Simone Biles just can’t seem to escape the internet trolls following years of criticism about her hair.
On Sept. 23, what started off as a joke turned into a regurgitated conversation about the athlete’s hair. Sydney, a tattoo artist based in Scottsdale, Arizona, posted a video of her revealing Biles’ neck tattoo that she did two days earlier.
The video meant to reveal the before and after results of a neck tattoo that said “Made In Heaven,” shows only a close view of the back of a person’s head and neck.
Although Biles was tagged in the post, The Shade Room played a guessing game with their followers asking “#Roomies can you guess which female icon recently got this tattoo?”
Immediately, fans were able to identify that Biles was the subject based on how her hair was styled in her signature messy bun. The low-maintenance style is often her go-to when competing during regular competitions or the Olympics.
One person identified her writing, “Simone Biles We know the back of her head anywhere.”
But others took the joke to another level by making fun of the upkeep of the 27-year-old’s hair.
One person said, “I knew that was Simone she ain’t never got her hair done.” A second person who seemed annoyed said, “Like why does she do this just get a perm at this point sick of her.” Another wrote, “It’s the nappy hair and high ponytail that gave it away for me!”
Defenders of Biles said, “Black women negatively commenting on another black woman’s hair is very… anti-black,” and “The self hate smh no one has amazing hair like us. #theynotlikeus period!”
Biles has been battling comments about her hair for years prior to becoming the world’s most decorated gymnast in 2016. So much so that she’s either had to clap back or beat fans to the punch.
Just earlier this year, ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Biles shared a photo of herself on her Instagram story with her hair up in a ponytail. She wrote, “Don’t come for me about my hair. IT WAS DONE but [the] bus has NO AC & it’s like 9,0000 degrees. Oh & a 45 min ride,” while holding what appears to be a fan in her hand.
In a second clip on her Instagram story, she said, “Gonna hold your hand when I say this. next time you wanna comment on a black girls hair. JUST DON’T.”
If you notice Simone Biles's hair when she does stuff so epic that they have to warn judges in advance that they've never seen it before, you notice the wrong dang thing. https://t.co/ZWYFdAqKa7 pic.twitter.com/FMRfkaGuXf
— John McQuiston (@JohnMcQuiston) July 30, 2024
Some fans have expressed having an issue with her edges not being slicked down or not appearing as polished as some would prefer.
In a July interview with Elle this year, she said, “Most of the backlash we get is from our own community, which is unfortunate. I don’t really care if my edges aren’t smooth.”
She continued, “I used to worry about [my hair being considered] not professional,” she added. “But I’m not embarrassed about it anymore.”
Instead, the 11-time Olympic medalist has been putting her focus into her next venture outside of sports. Biles recently revealed plans to open a food business called “Taste of Gold” in partnership with The Playmaker Group in her hometown of Houston. The restaurant will be opened at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport early 2025, according to local outlet Click2Houston.com
As a response to the news, Biles said, “I am very excited to partner with The Playmakers Group and their dedicated team to help bring a new restaurant to my hometown airport. I am a foodie at heart, and our hope with Taste of Gold is to offer a beautiful dining experience that features award-winning, signature menu items with some of my favorite flavors sprinkled in for our guests.”
