Simone Biles opens up about ’emotional damage’ caused by backlash against husband Jonathan Owens

Simone Biles has made it clear that she will not tolerate criticism from fans of her husband, NFL star Jonathan Owens.

In the second installment of the Netflix documentary series The Rising of Simone Biles, which premiered in October. On the 25th, the world-renowned gymnast spoke about the backlash she received for insinuating that Owens was a “gotcha” in their relationship during an interview on “The Pivot” podcast in December 2023.

Owens, a safety for the Chicago Bears, also drew flak for saying in the interview that he’d never heard of Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, when the two first matched on the dating app Raya in 2020.

In episode three of the Netflix docuseries, Biles defended her husband, saying his comments were “taken out of context.\” She recalled how her fans, who had instantly become \”Jonathan\’s biggest haters,\” lashed out at him, with many now calling him \”Mr. Biles,\” on social media.

“Who’s going to go to somebody’s (social media) profile and say who you can and can’t love? “It’s totally ridiculous,” Biles said.

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens at a game between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers in January. 29, 2024 Houston. Carmen Mandat /Getty Image

“They equate our love for the trophy, medals, and prizes that I have. This is not a way to measure love,” she continued. “”

Owens has also opened an episode for pain caused by the upside -down. “Just as you wouldn’t want someone to talk about your relationship behind your back, it’s just, like lack of respect. As if you wouldn’t do it anyone else,” said the athlete . “At the end of the day, no matter what we do, we’re all human,” he added.

Biles said fans on social media have a “false sense of reality.” They believe they \”really know\” the famous people they follow, which makes them feel comfortable enough to comment on their personal lives.

\”Most of the time they don’t understand the mental toll that it takes, especially going into an Olympic year,\” said Biles. “I know we signed up to be screened at the gym, but if you talk about him or my family, then yeah, I’m going to attack you,” she added.

When the backlash began over Owens’ comments during his interview with The Pivot, Owens initially responded by posting a photo from the couple’s wedding day on Instagram. “No worries. Just know we’re locked in here,” he captioned them, adding a laughing face, heart, and crossed fingers emoji. Biles used the same fingers in the Owens Post’s comment. She wrote “for a lifetime.” Biles also appeared to respond to Owens’ earlier criticism when she tweeted, “Are you over it yet?” next to an image of a child with a confused look on their face in front of an X.

But a few months later, Biles spoke more seriously about the backlash on an April 2024 episode of Alex Cooper’s podcast, “Call Her Daddy,” revealing how much it hurt her. Biles recalled being in the room while Owens spoke about “Pivot” and felt “very good” about what he said. “I thought, ‘My husband has ruined everything,'” she said. But she quickly learned that some fans had a different reaction to his words.

“I go on Twitter and everyone’s like, ‘Divorce this guy because he’s mean.’ I say: He’s the cutest.” “He praises the ground I walk on. To tell you the truth, I have never met such a person,” she recalls. Birz also stated that he was accidentally interpreted when he was “captured” comments.

“I have never said I am not a catch. He said he was prey because he was the prey,” she explained. “I’ve never met anyone like him. A lot of people that meet him are like, ‘Oh my gosh, I want a man like that.’”

Biles wondered if perhaps her fans were simply upset that she wasn\’t featured alongside Owens during the interview, but she rejected that idea.

“He has to have his moments too and I let him have it,” she said. While the couple may have laughed it off at first, the backlash against her husband eventually brought Biles to tears, she said.

“One night, I just couldn’t stand it, and I thought, ‘Why are you guys talking about my husband like that?'” she said. “You don’t know him, you don’t know who he is, and if you’ve ever met him, you know he’s the sweetest guy and would do anything for anyone.”