Gabby Douglas Oprah Winfrey Interview: Her Gym Denies Bullying, Says Her Claims Are 'Without Merit'

Gabby Douglas came on Oprah Winfrey to share her heartfelt testimony of her journey towards becoming an Olympic gold medalist for the U.S.  She also exposed the painful experiences of being bullied by racism jokes in her ex-gym Excalibur in Virginia.

"I was getting racist jokes. I was being isolated from the group. I'd come home at night and cry my eyes out because 'What did I do to deserve this?''"16-year-old Douglas spilled to Oprah.

One nasty joke she recalled was when one of her teammates told her, "'Can you scrape the bar?' and "well why doesn't Gabby do it? She's our slave".

Excalibur CEO Gustavo responded to the criticism of his gym to E! News saying that "Gabby's remarks were hurtful and without merit".

"We've had more African Americans in elite and on the national team than any other gym in the country (5, 2 of them in Olympic Trials or Olympic Team Camp)".

"Her African American former teammates will answer this serious accusation. (1st statement untruth, she was not the only African American gymnast training in the gym) We are good people. We never were knowingly involved in any type of bullying or racist treatment, like she is accusing Excalibur," Maure said in defense of his gym and gymnasts.

Other people stood against the accusations against the gym including Kim Hedeland, the mother of Gabby's former teammate.  

"I don't claim to know everything that happened in the situation with the gym and and its gymnast who is now an Olympic athlete, but I do know that my daughter loved her like a sister for 7 years," she wrote on the gym's Facebook page.  "They were often partnered during training and slept in the same room during travel meets. They attended birthday parties and sleepovers together...My daughter says that she was one of her best friends at the gym and was very sad when she left."

"We Just Saying Talk Radio Show" posted on their Facebook page in defense of Douglas.

"Why must some in this country continue to deny the existence of racism? If Gabby Douglas says she was bullied & called "a slave" by former female gym mates then why can't people leave it at that? ...They try to discredit, bash her, & call her a liar. Why would anyone want to lie about being called a slave? That's not cute. Those who choose to deny the existence of racism are the same ones who are fueling it's continued presence. ..."

Do you think Gabby is lying about the racial slurs just to get publicity or is the gym trying to save their image and business?