Shawn Johnson East is reflecting on her complex friendship with fellow Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin, revealing that their bond nearly ended due to the pressures of fame and competition.
Speaking candidly to Access Hollywood on Nov. 4, the 32-year-old gold medalist shared how, during their time together on Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, their close friendship turned strained.
At the time, Shawn and Nastia were roommates, with Shawn being 16 and Nastia 18, under constant scrutiny as both competitors and rising stars.
Shawn explained, “We were kids, under the spotlight, and it felt like we were supposed to be each other’s biggest competitors. We figured out how to be best friends and competitors at the same time.”
However, the external pressure began to take its toll.
“When the world started kind of interjecting how we should handle it… they said we should also be each other’s worst enemies,” Shawn said, leading the two to stop speaking for eight years.
Their eventual reconciliation came about with help from their partners at the time.
“Our boyfriends got so tired of hearing us talk about each other that they said, ‘Enough of this, just go talk to each other again,’” Shawn recalled.
After that conversation, their friendship was rekindled, and they quickly resumed being each other’s biggest supporters.
Both gymnasts retired from the sport in 2012, with Nastia later releasing a book, Finding My Shine, in 2015.
She has been in a relationship with Ben Weyand since 2022. Meanwhile, Shawn has focused on her family life, sharing kids Drew, 4, Jett, 3, and Bear, 9 months, with her husband Andrew East.
In a recent interview with E! News, Shawn explained how she and Andrew manage their busy household, noting that they keep a strict routine, including limiting screen time during the week to encourage more playtime.
Also read: Gypsy Rose Blanchard Confirms Baby’s Paternity Amid Speculation
