Simone Biles, 27, helped the U.S. women’s gymnastics team win gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris on July 31, padding her record as the most decorated Olympic gymnast in American history.
Her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, celebrated the accomplishment with a shoutout that caused bickering on social media.
“Witnessing history every time you step on the mat,” Jonathan Owens, 29, wrote about his wife in an Instagram caption. The photo showed the couple at a party on Tuesday — the day before she followed up that triumph with a victory in women’s artistic individual all-around competition for her sixth career Olympic gold — with Owens wearing Biles’ gold medal around his neck.
The Chicago Bears safety continued, “Congrats baby on becoming the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history!!!! Just wow!!!! 8 of them!!!!! So thankful I was there to see it.” Biles responded, “Means the world you’re here… My whole heart. I love you.”
While Owens, who received permission from the Chicago Bears to leave training camp for Paris to support his wife, intended to praise Biles with his social media post, people in the comment section took offense to the act. Numerous commenters called out the veteran defensive back for having the gold medal around his neck as if he won.
“Where is your PR team? Take her medal off of your neck! You didn’t win that and maybe if you put in half the effort she does in gymnastics in football you wouldn’t have gotten traded and people might remember your name. Quite literally couldn’t help yourself could you? You are her biggest OP,” one person wrote on Instagram.
Another person demanded, “There’s something very unsettling about you wearing her medal. Seems off. Give it back to her immediately.” Yet, a third social media user wrote, “Lol, Mr. I’m the prize. Holding the prize like it’s his.”
In contrast, supporters of the married couple came to their defense. A fan commented, “Y’all. Stop. Simone has very clearly stated this treatment of her man upsets her! We love her and we HONOR PEOPLE WE LOVE!! We honor their requests and their hearts.”
Previously, Owens felt the wrath of the internet in December 2023. The former Houston Texan player went viral for saying he did not know Biles was a world-famous athlete before meeting her online and claiming to be the “catch” in their relationship.
“I didn’t know who she was at the time,” Owens recalled on an episode of “The Pivot” podcast. “But the first thing that I saw was that she just had a bunch of followers so in my mind, I’m like, ‘OK, she got to be good.’”
Following the backlash, he received Biles stood up for her husband, while noting how hurtful those remarks about him being the “catch.”
“That really hurt that they were talking about my husband like that,” she said on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast in April, “because for me, it’s like, talk about me all you want, but don’t come for my family, never.”
She continued, “He never said I wasn’t a catch. He said he was a catch. Because he is! I’ve never met a man like him. A lot of people that meet him are like, ‘Oh my gosh, I want a man like that.”
The 27-year-old said she found it comical that people online were advising her to divorce Owen.
“I thought it was hilarious at first, and then they hurt my feelings,” she confessed. “One night I broke down and I’m like, ‘Why are you guys talking about my husband like this? You don’t know him. You don’t know who he is and if anybody’s met him, they know he’s the sweetest guy, will do anything for anybody.’”
Simone Biles began dating Jonathan Owens in August 2020 after they met on the Raya dating app. The now-nine-time Olympic medalist admitted she slid into Owens’ direct messages first and they began conversing from there.
The couple publicly announced their engagement in Feb. 2022. One day after Valentine’s Day, Biles tweeted, “I can’t wait to spend forever & ever with you, you’re everything I dreamed of and more! Let’s get married!”
Owens commemorated the moment too. He wrote, “Can’t believe that it’s been 2 years since this amazing day, man does time fly. You’re my rock, I feel like I can accomplish anything as long as I have you by my side.”
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens officially tied the knot on April 22, 2023 and a month later, they had an official wedding ceremony in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The U.S. women’s gymnastics team’s all-around victory saw Biles joined by Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee and Hezly Rivera.
