After Countless Controversies, Simone Biles’ NFL Husband Jonathan Owens Finally Gets Flowers From Gymnastics Community: “Frosting on the Cake

Jonathan Owens finally gets his due—Is this the recognition he always deserved?

Did the gymnastics community finally have the chance to appreciate Jonathan Owens? Simone Biles and Owens got married in April last year, but they have been dragged into one or many controversies since. The most recent one to put a spanner in the works was when the NFL player claimed he was the ‘catch’ in their relationship: “I always say that the men are the catch [in a relationship].” As outrageous as it was, controversies, in fact, go way back to the times when the two had met for the first time.

In fact, in another interview in December, Owens claimed that he didn’t know the 11x Olympic medalist when she “popped up” on a dating site Raya – went as far as saying he “never really paid attention to gymnastics.” Online controversies can be brutal, and followers dug up some posts from 2012 when he commended 3x Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas for her performance in the Games. The horror show, which lasted for nearly five months, saw Simone intervene strongly after she won the Core Hydration Classic in May,

“That really hurt that they were talking about my husband like that,” Biles said. “Because for me, it’s like, talk about me all you want, but don’t come for my family, never.” Owens took a live-and-let-live approach and stayed silent the entire time. But it looks like a new project has now given the gymnastics community a glimpse of his celebrated relationship with his wife, and it didn’t take too long for many to change their minds.

His appearance on the popular MAX documentary series ‘Hard Knocks,‘ which was primarily a documentary to chronicle the NFL training camps, won people over. This week, the show not only highlighted Owens but also featured a cameo by Biles, offering an intimate look at her Olympic preparations and personal life. But what is ‘Hard Knocks‘ all about, and what specifically was shown on the Tuesday episode that put Owens back into the good books of the online community?

Well, the documentary series follows one particular team every year and this time, the focus shifted to the Bears’ Soldier Field. With Owens gearing up for his first season with the Bears, the episode first took a detour to show Owens speaking about his watching his wife at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As coach Matt Eberflus presented pictures of Biles on a video screen, “Just got back off my flight, man,” Biles told the Bears camp. Owens took over from there.

“I had the honor of watching my wife get three gold medals. So, she’s the most-decorated American gymnast in history. I got to see her make history. I’m blessed and ready to get back to work.” He added,

“In that world, because it’s an individual sport, it’s kind of like how Serena was, because you just dominate, you’re expected to come out and dominate and you keep doing it.” But there’s more.

The episode also recorded an on-field moment wherein Owens was approached by a referee during a play in the preseason game against the Bills. The referee was in awe of how Biles delivered at the Olympics, saying, “Man, she killed it, huh? Amazing to see, man.”

Regardless, his appearance on the MAX documentary series was appreciated by the gymnastics community. What did fans say?

Jonathan’s recent appearance on the Max show has resulted in an online storm of excitement. The resulting wave of positive reactions will significantly boost the show’s success. Not only did his appearance keep the audience glued to their screens, but it also injected new life into the series. r/Gymnastics, shared on Reddit,

“Simone’s Husband on Max Show” with a caption, “For anyone who has Max in the States, there is some good Simone/ Jonathan content as she gets ready for the Olympics and he leaves training camp to see her. I am not really a football fan but it’s a pretty good doc so far.” 

An admirer wrote, “This show is great! Been watching it for years so having Simone cameos is frosting on the cake!” It is clear that Biles’s appearance was a pleasant surprise for viewers. But at the same time, there was a section of fans who felt bad for Owens. A fan wrote, “Him relaying the story to his teammate killed me. You can tell he really respects her abilities and isn’t afraid to say that she can beat him at something.”

Well, we can’t disagree, right? Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens’s relationship has been in the limelight since their marriage in April 2023. People have been continuously talking about different aspects. For instance, the NFL player once shared how he didn’t know who Biles was back in 2020 when they connected over the dating app, Raya.

Biles shot to fame in 2016, during the Rio Olympics. At that time, Owens was in college and didn’t really have access to platforms that would stream the Olympics. So he had never watched her compete. However, his statements about not knowing who Biles was received a lot of retaliation from fans. But the criticism never really stopped.

In 2023, when Owens said he was the ‘catch’ in their relationship, outrage was quick to pick up. In fact, when Biles won several medals in Paris, her husband tried them on and clicked pictures, which again didn’t sit well with people. Nevertheless, Simone Biles has publicly defended her husband every time.

Another fan wrote on Reddit, “I’m an NFL fan so I watch Hard Knocks regardless, but seeing Simone shine (again) was so great, and I loved the ovation the other guys gave her.”

Several fans loved seeing how the gymnast went on a redemption tour in Paris, after her Tokyo 2021 debacle where she experienced mental health issues. She had to withdraw. But in Paris, she looked strong and ready to prove her naysayers wrong.

“Pretty sure Simone will be the reason most people watch this,” mentioned another Reddit user.

“There’s a funny scene in episode 2 of Simone dominating him in a rope climb,” wrote another fan. Well, Owens also shared the story with one of his teammates. Clearly, Jonathan Owens acknowledges what a legend his wife is! What do you think?

Anchal Ahuja is a senior Olympic Sports Writer at EssentiallySports. With over 5 years of experience in journalism, Anchal decided to pursue her love for sports and cover various pathways of the Olympics. She actively covers swimming, track and field, and gymnastics.