Chrissy Teigen, Kristen Bell Would Pay $100K for McKayla Maroney to Testify Against Abuser

Chrissy Teigen and Kristen Bell think McKayla Maroney should speak out against former USA Gymnastics coach Larry Nassar, despite the fact she could be fined $100,000.

Along with The Good Place creator Michael Schur, Teigen and Bell took to Twitter to give both financial and emotional support to the Olympian, who may be fined $100,000 if she speaks out later this week about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of Nassar.

In December, Nassar was sentenced to 60 years in prison for child pornography and recently pleaded guilty to molesting girls.

In 2016, Maroney received $1.25 million settlement from USA Gymnastics and agreed to sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of the deal, which also entails a $100,000 fine should she ever speak publicly about the molestation. But Maroney may break the NDA this week as she is one of 88 women who are currently scheduled to deliver victim impact statements at Nassar’s sentencing, which began Tuesday and is set to run through Friday.

While that may seem like a hefty sum, first Teigen, then Schur, then Bell took to Twitter to say they’d pay her fine if need be.

Along with a screenshot of a headline stating Maroney could be fined if she speaks about Nassar, Teigen tweeted, “The entire principle of this should be fought – an NDA to stay quiet about this serial monster with over 140 accusers, but I would be absolutely honored to pay this fine for you, McKayla.”

Schur then retweeted Teigen’s tweet and wrote, “I’ll split it with you.” And then Bell retweeted Schur’s tweet and wrote, “I’ll 1/3 it with you.”

Maroney issued a response through her attorney, John Manly.

“I’m not on social media right now, but I wish I was for this! I’m shocked by your generosity, and I just want you to know how much hope your words bring to all of us! I just can’t get over the fact that someone I don’t personally know is sticking up for me, let alone a strong women that I’ve looked up to for years!” Maroney’s statement read.

“Thank you Chrissy, you’re so inspiring, and things are starting to change because of people like you! Just saying that was worth the decision to speak up regardless of a fine. You’re heart is pure gold. God bless. All my love, McKayla,” the statement added.

In addition, Maroney is suing USA Gymnastics, alleging that their praises for speaking out about molestation claims against the sport’s former doctor were a cover-up.

Her lawsuit claims USA Gymnastics actually tried to silence her nearly a year ago by making her sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of a financial settlement she needed to pay for psychological treatment, NBC News reports.

The agreement was penned a few months following the first public accusations against Dr. Larry Nassar, who has since pleaded guilty to abusing 10 girls and possessing child pornography.

Maroney’s suit, filed in Superior Court in California, alleges that USA Gymnastics insisted on a confidentiality agreement so “it could further conceal and shield from public scrutiny, outside investigation, and law enforcement, the true nature of Nassar’s horrific sexual abuse of minors.”

While non-disclosure agreements are common in out-of-court settlements, they have been at the forefront of multiple cases of alleged sexual harassment and abuse after high-profile men, including Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby, used them to silence accusations against them.

USA Gymnastics said last month in a statement that the settlement terms were not drawn up by their lawyers, but rather by Maroney’s attorney at the time, Gloria Allred.

“Contrary to reports, the concept of confidentiality was initiated by McKayla’s attorney, not USA Gymnastics. USA Gymnastics cannot speak to the mediation process, which is confidential and privileged under California law,” said USA Gymnastics in a statement. “The process culminated in a settlement agreement that included a mutual nondisclosure clause and a mutual nondisparagement clause.”

Maroney insists that she was pressured to sign an agreement to prevent her from complaining about Nassar, whom she claims abused her from the time she was 13 until she left the sport. USA Gymnastics, which runs the sport in the United States and selects the Olympic teams, previously maintained a two-decade relationship with Nassar until he was quietly fired fired following complaints from athletes in June 2015.