Why Many Simone Biles Fans Dislike Her Husband Jonathan Owens

Simone Biles, America’s sweetheart and renowned athlete, has a chance to make history at the 2024 Olympics. Fans fiercely protect her, including from her husband, Jonathan Owens. The couple met through Raya, an exclusive dating app, with Biles initiating contact after finding Owens attractive. They began chatting and met up soon after. “We started chatting a little bit, and then we went to hang out a week or two later,” Biles told the Wall Street Journal.

Owens, a Chicago Bears player, proposed to Biles in February 2022, and they married in April 2023. Despite his frequent social media praise for her, Owens admitted he initially had no idea about Biles’ celebrity status. “That’s one of the things she liked,” he told Texas Monthly. He also didn’t fully appreciate the difficulty of gymnastics, a comment that fueled fan outrage. “When we were first together, I was like, ‘Man, you can’t come outside and guard these wide receivers. Gymnastics is not that hard.'”

Jonathan Owens often finds himself in hot water with fans over his remarks. On “The Pivot Podcast,” Owens reiterated his claim that he didn’t know who Biles was when they first matched, explaining he was in college and focused on football at the time of her Olympic debut. Owens also declared men are the “catch” in relationships, sparking backlash. “Even for a professional NFL player, marrying Simone Biles is a humbling experience,” The Cut tweeted, questioning his claim.

Following heated reactions online, Owens doubled down, sharing photos with Biles on Instagram, captioned “Unbothered. Just know we locked in over here.” The response only drew more criticism. Owens’ handling of the backlash did nothing to increase his likability.

Fans exposed Owens in a lie when they unearthed a 2012 tweet questioning an Asian coach for the U.S. gymnastics team, contradicting his claim of ignorance about the sport. Reactions online were mixed. Some defended him, noting Biles didn’t compete in the 2012 Olympics, while others scrutinized his racially insensitive comment.

Nevertheless, the revelation intensified scrutiny over Owens’ comments, and the discrepancy only cemented fans’ negative opinions.

Owens has often insisted that football is more challenging than gymnastics, much to the chagrin of Biles and her fans. During an appearance on “2023 Back That Year Up with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson,” Biles spoke about their friendly competition regarding athletic prowess, asserting that gymnastics is harder. She highlighted that while Owens struggled with her workout routine, she excelled at his NFL workout.

Fans flocked to support Biles when Inside Gymnastics shared her quote, with many agreeing that gymnastics is indeed the more difficult sport, putting the debate to rest.

Jonathan Owens’ comment about being the “catch” in the relationship didn’t surprise Simone Biles, who tried to support him during the discussion. Online, fans criticized her for trying to shrink herself to make her husband feel more significant. One user compared her situation to Whitney Houston’s relationship with Bobby Brown, noting a similar dynamic.

Despite the controversy, Biles continues to defend Owens. On the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, she explained that during his interviews, she wants him to have his moment without overshadowing him with her fame. But fans remain concerned about the dynamics in their relationship.