McKayla Maroney, a US Olympic gold medalist, said in an interview with NBC News that she was molested “hundreds of times” by Larry Nassar, beginning with their first encounter.
“He told me he was going to do a checkup on me, and that was the first day I was abused,” said Maroney, according to People. “[It was] every time I saw him.”
People obtained their quotes from a clip released ahead of the full interview. “He said that nobody would understand this and the sacrifice that it takes to get to the Olympics, so you can’t tell people this,” she said about Nassar.
McKayla Maroney, a member of the Fierce Five with Aly Raisman, said in a statement read for her by a prosecutor that Nassar “left scars on my psyche that may never go away.” pic.twitter.com/HJOTLPyc0l
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) January 25, 2018
People also reported that Maroney began to questions if her career in gymnastics was “really even worth it” because of the assault she faced from Nassar.
Maroney originally signed a nondisclosure agreement saying she would not discuss the allegations, but her attorney filed a lawsuit against USA Gymnastics for hiding her allegations, according to Sports Illustrated.
Nassar has since been sentenced up to 175 years on state charges of sexual assault, 40 to 125 years on three counts of sexual assault, and 60 years on child pornography charges, Sports Illustrated reported.