US gymnasts Gabrielle Douglas (C), Mckayla Maroney (2D-L), coaches Jenny Zhang (R) and John Geddert (L) celebrate winning gold in the women’s team of the artistic gymnastics event of the London Olympic Games on July 31, 2012 at the 02 North Greenwich Arena in London. (AFP via Getty Images)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 6:30 PM PT – Thursday, February 25, 2021
Former U.S. Olympics gymnastics coach John Geddert reportedly committed suicide following the announcement of criminal charges against him. The announcement came from the Michigan Office of the Attorney General just hours after the news of the charges broke Thursday.
US gymnasts Gabrielle Douglas (C), Mckayla Maroney (2D-R), Alexandra Raisman (R), coaches Jenny Zhang (R) and John Geddert (3D-R) celebrate winning gold in the women’s team of the artistic gymnastics event of the London Olympic Games on July 31, 2012 at the 02 North Greenwich Arena in London. (AFP via Getty Images)
Geddert faced a total of two dozen charges, including sexual assault, human trafficking and other felony charges. He was the former owner of the Twistars Gymnastics Club, where disgraced coach Larry Nassar admitted to abusing young girls.
Michigan State Police investigates the scene where former US Olympics women’s gymnastics coach John Geddert who died by suicide was found, at the I-96 Grand Ledge Rest Area on February, 25, 2021 in Grand Ledge, Michigan. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)
“Mr. Geddert knew that Nassar was sexually abusing these patients and that he failed to take action,” Danielle Hagaman-Clark of the Michigan Attorney General’s Office said. “And that when he was asked about it by police officers during the 2016 investigation into Nassar, he lied about that.”
Former Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar appears in court for his final sentencing phase in Eaton County Circuit Court on February 5, 2018 in Charlotte, Michigan. / AFP PHOTO / RENA LAVERTY (Photo credit should read RENA LAVERTY/AFP via Getty Images)
Geddert was suspended by USA gymnastics in 2018. Law enforcement began an investigation into his coaching shortly after.
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