Simone Biles’ husband, Jonathan Owens, will be watching over her at the Olympics. Why has he attracted criticism? AP photojournalist Abby Parr captures the four-time gold medalist in her artistic gymnastics debut at the Paris Olympics
FILE – Green Bay Packers quarterback Jonathan Owens and Simone Biles embrace before the NFC Divisional Football Playoff game between the Packers and the San Francisco 49ers in January. Santa Clara, California, 2024. Owens takes a day off from Chicago Bears training camp to watch Biles compete in the Olympic women’s gymnastics final. Owens has been criticized by some Biles fans for his comments about their relationship (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn, Filed)
Spectators watch from the fan zone set up at Hôtel de Ville, the city hall, as Simone Biles of the United States performs the vault during the women’s artistic gymnastics qualifying round for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Simone Biles of the United States has a bandage applied to her ankle after competing on the uneven bars during the women’s artistic gymnastics qualifying round at Bercy Arena for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Chicago Bears defenseman Jonathan Owens will take a break from training camp to cheer on his wife, American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles, during the women’s team final at the 2024 Olympics.
The two are set to marry in the spring of 2023. The pair are adjusting to life in the spotlight together, with Owens coming under fire on social media over the past year for comments he made about their relationship. Owens and Biles appeared in the podcast “THE PIVOT” organized by a former RYAN CLARK player on the broadcasting station last December.
During the show, Owens acknowledged that when they connected to a meeting in 2020, they did not know who they were. At the time, Owens was playing for the Houston Texans, and Biles is a Houston native. The two quickly hit it off and got engaged in early 2022. Owens said she believed she was the “charm” in the relationship, sparking outrage in the social media community. The 27-year-old seven-time Olympic medalist, who sometimes wears an “Owens” necklace outside of competition, expressed outrage when asked by The Associated Press earlier this year about his inflammatory comments directed at her husband.
“I wasn’t protected by him telling me to get a divorce,” Biles said. Bilz admits that she was originally taken by surprise suddenly. She was sitting next to Owens when she spoke and had trouble understanding that her fans were upset. “I was literally in the room watching,” Biles said. “I was laughing and thinking, ‘He’s so cute,’ because at the end of the day, there’s nothing wrong with him saying he’s a godsend because he’s, like, the best guy I’ve ever met.” Biles believes his comments were “misconstrued,” and while she acknowledges that putting themselves out there in a public place can make them vulnerable to criticism, she also believes a line was crossed. “They started getting really mean,” Biles said, “and I thought, ‘Wow, please stop talking about my husband like that.’ He was so soft that he didn’t say anything bad. “But you will learn.”
no. Owens has become a fans of gymnastics in the past year. He saw her won earlier this year in the American classic, American championship, and American Olympics tests, while her wife’s score and other athletes score was sitting with her family. I focused on frequent attention. He’s gained a greater appreciation for his wife’s stardom, maybe because it’s hard to miss the avalanche of NBC promos featuring her in the run-up to the Games.
“It’s like everyone’s a gymnastics fan now,” Owens said. “People ask me questions because even when I walk through the building I see an ad with her on it. It’s crazy.”
Biles injured her left calf during qualifying on Sunday but is scheduled to compete with five other Team USA women in Tuesday night’s team event final as the Americans try to return to the top of the podium after finishing second to Russia three years ago.
Biles will next try to build on the Olympic title she won in 2016 in Thursday’s individual all-around final. She also qualified for the vault, balance beam and floor exercise event finals.
Graves is a national reporter for The Associated Press, based in Pittsburgh. We cover the NFL, Major League Baseball, NHL, the Olympics and major college sports.
