Simone Biles-Owens | Simone Biles-Owens and Jonathan Owens | Source: Getty Images
- Simone Biles married NFL player Jonathan Owens in an intimate wedding ceremony wearing a $120 dress and $35 shoes.
- Internet users slammed Biles for her seemingly unkempt hair, and the iconic gymnast made sure to respond.
- The couple met on a dating app, and Biles made the first move.
Simone Biles officially became Mrs. Owens after she wed NFL player Jonathan Owens in an intimate ceremony with just a judge present to officiate. The blissful couple shared their wedding snaps on social media for their fans.
Biles is a trailblazing American gymnast with an illustrious career that redefines excellence. With seven Olympic medals, including four gold, and an astonishing 30 World Championship medals, including 23 gold, Biles is the most decorated gymnast in World Championships' history.
Her achievements were further acknowledged when she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden in 2022. Meanwhile, her husband, Owens, humbly calls himself "a kid from St. Louis" on his Instagram bio. Still, he also has quite an impressive resume.
After attending Christian Brothers College High School, Owens studied at the Missouri Western State University to pursue a football career. While in his senior year, he was named Male Student-Athlete of the Year. After graduation, he joined the 2018 NFL Draft and became a free agent.
Owens went to the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft. However, he never made his rookie debut — he injured his knee during practice before the season began. Now, Owens plays for the Houston Texans in the position of Safety. Biles has been his biggest fan, always cheering him on during his NFL games.
The couple met through a dating app in 2020, where Biles made the first move. They got to know one another more throughout the pandemic, solidifying their relationship.
By February 2022, the pair got engaged. Biles claimed that saying yes to Owens' marriage proposal was the easiest "yes," as she couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with him. It took over a year of planning before they made it to their intimate wedding.
Many were surprised that the Owens chose a simple wedding with just a judge in attendance. The couple clarified that they were planning a more prominent destination wedding and wanted to get married in the US first.
The newlyweds were over the moon over their nuptials, so they quickly shared their exclusive wedding photos with their fans on social media. The images showed how happy they were to be one in marriage, featuring poses often seen in your typical wedding.
Biles chose to dress simply for their courthouse wedding. She wore a white tiered midi dress worth $120 and shoes worth $35, which she bought on sale. Since posting about her wedding outfit, the pieces have reportedly been flying off the shelves. Fans raved about her simple yet elegant look and wanted a part of it for themselves.
Admittedly, the bride said she ordered everything on the week of her wedding — from her dress, shoes, wedding bands, and even her bouquet. She said she didn't prepare for the civil ceremony as much as she was preparing for their destination wedding.
After exchanging their vows, the lovely couple had a simple photoshoot in several locations. They posed in an elegant-looking elevator and on a building rooftop for some post-nuptial photos.
But while Biles earned praise for her outfit, she was also criticized for her hair. In now-deleted tweets, people claimed her hair looked "unkempt," and others suggested she "should've laid the edges" and "could've at least gotten a lace in front." The comments sparked a debate between those who attacked her and those who defended her. But ultimately, Biles spoke up.
Seeing the comments about her hair had gone out of hand, Biles took to her Twitter and tweeted, "I think they also forget I live in HOUSTON TEXAS & I sweat those out!! Soon as we stepped outside for pics. But they can keep complaining idc idc idc."
Biles wrote her response under a kind fan's comment defending her, saying there were so many things to celebrate in Biles' life, yet critics chose to slam her for her hair. Many others echoed the kind fan's sentiments and told Biles not to focus on the haters.
The Owens didn't announce when exactly their big day would be. However, Biles hinted it would happen in a few weeks, so they decided to rush their US wedding. Biles spent months planning her big wedding. She had two gowns made by Israeli designer Galia Lahav.
As if that wasn't extravagant enough, the gymnast revealed she'd wear four dresses at her destination wedding. Their big day came in May 2023, when The Owens said their vows in Cabo, Mexico, in front of 144 guests.
It hasn't been easy for Biles growing up, having been under immense pressure as one of the country's best gymnasts. Biles was born in Ohio on March 14, 1997, to her mother, who struggled with substance abuse, and her father, who left them when she was young.
For most of her early life, Biles and her three siblings were often left without proper care and nutrition. They were constantly hungry, as her mom chose to feed a stray cat in their home rather than her children.
Simone Biles of the United States during the Artistic Gymnastics Podium Training at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 22, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. | Source: Getty Images
Their neighbors flagged the worrying situation to social workers, seeing that Biles' biological mom couldn't care for her children. The social workers deemed that the Biles siblings were best placed in foster care. "I don't remember a lot about foster care," Biles once admitted. All she was afraid of was being separated from her siblings.
Simone Biles with her birth mother from a video dated June 29, 2021 | Source: facebook.com/vsonwatch
Initially, they were all together in a home. Biles recalled running to her older brother's room to check on him for fear someone would take him away and he'd be gone in the morning.
Unfortunately, Biles had no choice but to be separated from her older siblings. When Biles was six, she and her sister Adria moved to Texas after their grandparents, Nellie and Ron Biles, decided to adopt them.
It's Nellie and Ron, whom Biles calls Mom and Dad. Meanwhile, Biles' two older siblings, Ashley and Tevin, were adopted by a great-aunt of theirs who lived in Ohio.
Simone Biles at the 2021 Costume Institute Benefit - In America: A Lexicon of Fashion at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
Having to endure so much difficulty as a young child, Biles was determined to rise from her situation. She entered gymnastics and made a lot of sacrifices to become a professional athlete, including quitting public school at 14 and opting for home-schooling to focus on her sport.
Biles has been an exceptional gymnast ever since starting the sport. While she felt like a normal kid doing a sport she loved, everybody else could see the talent and skill she had.
Biles did not experience typical teenage milestones, like attending prom or school events. However, she was in love with gymnastics, which kept her going.
Simone Biles of Team United States getting ready to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Women's Gymnastics Balance Beam Final at Ariake Gymnastics Center on Tuesday, August 3, 2021 | Source: Getty Images
It was in 2016 that Biles put her name on the board when she won four gold medals in the Rio Olympics. She also won a bronze medal in the balance beam.
However, shortly after the Olympics, Biles came under fire when Russian hackers claimed she took prescription medicine on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned drugs list. She quickly defended herself, saying she had been taking the medication since she was a child for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens at the Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Game at the Toyota Center on December 28, 2021 in Houston, Texas. | Source: Getty Images
Two years later, Biles emerged as one of the many survivors abused by USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. Over 330 women and girls accused Nassar of being sexually abusive. It wasn't easy for Biles to admit what Nassar did to her. Whenever her mom, Nellie, asked about it, she would deny it and get angry at the questions.
Simone Biles testifying during a Senate Judiciary hearing about the Inspector General's report on the FBI's handling of the Larry Nassar investigation on Capitol Hill, on September 15, 2021 in Washington, DC. | Source: Getty Images
However, while Biles was driving one day, the abuse finally dawned on her, and she broke down. She was on the phone with Nellie, crying hysterically, and her mom instantly knew why.
After finally accepting the situation, Biles became vocal about it. She wrote a lengthy statement on social media regarding her own experience of abuse with Nassar, and people rallied behind her to get justice for herself and hundreds of other girls involved in USA Gymnastics.
In an interview with TODAY, she spoke up to slam USA Gymnastics for their role in the abuse of hundreds of young women in the hands of Nassar. She said, "You had one job, you literally had one job, and you couldn't protect us."
Kyla Ross (Silver) of USA, Aliya Mustafina (Gold) of Russia and Simone Biles (Bronze) of USA pose with their medals in the Women's balance beam final on Day Seven of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Belgium 2013 on October 6, 2013 in Antwerpen, Belgium. | Source: Getty Images
The trauma she endured took a toll on her mental health, and it caused her to step away from gymnastics despite her stellar track record. She aimed to make history at the Tokyo Olympics by being the first American woman in any sport to win five gold medals at a single Games but fell short.
During the first day of the competition, Biles had stepped off the mat twice by mistake, which was uncharacteristic of the seasoned athlete. Despite the bad start, she booked her place in the finals.
Admittedly, Biles wasn't feeling like herself during the Games because her parents weren't in the crowd to cheer her on. They had always been there during her biggest competitions, and not seeing them amidst the crowd made her anxious.
Simone Biles of Team United States competes in the Women's Balance Beam Final on day eleven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on August 03, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. | Source: Getty Images
At the beginning of the team final, Biles chose to forgo her planned Amanar vault for a more manageable one mid-air and struggled with the landing. By the end of the team finals, Biles announced she was pulling out for medical reasons.
The gymnast also pulled out of the individual all-around, vault, and uneven bars finals. She later cited her decision to pull out was to protect her mental health. The Tokyo Olympics was supposed to be her final visit to the games. Still, she decided to keep her doors open for the 2024 Paris Games after being urged by her French coaches, Cecile and Lauren Landi, to consider joining.
Biles' achievements match those of Larisa Latynina of the Soviet Union, but Biles has more gold medals overall. She also ties in with Shannon Miller as the most successful American gymnast at the Olympics.
However, Biles has four Gold medals compared to Miller's two. Months after the Tokyo Olympics, Biles tearfully opened up about her struggles at the gym. She admitted to having mental blocks, which scared her.
Those mental blocks were evident in her Tokyo Olympics performance, where she could not execute what she had been training for. With her frequent mental blocks, Biles claimed she was afraid to perform her routine because she feared getting hurt.
Through it all, Biles credits her family and now-husband for helping her cope with all the recent challenges she's been facing. With his support, she can push herself to be the best she can be, and that's something even her coaches see.
Despite briefly contemplating retirement after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Biles returned triumphantly at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. A meticulous breakdown of Biles' Olympic and World Championships highlights her dominance, with multiple medals across various events.
Her impact extends beyond the international stage, evident in her stellar performances at the US Championships, US Classic, and other competitions, where she consistently clinches gold in the all-around and various apparatus. Biles and her parents, Ron and Nellie, have cultivated a legacy in gymnastics that extends beyond medals.
The World Champions Centre in Spring, Texas, owned by her parents, stands as a beacon of representation and inclusivity in a sport that historically lacked diversity.
Biles takes pride in the center's role in inspiring the next generation, emphasizing that "representation matters." The center, open since 2016, fosters an environment where aspiring gymnasts can see themselves reflected in those who have achieved greatness, irrespective of their background.
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