Fans still can’t believe that Simone Biles’ husband didn’t know who she was when they first met! read more

Fans still can’t believe that Simone Biles’ husband didn’t know who she was when they first met! But he was at a football training camp during the Games.

“I never once was like, Oh, let me check gymnastics out,” Jonathan Owens says in a new Vanity Fair piece.

But the connection between the two was fiercely strong from the beginning. “Simone is definitely more laid-back than I am,” he says in the piece.

“That balance was really good for me; she was always making me laugh.”

Simone Biles on how ‘excited’ husband Jonathan Owens was to see her compete at the Olympics

Simone Biles says her husband Jonathan Owens had a great time watching her compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

During an Aug. 6 appearance on TODAY, Biles explained that this is the first time that Owens, whom she married in 2023, has ever watched her compete in person at the Olympics, so he was really “excited” to be there.

“He was so excited. He was more excited to pin trade,” she said.

Coined the “unofficial sport of the Olympics,” pin trading has become very popular at the Games, and athletes have been trading and collecting pins at the Olympic Village. A popular pin out there right now is the Snoop Dogg pin, which features the rapper blowing smoke rings in the shape of the Olympic rings.

“He was loving to pin trade,” Biles said of her hubby. “I didn’t think he would, but I did warn him that pin trading is really huge and so he absolutely loved that. And obviously, he loved going to see me compete. He was still keeping score.”

“For him, it meant the world to him because he’s seen the amount of hours that I put in, so to actually see in person, he was like, ‘Wow. This is amazing.’ He was just so excited to be there,” she continued.

During her time at the Paris Olympics, Biles won several medals, including gold in the women’s gymnastics all-around final on Aug. 1. The day after her big win, the NFL player, 29, posted images of her performance on Instagram, along with a pic of himself in the stands forming a heart with his hands.

“Greatness,” he began, adding a goat emoji to signify her status as an all-time gymnastics icon. “I love you so much baby. You accomplish whatever you set your mind to, and do it with so much grace. 9 time Olympic medalist and counting!!!! So proud to be your husband.”

Biles replied to the post with three heart emoji and the comment “my man my man my man.”

Owens has been the gymnast’s biggest fan throughout her Olympic run, praising Biles for winning a gold with Team USA during the team finals July 30.

“Witnessing history every time you step on the mat,” Owens wrote in an Instagram post.

The win caused his wife to become the most decorated Olympic American gymnast of all time — and he didn’t let that go unnoticed.

“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,” he wrote, concluding the caption with red, white and blue hearts emoji.

On the way home from Paris to return to training camp, Owens posted from the plane. He posted a screenshot of her scores from the vault final and wrote, “Even on the flight back!!! Can’t miss it!!! Another gold on the way!!!”

Read on for more on Owens, who has spent five seasons in the NFL, and his own legacy in sports.

Jonathan Owens is an NFL player

Aside from being married to possibly the greatest Olympic gymnast of all time, Owens is a professional athlete himself. The 29-year-old joined the Chicago Bears in 2024, signing a two-year contract in March.

After graduating from Missouri Western State, Owens entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, per his Bears bio. However, due to an injury in the offseason, he remained on the injury list for the remainder of the regular season and missed his rookie year.

In September 2019, Owens signed with the Houston Texans, where he spent the majority of the season on the practice squad. By 2022, he started all 17 games.

Owens signed with the Green Bay Packers in May 2023 and played in all 17 games in the regular season, starting for 11 of those matchups.

Jonathan Owens (Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)

He’s originally from Saint Louis, Missouri

Growing up in Saint Louis, Missouri, Owens attended Christian Brothers College High School, where he played football and was named linebacker of the year, per his Missouri Western State bio.

He majored in pre-physical therapy at Missouri Western State

At his first year at Missouri Western State in 2013, Owens was redshirted from the team. He then played through 2017, when he was named the school’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year, per his bio.

The school also noted that Owens majored in pre-physical therapy with the “dream” of one day becoming a doctor. Missouri Western also provided several other fun facts like Owens’ favorite food being sour worms, his favorite dessert is cheesecake and the greatest influence on his life is his mom.

Jonathan Owens and Simone Biles met online

Amid lockdown for the global COVID-19 pandemic, Owens and Biles exchanged messages online. She later confirmed to Glamour that the couple met on dating app Raya.

“He would say I slid into his DMs,” she told WSJ. Magazine. “I saw him and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s pretty cute,’ so I said hi … and then I saw that he was in the Houston area, so we started chatting a little bit, and then we went to hang out a week or two later.”

Simone Biles, Jonathan Owens (Stacy Revere / Getty Images)

When discussing how they initially met to Texas Monthly in 2021, Owens said that he didn’t know who Biles was when he first saw her on the app.

Recounting the story on a 2023 episode of the “Pivot” podcast, Owens said, “She pops up and I’m like, ‘Let me see who this is’ … I had never really paid attention to gymnastics, so it piqued my curiosity.”

Who’s the catch? Owens’ comments led to backlash

Following Owens’ appearance on the “Pivot” podcast, Biles’ fans criticized Owens for not knowing who she was and for suggesting he was the “catch” in their relationship.

The couple has addressed the controversy on multiple occasions. Amid the uproar, Biles referred to her fans in a December 2023 post on the X platform, writing, “Are y’all done yet?”

Then, in April 2024, she went in more detail on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast.

She said she was “in the room” during the “Pivot” interview and said she was “feeling great” as her husband spoke.

“So, whenever he did that interview, I thought everything was OK. “And then I go on Twitter, and everybody’s like, ‘Divorce this man, he’s mean,’” she said. “I’m like, he’s the sweetest. He praises the ground that I walk on. Truly, I’ve never met a man like him.”

The reaction, she said, ultimately was hurtful.

“So I thought it was hilarious at first and then they hurt my feelings,” she said. “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 and will do anything for anybody.”

In a July Us Weekly interview, Owens explained why he and Biles make a point to address the controversy.

“Our biggest thing is, we know that those people don’t know us from a can of paint,” he said. “I can’t base how I feel off how another person thinks I’m supposed to be … Everyone has a voice, but we do a good job of tuning it out. But sometimes you have to express yourself and let people know, like, ‘You’re in the wrong.’”

He proposed in February 2022

One day after Valentine’s Day, Biles shared a series of joyful photos on Instagram featuring the moment Owens dropped down on one knee to pop the question.

“THE EASIEST YES,” Biles wrote.

“I can’t wait to spend forever & ever with you, you’re everything I dreamed of and more! Let’s get married FIANCÉ,” Biles wrote.

On their engagement anniversary, Owens shared two pictures of the sunset moment in a gazebo. In one picture, they’re both flashing big smiles and in the other, they’re sharing a kiss.

“Happy Valentine’s Day to my best friend,” he captioned the post with two red heart emoji. “I can’t believe that it’s been 2 years since this amazing day, man does time fly.”

He continued, “You’re my rock, i feel like i can accomplish anything as long as i have you by my side. So excited to see where life takes us, I love you so much baby.”

Their weddings took place in the spring of 2023

Owens and Biles tied the knot in April 2023, marrying in an intimate courthouse ceremony in Houston. The couple celebrated their nuptials with sweet photos on Instagram.

Wearing a tulle white dress with a big bouquet of white flowers, Biles captioned the post, “I do 🤍 officially owens,” of marrying the NFL player, who sported a sand-colored suit with white loafers.

In May 2023, Owens shared photos from a bigger beachside wedding ceremony and celebration in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

“The perfect evening,” he captioned the post with a sparkle emoji. “The wedding was amazing and most importantly, my wife looked STUNNING. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate The Owens!! This weekend is one we’ll never forget.”

The stunning couple was all smiles as Biles appeared in a strapless white gown with a corseted floral pattern and Owens donned a beige suit.

The post sits at the top of Owens’ Instagram page as one of three pinned posts, all of which are from the couple’s wedding.

Owens and Biles were suddenly in a long-distance relationship less than a week after their destination wedding, the gymnast said on TODAY in September 2023.

Biles explained that she and her husband were newlyweds when he signed with the Packers and moved to Wisconsin to join the team.

They support each other at football games and gymnastics meets

Fans first saw a glimpse into Owens’ support for Biles in June 2021, when he shared that he watched her compete in person for the first time.

Owens attended the U.S. Gymnastics Championship, where Biles garnered her seventh national title.

“What an amazing experience,” Owens wrote, alongside a photo of himself and Biles, who is holding a pink rose. “First time getting to watch you compete in person and you didn’t disappoint. It’s so cool that I get to watch you do what you love, and be the best at that!! I’m so proud of you my lil champ. Trials up next and you already know I’m there!! Love you baby.”

Owens hasn’t been the only supportive partner over the years, though. Biles also proudly attended his Packers games, sharing kisses with her husband on the sidelines.

Biles also voiced how genuinely impressed she is by her husband.

She wrote on Instagram in January, “It’s been a helluva season & there’s so much to be proud of. I’m so proud of the work you’ve put in & the confidence you exude throughout your plays. I love you Jonathan! another football season happy & healthy in the books.”

Simone Biles, Jonathan Owens (@simonebiles via Instagram)

When it came to the Olympics, Owens had to take time off from training camp

Biles revealed in a June press conference that the Bears gave her husband time off from training camp to attend the Games.

“The Bears are actually granting him a couple days off from training camp, so he’ll be there, yes,” Biles said. “For just a short little time.”

Before he could physically be there, Owens shared Instagram stories cheering on his wife during the Olympics qualifying rounds, with a front row seat in the comfort of his bed.

“Let’s go!” he roared in the video. “Woo! Let’s go, baby! Looking good, baby!”

@jowens on Instagram

Then, Owens documented his journey to Paris to support his wife as she made history at the Summer Games, sharing a snap from the plane.

Jonathan Owens on IG story (@simonebiles via Instagram)

Sporting her new gold medal for Team USA around his neck, Owens was all smiles as he stood close to Biles in an Instagram picture.

“Witnessing history every time you step on the mat. 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,” he wrote with the red, white and blue heart emoji.

He flew home from Paris on Aug. 3.

They opened up about their bond in a Netflix documentary

In her Netflix docuseries, “Simone Biles Rising,” Biles called her husband “a shoulder to lean on” after a difficult time in 2021 when she withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics.

“Post Tokyo, Jonathan was just like, I mean, he always has a good head on his shoulders, and he’s like, ‘You’ll get back to where you were,’ and made sure I was staying on top of my training,” Biles said.

“He was making sure I was going to my therapy sessions and was trying to do as much as he could, without kind of being bossy, but he was really just like a shoulder to lean on because he saw like those dark times after Tokyo,” she continued.

Likewise, Owens expressed how Biles reciprocated the effort to make him a better person, inspiring the NFL player to go to therapy himself.

“She said, ‘I think you need to see someone,’ and I’m like, ‘See who?’” Owens said. “It’s a humbling thing because you have to go back and look at yourself in the mirror.

“You got to be able to talk about it and you know, I feel like when people don’t have that outlet to be able to talk, it makes you keep it in and that’s the worst thing you can do because that just builds up to the point where you’re not in control of your emotions anymore,” he continued.

“I credit that to her though, she really opened my eyes,” Owens said.

CORRECTION (Aug. 2, 2024, 12:44 p.m.): An earlier version of this article misstated the year Jonathan Owens signed with the Chicago Bears. He signed with the Bears in 2024, not 2023.