Shannon Biles, the biological mother of Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, made headlines recently for asking Simone to forgive her past misdeeds and explaining why she gave up her children for adoption.
Many took issue with Shannon claiming in a new interview that although she had reached out to her daughter she was waiting on her reply.
But the attention on Simone’s mom amid her successful run at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris led to a 2016 interview with the former drug addict resurfacing.
“When we signed the [adoption] papers, it was like my dad flipped a switch on me – no communication, don’t call, and don’t visit. That’s how it was at the beginning,” Shannon Biles told Daily Mail eight years ago.
After spending three years in foster care, then-6-year-old Simone Biles and her younger sister, Adria, were adopted by their maternal grandfather, Ron Biles, and his second wife, Nellie Biles.
Ron Biles’ sister, Harriet, adopted Simone’s two oldest siblings, the now-29-year-old Tevin and now-34-year-old Ashley Biles-Thomas. Shannon Biles had to give up her four children due to her substance abuse issues.
‘I was still using and he didn’t want me coming in and out of their lives when I wasn’t right,” Shannon explained in 2016.
“It took me six years before I saw my children again. I was respecting my Dad to let the kids’ transition, he felt that was the best thing for them,” she stated. “It was hard to give up my kids but I had to do what I had to, I wasn’t able to care for them.”
Simone’s biological mom met her biological dad, Kelvin Clemons, as a teenager. Like her mother, he too dealt with his own struggles and addictions. At the time Shannon stated that they did not have a relationship but that Clemons would call and ask about how the children were doing.
Daily Mail interviewed Shannon Biles again in August 2024. Despite being estranged from the seven-time Olympic gold medalist, Shannon expressed wanting to reconnect with Simone Biles.
“I would like to make amends with Simone personally – I’m just waiting for her and [her younger sister] Adria. I speak to Adria more than I speak to Simone. I would just ask her to forgive me. Can we move forward? Don’t judge me on my past. Let’s move forward,” Shannon said.
Her public request to reconcile with her daughter was met with negative reactions online. Social media users blasted the 52-year-old Ohio native for trying to reenter Simone’s life as the 27-year-old athlete continues to dominate gymnastics.
“The best thing she can do is leave her adult children alone. They have enough drama in their young lives and they have overcome obstacles and sorrows,” one person posted in the Daily Mail’s comment section.
Simone Biles has been open about her mental health struggles. In addition, the 4’8″ multi-time world champion was among the women sexually abused by former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar.
Her siblings have had their life struggles. Her brother Tevin Biles-Thomas was charged with murder for a New Year’s Eve shooting in 2019. He was acquitted of all charges in 2021. Sister Ashley Biles-Thomas pled guilty to charges of drug trafficking, assault, and driving under the influence between 2015 and 2021.
“I’m a fan of forgiveness and moving forward, but abandoning your babies is going too far. At this point, the kids have probably made peace with their past and have moved on as best they can, reopening that can of worms might do more harm than good,” another Daily Mail commenter wrote about Shannon seeking to reconcile with her children.
Shannon Biles claims to be clean and sober now but acknowledges she remains a recovering drug addict. After years of run-ins with the law, including an assault conviction in January 2020, she also insists her days of criminality are over.
Meanwhile, Simone added more accolades to her legendary Olympic run at the 2024 Games. She won four additional medals in Paris to raise her career total to 11, making her the most decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympic history.
Simone often celebrates her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, for his support. She previously credited her adoptive parents, Ron and Nellie Biles, for saving her life and encouraging her dreams.
“My parents saved me,” Simone Biles said in 2017. “They’ve set huge examples of how to treat other people, and they’ve been there to support me since day one. There’s nothing I could say to them to thank them enough.”
