When Simone Biles made her comeback after experiencing twisties in the Tokyo Olympics, people were surprised that Jonathan Owens was nowhere to be seen. He was with the Green Bay Packers when the gymnast revealed the harsh truth. “If he misses training he’ll either be cut or fined. NFL fines the boys for everything,” Biles shared. But the 2024 Paris Olympics was one of the biggest moments in her life, and while people expected greatness from Biles, they didn’t expect to see Owens, who switched to the Chicago Bears, to be present.

 

Not only did he make sure to be in Paris to support her, but also had his pen and paper and noted down points—like a personal scoreboard. The Bears had allowed him to take a few days to attend the Olympics. But there’s actually more to the story. While rookie NFL players typically face a $40,000 fine per day ($50,000 for veteran players) for missing training, Owens’ agents had negotiated this arrangement with the Bears when he signed his new contract, ensuring that he could be with Biles during the Olympics. It was just this year when he signed a two-year, $4.75 million deal ($1 million guaranteed) with the Bears.

No wonder Simone Biles was happy. In fact, in her Sept. 17 interview with ET, she thanked the Bears. “He’s so cute and he loves to learn the sport and he supports me fully, so that’s just super sweet. I was so grateful that the Bears let him go to Paris for a couple of days.”

 

However, for Simone Biles’ final event, Jonathan Owens was notably absent from the stands. Biles, who won four medals at the Paris Olympics, was undoubtedly one of the Games’ biggest stars there. And so was her husband, Jonathan Owens of the Chicago Bears, who sat with Biles’s family and cheered for her. But what does her friend Jordan Chiles, a fellow Team USA member, think about Owens?

Well, in the same interview, when the host asked Chiles about Biles and Owens, she joked, “Yeah, he done stealing my best friend.“

USA Today via Reuters

Back in July, Simone Biles had shared how important it was for them to support each other. “Anytime we can show up for one another in support, we just get super excited because our schedules don’t align that much. So whenever it does, it’s really important for the both of us to show up in support.” But this brings up a question.

Why didn’t Jonathan Owens show up in support of Biles during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021? That’s when she needed him the most.

 

Why was Jonathan Owens missing from the Tokyo Olympics?

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens first connected in 2020 through the dating app Raya, just before the pandemic began. Owens admitted he didn’t initially know who Biles was, but he appreciated her down-to-earth personality. Their bond deepened during the early pandemic- a time when everything was paused and they had the chance to truly get to know each other.

Then the Tokyo Olympics was a challenging time for Biles as she faced difficulties with “twisties” and had to withdraw from several events. Owens supported her through that tough period, helping her stay focused on training and attending therapy sessions. But he wasn’t there in person, as COVID-19 restrictions meant spectators were not allowed at the Games.

 

Their relationship grew stronger, and they got engaged in February 2022. They married in April 2023 at a courthouse in Houston and later had a grand celebration in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. So, it was important for the NFL player to be present during the 2024 Paris Olympics and show his support. Similarly, Simone Biles has attended his NFL games to show her backing.

Now, we might not see her attend all the Bears games this season, though. Her schedule is pretty packed because of her Gold Over America Tour. So it will be interesting to see how she shows her support for Owens. What do you think?