Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in U.S. history, but not even her accolades can shield her from pranks casting doubt on her athleticism. The seven-time Olympic gold medalist got the last laugh, though, when content creator Sophie Angel made her the star of a viral TikTok.
The video began with the “content queen” pointing a camera at herself as she asked, “Do you sometimes wish you were, like, a little bit more athletic?” She then turned the camera to reveal Biles as the recipient of her question.
The 4-foot-8 athlete was seated across from Tangel with a laptop. The puzzling inquiry caused her to look up from her screen, appearing somewhat dumbfounded. She responded, “Is this a serious question?” with a confused smirk.
Tangel repeated, “Yeah, like, do you sometimes wish you were like a little bit more athletic?” At that point, the pint-sized stunner let out a laugh, leaned forward, and clapped back, “Do you know who you’re talking to?”
Reactions to the “rage baiting” prank were plentiful. “Her face actually twitched in her outrage! She was legit angry,” read one of them. Another person commented, “Don’t make Simone Biles grab her medals.”
@sjtangy @Simone Biles ♬ original sound – SOPHIE TANGEL
Several people agreed, “Real talk if she were any more athletic I’d probably be scared of her capabilities. Like her gymnastics is insane but imagine if she just could do all of them.”
A fourth fan wrote that Biles’ response paired with a smile “was the most polite way to remind her she’s talking to THEE simone biles,” and that Tangel needed to “have some decorum.”
Others, however, twisted the playful moment into an opportunity to criticize Biles’ husband, Chicago Bears defensive back Jonathan Owens. “That’s what she should have told her husband when they met,” quipped one heckler.
Someone else wrote, “And ur telling me her husband didn’t know who she was hahaha.” Owens famously claimed he did not know who the Olympian was when they met on the dating app Raya in 2020.
He caught flak for the commentary as well as boasting that he saw himself as the “prize” and not the other way around. On “The Pivot” podcast, the strong safety said, “I always say the man’s the catch,” before revealing he had commitment issues.
“I know what I like, & I know what I want” Simone Biles
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) December 21, 2023
Record setting Olympian @simonebiles doesn’t just go after gold medals. She also went after her man @jowens. @packers safety didn’t pay much attention to gymnastics. So when he matched with some gymnast 😂😂😂 he decided… pic.twitter.com/ua0I9mYLbl
“I was afraid to commit. I’m like, ‘Ah, man, this is my third year [in the NFL]. You know, I’m trying to, ahhh,’ I’m like, ‘It’s kind of early.’ But, you know, like I said, man, it happens when you least suspect it,” he said. “And we hung out, man and we hit it off instantly and just laughed the whole night.”
Despite the backlash, the NFL player and gymnast wed in 2023 during two ceremonies, one at a courthouse in Texas and a more intimate ceremony in Mexico. Biles has also denied any rumors suggesting she and Owens are expecting their first child together, but they are enjoying the new home they built in Texas, where they will reside as a family with their dog.
