Raya to the Olympics: Inside Simone Biles and her husband’s controversial relationship
Somebody get me on Raya ASAP
Simone Biles is basically the undisputed queen of gymnastics, and her new docu-series has pretty much dominated the Netflix charts over the last few weeks. If you’ve seen it, you’ll know what a badass she is. While her successful career remains the focus of Simone Biles Rising, I couldn’t ignore the fact that her relationship (which started on Raya BTW) is just so adorable. However, it’s definitely come with some controversial moments that social media was quick to pinpoint.
The couple have been together for four years, and got married in April 2023.
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Simone Biles and her Raya relationship beginnings
She met her now-husband Johnathan Owens on the famously exclusive celeb dating app back in 2020, and she, like a true icon, made the first move. In an interview on The Pivot Podcast, the 29 year-old Chicago Bears safety explains that he originally didn’t know his wife, but after checking out her profile, he thought her message to him “had to be fake”. Starstruck by his wife’s success, he joked that “he was the catch” (also a fun little nod to his NFL player status).
#SimoneBiles husband says he didn’t know who she was when they met & says he’s the catch. pic.twitter.com/gnbUFerFot
— The Gworls Are Fighting (@baddietvv) December 21, 2023
So where’s the controversy?
Many fans of Simone thought Johnathan reflected badly on The Pivot Podcast in December 2023, where he described himself as “the catch” due to Simone reaching out to him first. While it could just be a fun nod to his NFL player status, people were unimpressed, and users on Instagram felt that he was doing “the bare minimum”. An X (formerly Twitter) user commented: “Tell me this relationship is in trouble without telling me.”
However, Simone and Jonathan both say their relationship is stronger than ever, so it’s really up to you who you listen to. Sometimes it’s essential to step out of the Twitter bubble and form your own opinions. Crazy, right?
Will her husband be supporting her at the Olympics?
The 27 year-old has headed to Paris in preparation for the 2024 Olympics, but her husband has officially been granted leave from the NFL training camp to go and support her in Paris. The Chicago bears coach Matt Eberflus reassured the public that: “We respect the Olympics. That’s a big deal.”
He continued: “He’s supporting the one he loves the most. I think that’s so cool that he gets to do that, we welcome that and it’s going to be awesome.” Even he knows what a supportive couple they are!
Going strong
The couple recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary, and Simone posted the cutest picture of the couple on her Instagram page. The couple are each other’s biggest cheerleaders, with Owens telling USA TODAY Sports in June: “It’s just fun for me to be able to witness (her) greatness,” after watching his wife compete.
Simone agreed: “Anytime we can show up for one another in support, we just get super excited because our schedules don’t align that much, so whenever it does, it’s really important for the both of us to show up in support.”
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