Sticks and stones may break bones, but words will also hurt Nastia Liukin.
During the Jan. 11 episode of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, the Olympic gymnast decided to step away from the competition show after some co-stars, including Gus Kenworthy, questioned if she received special treatment during a task.
According to Nastia, ignoring the chatter was easier said than done.
“I definitely did let somebody’s words get to me,” she told E! News in an exclusive interview. “I let someone else’s thoughts about me dictate my worth and dictate the internal progress and the breakthroughs and that mental strength that I thought I had found and made to that point.”
Looking back, Nastia wishes she didn’t let any comments from co-stars impact her state of mind.