touch Simone again and see what happens.
Try me.” Even Taylor Swift, who almost never comments on controversies, posted a black square with the words “We believe Simone.”
TikTok creators stitched the original video millions of times, with one viral sound (“I am NOT your object of amusement!”) racking up 4.2 billion views in under 36 hours. Travel influencers began canceling partnerships live on camera.
Delta and American Airlines saw booking spikes of 400% and 570% respectively on U.S.–Dubai routes as furious travelers switched carriers in real time.
Emirates’ First Response Only Made It Worse At 6:12 a.m. Dubai time, the airline issued a cold, corporate statement that read in part:
“We take such matters seriously and have launched an internal review. Emirates has a zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate behavior.”
The internet tore it apart. “Zero tolerance except when it’s your own executives?” became the top reply with 1.9 million likes.
Then Came the Statement Nobody Saw Coming At 2:47 p.m.
Dubai time — barely 14 hours after Simone’s video — His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group, released a personal video statement from his office that left the entire world speechless.
Dressed in traditional white kandura, the 66-year-old billionaire royal — a man rarely seen speaking publicly — looked directly addressed the camera:
“Miss Simone Biles, I am speaking to you now as a father, as an Arab, and as the man whose name is on every single Emirates aircraft. What happened to you last night was unforgivable. It was not a mistake.
It was a crime against your dignity and against everything my family has tried to build for fifty years.
The executive in question has been terminated effective immediately. His name, his passport, and his golden visa have been revoked. He will never work in this country again.
But that is not enough. On behalf of every employee who wears this uniform with pride, I offer you my deepest personal apology.
I have instructed my team to reach out to you directly — not with lawyers, not with PR — but with a simple question: what can Emirates do to begin earning back your trust?
And to every woman who has ever felt unsafe on one of our flights or at one of our events: your safety is my personal responsibility. I have failed you last night. I will not fail you again.”
He ended the 92-second video with a sentence in perfect English that made Simone Biles break down crying on her couch in Houston:
“Simone, you are not just a champion of gymnastics. You are a queen. And no one — no one — touches a queen without her permission.”
The Moment Simone Broke Down Minutes after the Sheikh’s video dropped, Simone posted her reaction live. Tears streaming, she could barely speak:
“I did not expect that. I really didn’t. I thought they would deny it or blame me… but he called me a queen. He fired the man. He took responsibility. I’m shaking. I don’t know what to say except… thank you, Your Highness.”
The internet flipped from rage to stunned tears in seconds. #ThankYouSheikhAhmed began trending above #BoycottEmirates by nightfall.
What Happens Next? Emirates has reportedly invited Simone and her husband Jonathan Owens to Dubai — all expenses paid, no media — for a private meeting with Sheikh Ahmed himself.
Sources say the airline is also preparing to announce a multimillion-dollar partnership with the Simone Biles Foundation to combat harassment in sports.
As one thing is certain: in less than 24 hours, Simone Biles didn’t just bring a global airline to its knees — she reminded the world what real accountability looks like when a leader actually leads.
And somewhere high above the clouds tonight, every Emirates plane is flying just a little bit humbler — because a 4-foot-8 queen demanded respect… and the Sheikh himself made sure she got it.
