Chrissy Teigen offers to pay $100,000 fine for McKayla Maroney to speak out against Nassar

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Kyle Stephens was the first victim of nearly 100 to speak Tuesday at a sentencing hearing for Larry Nassar. Stephens, whose parents were friends with the now disgraced doctor, said he repeatedly sexually abused her when she was a child. (Jan. 16) AP

Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor who pleaded guilty in November to criminal sexual conduct, is being sentenced this week on seven sexual assault charges. The sentencing began Tuesday and is expected to conclude on Friday in Lansing, Mich. Nassar faces up to a life sentence, with a minimum of 25 to 40 years in prison. 

Close to 90 women are slated to read victim impact statements at his hearing this week. But former gymnast and Nassar victim McKayla Maroney — who first shared her story of abuse over Twitter — faces a $100,000 fine if she speaks out. Maroney signed a nondisclosure agreement in December 2016, agreeing to stay quiet about the abuse she experienced as part of a $1.25 million settlement with USA Gymnastics.

Chrissy Teigen, a swimsuit model and TV host, does not want Maroney to remain silent. Teigen tweeted on Tuesday that she would "be absolutely honored to pay" the $100,000 fine for Maroney. Teigen called Nassar a "serial monster" in her tweet, while questioning the "entire principle" of the fine. 

 Maroney is suing USA Gymnastics, the U.S. Olympic Committee and Michigan State University, claiming the nondisclosure agreement she signed was illegal. 

USA Gymnastics said last month that the settlement terms from the 2016 agreement were initially not drawn up by its lawyers but rather by Maroney's attorney.

Maroney claims in her lawsuit filed last month that USA Gymnastics tried to prevent her from publicly accusing Nassar of sexual abuse in order to allow him  to quietly leave USA Gymnastics and "further silencing his victims." In the lawsuit filed to Los Angeles Superior Court, Maroney alleges she was forced to sign a confidentiality agreement as part of the financial settlement she needed to pay for psychological treatment.  

Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas have also revealed they were molested by Nassar. 

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Nassar was sentenced last month to 60 years in prison on three federal charges related to child pornography.