Simone Biles’ Husband, Jonathan Owens, Faces Criticism Ahead of Olympics

Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens is currently taking a break from training camp to support his wife, American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles. Owens traveled to Paris to be by Biles’ side during the women’s team final at the 2024 Olympics.

Jonathan Owens and Simone Biles got married in the spring of 2023. As a high-profile couple, they are adjusting to the constant public scrutiny. Owens has faced significant criticism on social media for certain comments he has made about their relationship over the past year.

In December, Owens and Biles appeared on “The Pivot” podcast, hosted by former NFL player Ryan Clark. During the show, Owens shared that he did not know who Biles was when they first connected on a dating app in 2020. At the time, Owens was playing for the Houston Texans, and Biles, a native of Houston, was achieving global fame in gymnastics.

The two hit it off quickly and got engaged in early 2022. During the podcast, Owens mentioned that he believed he was “the catch” in the relationship, which sparked a wave of criticism on social media.

When asked about the backlash, Biles, a 27-year-old seven-time Olympic medalist, expressed her frustration. She stated that it felt absurd for people to advise her to divorce Owens based on his harmless comments. Biles admitted she was initially puzzled by why these remarks angered some of her fans. She was present during the podcast taping and saw nothing wrong with Owens’ comments, describing him as the best guy she has ever met. She feels his statements were taken out of context and acknowledges that living in the public eye makes them susceptible to criticism. However, Biles believes some comments crossed a line, describing them as unnecessarily harsh.

Owens has become a big fan of gymnastics over the past year. He watched Biles win at the U.S. Classic, the U.S. Championships, and the U.S. Olympic trials, frequently noting scores and sitting with Biles’ family. He has come to appreciate her stardom even more, especially with the constant media attention leading up to the Olympics. According to Owens, it feels like more people are interested in gymnastics now, as evidenced by the increasing number of questions he gets about the sport.

Meanwhile, Biles remains focused on her gymnastics journey at the 2024 Olympics. Despite tweaking her left calf during qualifying on Sunday, she is set to compete with the rest of the U.S. team in Tuesday night’s team finals. The Americans hope to reclaim the top spot on the medal stand after finishing second to Russia three years ago. Biles will also attempt to add another Olympic all-around title to her collection on Thursday. She has qualified for the event finals in vault, balance beam, and floor exercise.

Source: Associated Press