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Louise Thomas
Editor
Jonathan Owens has sweetly opened up to his NFL teammates about seeing his wife Simone Biles win three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 29-year-old football safety praised his wife during an episode of HBO’s documentary, Hard Knocks Training Camp with the Chicago Bears, which aired on August 13. Owens had just returned to training camp after cheering on Biles in Paris, as his coach Matt Eberflus showed a series of photos from the event. The pictures included one snap of the gymnast posing with her medals, along with another of Owens in the stands with his wife’s parents.
In response, Owens stood up from his seat and started raising his arms, prompting his Chicago Bears teammates to cheer for the women’s US gymnastics team. He then shared how meaningful it was to see Biles win three gold medals and one silver medal during the summer Olympics.
“I just got back off my flight. I had the honor of watching my wife get three gold medals,” he said, as his teammates clapped in response. “The most decorated American gymnast in history, so I got to see her make history. So I’m blessed and ready to get back to work.”
Biles has so far won 11 Olympic medals, including seven gold medals. She won a total of four medals during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Weeks before the Olympics, Eberflus revealed that Owens received the go-ahead to skip training camp and go support his wife in Paris. “Just because we respect the Olympics,” Eberflus said during a press conference. “That is a big deal. And he’s just supporting the one he loves the most. And I think that’s so cool that he gets to do that. We welcome that and it’s going to be awesome. Go USA.”
During the first episode of Hard Knocks Training Camp with the Chicago Bears, which aired on August 6, Owens was seen traveling to the airport as he was on the way to the Paris 2024 Olympics. He also revealed which of his wife’s gymnastic routines he enjoys watching the most.
“I like floor because I can see how powerful she is. I remember her routine. So it’ll be random times she’s on the floor and she does something,” he explained, while raising his arms up. “And I try to be up there, knowing the beats, just so I know what’s going on. I’m spoiled, I’ve seen her do it flawlessly so many times.”
He added: “I really really love to support her at the Olympics, you know. It’s just like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
However, when he was at the Olympics earlier this month, he was hit with backlash after he posted a photo on Instagram of himself and Biles following the US women’s gymnastics team winning gold at the all-around event. In the picture, he wore his wife’s medal around his neck and held it up, prompting fans to claim that he was “holding it like he won it.”
YouTube star Kiera Breaugh also shared a video to TikTok to claim that he should “take [his wife’s] medal off,” noting that he wasn’t the one who “spun like a top 30 times in the air and landed without stumbling.”
However, Biles herself didn’t hesitate to respond to the video in the comments, defending her husband from the backlash. “Crazy thing is, I put my medal on every single one of my family members and took pictures,” she wrote in the comments on August 1. “So don’t ever make assumptions. Like y’all are so f***ing miserable. Leave us alone.”
Owens has previously been criticized for his remarks about his relationship. In December 2023, he claimed during an episode of The Pivot podcast that he “didn’t know” who Biles was when they first met on membership-based dating app, Raya, in 2020. After he shared his belief that “men are the catch” in the relationship, he sparked criticism among fans, who pointed out that Owens’ wife was a successful Olympian.
In April, Biles told Call Her Daddy podcast host Alex Cooper that while she initially found amusement in the viral reaction to her husband’s comments, she was later quite hurt by the remarks.
“I thought it was hilarious at first, and then they hurt my feelings,” she explained. “And then one night, I broke down and I’m like: ‘Why are you guys talking about my husband like this? Like, 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.’”
Biles added: “Because for me, it’s like: ‘Talk about me all you want, but don’t come for my family, never.’ Because I’ve been in the limelight long enough where I can brush things off, have my little powwow about it.’”
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