Simone Biles: What really happened during her marriage to Jonathan Owens

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By Bryanna Cappadona and Camille Birdsong

Simone Biles’ husband Jonathan Owens celebrated her unprecedented achievement at the Paris Olympics while sharing his gratitude for being able to witness it in person.

The Chicago Bears safety posted a pair of photos on Instagram on July 30 of him wearing Biles’ gold medal around his neck and sharing a kiss with his wife after she and her teammates captured the women’s gymnastics team title earlier in the day.

The gold medal gave Biles eight Olympic medals in her career, making her the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history. She had previously been tied with Shannon Miller with seven medals.

“Witnessing history every time you step on the mat 😍🔥 Congrats baby on becoming the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history!!!!” he wrote. “Just wow!!!! 8 of them!!!!! So thankful i was there to see it ❤️🤍💙”

Owens received permission to leave the Bears’ preseason training camp so he could go to Bercy Arena in Paris to see Biles go for the gold in person.

Simone Biles shared a shot of husband Jonathan Owens on his flight to Paris to watch her perform in the gymnastics team finals at the Olympics.@simonebiles via Instagram

Ahead of the team finals, he posted a photo on his Instagram story from inside the venue. He later shared a shot of him wearing a T-shirt with “Biles” on it as he cheered Team USA’s victory.

Jonathan Owens showed off his Simone Biles shirt while cheering her on in the gymnastics team finals at the Paris Olympics.@nbcsports via Instagram

During the competition, Owens appeared to be writing down the scores to track Team USA’s quest for gold.

“The way he is writing down all of the scores so he knows where USA stands is such a green flag,” one commenter wrote on Instagram.

Owens had previously cheered on Biles during the Olympic qualifying round on July 28 while watching from home.

Read on to learn more about Biles and Owens’ relationship.

March 2020: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens meet

In March 2020, just as the world was going into COVID-19 lockdown and Biles was gearing up for the Tokyo Summer Olympics that would eventually be postponed to 2021, Biles and Owens exchanged messages on a dating app.

“He would say I slid into his DMs,” she told WSJ. Magazine. “I saw him and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s pretty cute,’ so I said hi…and then I saw that he was in the Houston area, so we started chatting a little bit, and then we went to hang out a week or two later.”

Owens told Texas Monthly in 2021 that he didn’t know who Biles was when he first saw her on the dating app. He told the story again in 2023 on the “Pivot” podcast, saying: “She pops up and I’m like, ‘Let me see who this is’ … I had never really paid attention to gymnastics, so it piqued my curiosity.” (Fans on social media later criticized him.)

August 2020: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens went Instagram official

Biles and Owens posted their first Instagram selfie on Aug. 2, 2020, marking a “hard launch” of their relationship. “It’s just us,” Biles captioned the pic.

June 2021: For the first time, Jonathan Owens watches Simone Biles compete

Owens was the best cheerleader watching Biles compete at the U.S. Gymnastics Championship, where she earned her seventh title, in June 2021.

“What an amazing experience,” Owens wrote on Instagram at the time. “First time getting to watch you compete in person and you didn’t disappoint. It’s so cool that I get to watch you do what you love, and be the best at that!! I’m so proud of you my lil champ. Trials up next and you already know I’m there!! Love you baby.”

February 2022: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens get engaged

A day after Valentine’s Day in 2022, Owens popped the question to Biles in a moment captured in loving photos later shared to Instagram.

“THE EASIEST YES,” Biles wrote in a caption. “I can’t wait to spend forever & ever with you, you’re everything I dreamed of and more! let’s get married FIANCÉ.”

February 2022: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens reveal when they fell for each other

Biles and Owens appeared together on TODAY just after their engagement and recalled when they fell in love.

“We clicked really, really well in the beginning because we’re athletes and we have the same busy schedules,” Biles said. “But other than that, since it was kind of a COVID relationship. We’re with each other 24/7, so I feel like now when we’re not with each other it’s almost weird. We’re always texting or calling each other. It’s kind of gross in a way.”

“We just kind of started hanging out more and more and you start to want to see a person … I started to want to see her more,” Owens added.

April 2023: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens get married

Biles and Owens got married in an intimate courthouse ceremony in Houston a week after obtaining their marriage license. They confirmed their nuptials with sweet photos on Instagram.

Biles is seen in a lovely tulle dress with a big bouquet of white flowers, while Owens dons a sand-colored suit with spiffy white loafers.

“I do 🤍 officially owens,” the gymnast captioned her post.

May 2023: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens have a larger wedding in Cabo

A month after formally marrying in Houston, the two exchanged vows again during a destination wedding in Mexico.

Vogue posted footage from the ceremony in Cabo San Lucas with nearly 150 guests in attendance. Biles also posted photos of her own to her Instagram story, including pictures from the morning of her wedding day, in which she donned a white satin PJ set trimmed with feathers.

They were in a long-distance relationship less than a week after their wedding in Cabo, Mexico, the gymnast said on TODAY in September 2023.

She said she and Owens were newlyweds when he signed with the Green Bay Packers and moved to Wisconsin to join the team.

“So, it’s been different,” she said. “But at least we’re both busy and focusing on our respective sports, so it’s been nice and we cherish the moments that we get together.”

June 2023: Biles and Owens celebrate their one-month anniversary

The happy couple celebrated their one-month wedding anniversary on June 6 by posting a photo on Instagram. Biles wrote in the caption, “One month into forever loving you.”

December 2023: Owens receives backlash for suggesting he was ‘the catch’ in his marriage

During a December 2023 appearance on “The Pivot” podcast, Owens talked about his relationship with Biles and said he initially didn’t know who the professional gymnast was when they first started dating.

In the interview, Owens revealed they actually met on the dating app Raya.

“I had never really paid attention to gymnastics,” he explained.

“I always say the men are the catch,” he said.

Shortly after the interview was shared online, Owens started to receive backlash from Biles’ fan base.

One person said, “You’d better be giving that woman a sincere apology because that interview you just did was absolutely disgusting.”

Another wrote, “Your wife is a world renowned athlete with millions of fans, she is a beautiful electric woman who deserves a man who is going to love her, hype her up, and never be jealous of her and her amazing career.”

A third added, “I didn’t know of you until Simone Biles posted you sir.”

December 2023: Simone Biles says she and husband Jonathan Owens fight over who’s the better athlete

In December 2023, Biles appeared on Peacock’s “2023 Back That Year Up” with Kenan Thompson and Kevin Hart and spoke about her big year in gymnastics. In August 2023, Biles competed for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics and will compete in the upcoming 2024 Games that will take place in Paris.

Asked by Thompson who she believes to be the better athlete between her and Owens, she replied: “I think we’re good at our own sports. We’ve tried to pin each other against on, like, difficulty, ability and all of that stuff. So at the end of the day, gymnastics is harder, if he agrees or not.”

Thompson replied, “That’s a nice politician answer, but here’s the truth: I know your name.”

“We fought over it a couple times,” she added, “and then we bowed once we got married. We wouldn’t talk about it again, but it keeps coming up every time. But he has done my workout in the gym, and he can barely do it. And I went to their NFL workout and I crushed it.”

Biles laughed as Hart quipped, “A lot of upper cuts being thrown.”

April 17, 2024: Simone Biles addresses comments about Jonathan Owens’ viral interview

On April 17, Biles appeared on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast and addressed the viral comments her husband made in December 2023 when he seemingly implied that he was “the catch” in their relationship and said he didn’t know who Biles was when they first got together.

“So, whenever he did that interview, I thought everything was OK. And then I go on Twitter, and everybody’s like, ‘Divorce this man, he’s mean.’ I’m like, he’s the sweetest. He praises the ground that I walk on. Truly, I’ve never met a man like him,” she said.

Biles explained that she was “in the room” with Owens when he made those remarks and didn’t think much of it at first. But after seeing the backlash online, Biles said she went from thinking the whole situation was “hilarious” to finding it very hurtful.

“One night, I broke down and I’m like, why are you guys talking about my husband like this? You don’t know him, you don’t know who he is, and if anybody’s met him, they know he’s the sweetest guy and will do anything for anybody,” she said.

“So, that really hurt that they were talking about my husband like that because for me, it’s like, talk about me all you want, but don’t come for my family. Never,” Biles added.

April 25, 2024: Simone Biles claps back at naysayers of her relationship with Jonathan Owens

In a TikTok posted April 25, Biles seemingly responded to the online scrutiny about her marriage to Owens following her appearance on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy.”

In the TikTok, which had phrases like “Mr. Biles,” “Simone & what’s his name again,” “leave him sis,” and “still don’t know his name” on the top of the frame, Biles followed the popular trend in which creators rip off a piece of tape set to the sound of a voice which says, “This is for your mouth. Let me know if you need a bigger piece.”

Mimicking the words, the Olympic gold medalist held up the piece of tape and pasted it on the camera lens.

In her caption, she wrote, “to all my twitter finger friends & etc.,” before adding a red lips kiss emoji and the hashtags #sorrynotsorry and #mindyourbusiness.

May 18, 2024: Jonathan Owens supports Simone Biles at Core Hydration Classic gymnastics meet

Biles came out on top at her first gymnastics meet of the 2024 season, and her husband was there to see it all.

The NFL player was seen proudly cheering on his Olympic gold medalist wife from the stands, rising to his feet following her stellar vault performance.

When asked about her husband’s presence at the meet, Biles told NBC News, “I think this one was a huge thing for him because he hasn’t been in a while.”

“But to hear those girls scream as loud as the fans in the football field, I think it’s something new,” she continued, laughing. “So it’s really exciting to be in both atmospheres.”

Biles took home the win at the Core Hydration Classic, which also showcased fellow Olympians Suni Lee and Gabby Douglas. The 37-time world and Olympic medalist received a 14.550 on the balance beam and a 15.600 on the vault, the highest score of the night. She also performed an impressive floor routine, featuring a triple-twisting double salto.

After receiving a 14.550 on the uneven bars, Biles was awarded the all-around title at the meet.

May 19, 2024: Simone Biles defends Jonathan Owens again

At the end of a weekend at the Core Hydration Classic in Hartford, Connecticut, Biles called out critics of her marriage on her Instagram story May 19.

“I’m going to quickly address this, the joke was never a joke! Y’all are blatantly being disrespectful to my relationship & my husband,” Biles wrote. “So I’m gonna go ahead & say this one time. Respectfully, f— off. & if you keep commenting or tweeting at me I’m just going to block you. simple as that.”

She continued, “And no I don’t need to touch grass or whatever tf y’all suggest…. @ everyone else that supports us, we love y’all so much.”

Earlier in her Instagram stories, Biles shared some snaps of her flying on a private jet with Owens with the caption, “Going home.” She also included a selfie of her smiling in her pink sparkling gymnastics leotard from the meet, with Owens by her side.

In an Instagram post shared that same day, Biles posted a picture of Owens kissing her at the meet, along with the aforementioned selfie.

Her caption read, “My whole heart. The best supporter, I couldn’t ask for a better husband,” with the brown heart and fingers-crossed emoji.

June 30, 2024: Jonathan Owens plans to support Simone Biles in Paris

Simone Biles is headed to her third Olympics!

In a press conference following the final day of U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials June 30, she revealed that the Chicago Bears will give their safety some time off to support his wife.

“The Bears are actually granting him a couple days off from training camp, so he’ll be there, yes,” Biles said of her husband. “For just a short little time.”

TODAY.com independently reached out to the Bears to confirm this information, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Biles gushed about her husband being there to support her throughout the trials, saying that it’s “super exciting that we get to be in each other’s elements, supporting each other’s dreams and goals.”

“It’s these memories that we make that we’ll never get back so anytime we can show up for one another in support, we just get super excited because our schedules don’t align that much,” she continued. “So whenever it does, it’s really important for the both of us to show up in support.”

Owens celebrated his wife’s performance at the team trials in an Instagram post on July 1, referring to her as the “best to EVER do it.”

“No words can describe how proud of you i am baby,” he wrote, adding a heart emoji. “Just knowing all the work that you put in and everything that you’ve been through, and to still come back and be as dominant as ever, i was speechless. I’m so thankful to be apart of this journey with you, and i cant wait to be able to watch you out there in Paris. I’m so happy for you babe!!!!”

Owens has been attending Biles’ gymnastics meets this summer, which aligned with the NFL’s offseason schedule.

At the Games, women’s gymnastics will have qualifications July 28 and team finals July 30. The individual all-around finals for women, where Biles is favored to take home the gold, will be held Aug. 1.

Bears training camp begins July 19, which is a week before the opening ceremony in Paris. The Chicago team’s Hall of Fame Game will be held Aug. 1 in Ohio.

July 17, 2024: Jonathan Owens and Simone Biles talk about supporting one another and building a home together

In the new Netflix docuseries “Simone Biles Rising,” Owens and Biles both shared how they support one another.

The star gymnast recalled how Owens was “a shoulder to lean on” after she withdrew from the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and how he supported her going to therapy.

However, in turn, Owens became inspired by Biles to go to therapy himself, saying in the docuseries, “She really opened my eyes.”

Biles said that she’s “so proud” of Owens for all that he’s accomplished in his football career.

“It’s nice to come to these games and to relate to the other girls,” Biles explained. “And it not just the about gymnastics or me, and I like it because all the attention gets to be on Jonathan.”

“It’s really important for me to be here to support my husband, because he’s supported me throughout my career, and I get to return that favor,” Biles added.

At one point in the Netflix docuseries, Biles and Owens walk through the house that they were building together.

“I never thought that we’d be building a house or any of the things,” Biles said. “It’s weird. It’s different because I never thought I’d be at this stage in my life, but I feel very grateful.”

“We feel as if this house will be our forever home and we’ll be able to grow into it,” she continued.

July 28, 2024: Jonathan Owens cheers on Simone Biles from home in the qualifying round of the Paris Olympics

Jonathan Owens made sure to tune in to watch the seven-time Olympic medalist compete during the women’s gymnastics team qualification round Sunday, July 28, which kicked off around 6 a.m. ET.

He uploaded a series of videos to his Instagram story of him supporting Biles during her remarkable opening round from the comfort of his bed.

The NFL player—who joined the Chicago Bears in March 2024 and signed a two-year contract with the team—shared a video of Biles’ fellow Team USA gymnasts complimenting her. “We locked in,” he captioned the clip and also added a blue heart.

Owens shared a photo of Biles with a determined look on her face before posting a clip of her nailing her balance beam routine.

“Let’s go!” he roared in the video. “Woo! Let’s go, baby! Looking good, baby!”

Jonathan Owens calls Simone Biles “flawless” on the balance beam.@jowens on Instagram

“Flawless” he wrote and included a flame and another blue heart emoji.

He then uploaded a video of Snoop Dogg, who is on location in Paris with NBC to experience the Games firsthand, showing off his t-shirt of the four-time gold medalist. The clip cut to a shot of Biles awaiting her score on the balance beam.

“Mmm, you’re looking good, girl!” the proud husband said before her score of 14.733 was revealed.

Biles’ performance on the vault, a 15.300, which put her in the No. 1 spot in her division, left him almost speechless.

“No words,” he captioned the video and added a praying-hand emoji.

For his final post, he shared another photo of his wife with the caption “Let’s go baby!” beside patriotic red, white and blue hearts.

Jonathan Owens cheers on wife Simone Biles for Team USA!@jowens on Instagram

Biles finished the day with a score of 59.566 in the qualifying round, giving her the No. 1 spot in all-around. She bested her competition despite suffering a lower leg injury while warming up for her floor exercise. The 27-year-old athlete left the mat briefly to have her left ankle taped.

Her personal coach, Cecile Landi, said Biles “felt a little pain in her calf,” according to NBC News. But, it didn’t stop her from delivering a masterful performance, particularly on the floor, vault and balance beam.

She had the support of her husband (and the country) miles way, which she has said is a key motivator for her.

Before the 2024 Paris Olympics began, spoke about the important role Owens has played in helping her when she struggles in the Netflix documentary series “Simone Biles Rising.”

In the docuseries, out July 17, Biles said her husband was “a shoulder to lean on” after withdrawing from the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“Post Tokyo, Jonathan was just like, I mean, he always has a good head on his shoulders, and he’s like, ‘You’ll get back to where you were,’ and made sure I was staying on top of my training,” Biles said in the docuseries.

“He was making sure I was going to my therapy sessions and was trying to do as much as he could, without kind of being bossy, but he was really just like a shoulder to lean on because he saw like those dark times after Tokyo,” she continued.

Owens said Biles’ experience is what inspired him to go to therapy himself.

“She said, ‘I think you need to see someone,’ and I’m like, ‘See who?’” Owens said in the documentary. “It’s a humbling thing because you have to go back and look at yourself in the mirror.

“You got to be able to talk about it and you know, I feel like when people don’t have that outlet to be able to talk, it makes you keep it in and that’s the worst thing you can do because that just builds up to the point where you’re not in control of your emotions anymore,” he continued.

“I credit that to her though, she really opened my eyes,” Owens added.