Simone Biles Shares Why Her Wedding With Jonathan Owens Surpassed Winning Her 1st Olympic Gold Medal
Simone Biles ecstatically declares her wedding with football player Jonathan Owens as a pinnacle of joy surpassing her 2016 Olympic gold medal achievement
Simone Biles achieved her greatest dreams at her debut Olympics in 2016, but her marriage to Jonathan Owens quickly exceeded that.
"I have never experienced so much joy," Biles, 26, revealed to Vanity Fair regarding her wedding in May 2023, featured in a cover story released on Wednesday, January 10. "I was 19 when I won my first Olympics, and I thought, 'How can I surpass this?' My wedding surpassed it. It was the most incredible feeling."
At her first Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the gymnast won multiple gold medals. She currently holds the record for the most Olympic and World Championship medals, with a total of 37. Despite her incredible success, 28-year-old Owens claims he had no idea who she was when he connected with her on the dating app Raya in 2020.
"A lot of people don't believe me when I say I had no clue," he insisted to VF. "I never once thought about checking out gymnastics." After stumbling upon her Instagram profile, he was surprised to see that Biles has millions of followers. "I was like, 'Man, she has a lot of fans, she must be really good,'" he added.
Green Bay Packers safety, Owens, stirred up controversy when he compared himself to his wife in a recent viral statement. On a December 2023 episode of “The Pivot” podcast, Owens claimed that "the men are the catch" and shared that he was initially hesitant to commit to his wife, but ultimately acknowledges that she "pulled him in" despite his reluctance.
Courtesy of Simone Biles/Instagram
During the podcast recording, Biles shrugged off his comments with a laugh. As the recording came to a close, Biles jokingly mentioned that in a few years, she would be more recognized as "Jonathan Owens' wife" than he is currently known as "Simone Biles' husband." (On her Instagram bio, Biles lists "wife [to Jonathan Owens]" as the first item before her career achievements.)
Owens faced criticism on social media, but Biles appeared unfazed by his comments. "Are you finished yet?" Biles posted on X (formerly Twitter) in December 2023, along with a meme of a confused child scratching its head.
On the same day, Biles gave an interview on Peacock's 2023 Back That Year Up, where she disclosed that she and her husband argue about their athletic prowess. Co-host Kenan Thompson, alongside Kevin Hart, inquired, "Who is the superior athlete in your household?"
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"I believe we excel in our respective sports," Biles responded. "We've compared ourselves in terms of difficulty, ability, and other factors. Ultimately, gymnastics is more challenging - whether he agrees or not."
Thompson joked, "That's a diplomatic response, but here's the reality. I know your name, that's all I'll say. I know your name."
