Of course, her family was there cheering her on, including her husband Jonathan Owens, who could be seen on the sidelines cheering his wife on.
The couple recently celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary, with Simone sharing a sweet snapshot in her Instagram Stories of Jonathan kissing her neck.
But while he regularly shows up at his wife’s competitions and they seem to have a loving relationship, Jonathan Owens is one of the most controversial husbands in women’s sports.
The drama first began in December 2023, when a comment by Jonathan about being the “catch” in his relationship went mega-viral. Nevertheless, Simone and Jonathan both say their relationship is stronger than ever.
"my whole heart 🤎🤞🏾" she captioned an IG post of their sweet kiss after the weekend's competition. "the best supporter, I couldn’t ask for a better husband"
Simone is not only taking her family and husband with her on the road to Paris, but Netflix, too! Simone is set to star in the four-part docuseries Simone: Rising, which will premiere later this month.
"Her courage to soar knows no bounds, as this summer, she plans to return to the Olympic stage once again to do what she’s always done—be the best Simone that she can be," the press release teases. "Because through it all, Simone still rises."
Someone who will, no doubt, be featured in the doc? Her husband Jonathan. Here’s everything to know about Simone Biles’ husband.
He’s a safety for the Chicago Bears.
No surprise here...Simone’s man is an athlete! Jonathan, 28, started playing football during high school in Missouri, through college at Missouri Western State University, and now plays professionally in the NFL.
Jonathan started his NFL career in 2018 with the Cardinals before joining the Houston Texans practice squad in 2019. He then officially signed with the Texans the following year. A few years later, he became a free agent and signed with the Packers in May 2023, according to his official player bio. He signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Bears in March 2024.
He was in the stands at the Olympic Trials.
Jonathan was there to see his wife totally crush the competition at the Trials. After she aced her uneven bars routine, Jonathan leaped to his feet to cheer for his wife. He could also be seen clapping enthusiastically and pumping his fists—a level of enthusiasm we love to see in a partner!
Jonathan showers Simone with gifts.
Apparently Jonathan did a little shopping during the Trials to pamper his famous wife. After the start of the competition, Simone shared a photo of Jonathan in a car with several Louis Vuitton bags in the passenger seat in her Instagram Stories. "WHYYYYY," she wrote over top.
In another video, Jonathan can be seen kissing Simone, followed by the two clinking colorful drinks together. After that, Jonathan can be seen holding a pot of pink roses.
He praised her after she made the Olympic team.
Jonathan took to Instagram to give his wife a sweet shoutout on Instagram after she made the Olympic team for the third time.
"No words can describe how proud of you i am baby 🤎 " he wrote in the caption. "Just knowing all the work that you put in and everything that you’ve been through, and to still come back and be as dominant as ever, i was speechless."
"I’m so thankful to be [a part] of this journey with you, and i can’t wait to be able to watch you out there in Paris. I’m so happy for you babe!!!! 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷," he continued. "Cheers to going to your third Olympic Games!!!!!! Just sounds so surreal being able to say my wife is the best to EVER do it, how did i get so lucky 😌 I love you so much 🤞🏽🤞🏽.”
He’s going to the Olympic Games to support her.
Jonathan should technically be in NFL training camp during the Summer Olympics, but the Bears granted him time off so he can cheer on his wife, according to Simone.
"The Bears are actually granting him a couple days off from training camp, so he'll be there," Simone told People, adding that Jonathan would be at the Games “for just a short little time."
“I think it's super exciting that we get to be in each other's elements and supporting each other's dreams and goals,” she added. “It is these memories that we make that we'll never get back."
They first began dating in 2020.
Yes, Simone and Jonathan are a quarantine couple. The pair met in March 2020 via the dating app Raya, just before pandemic lockdowns began. But it was Simone who slid into Jonathan's DMs, not the other way around.
"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," she told the Wall Street Journal in 2021.
And, even though Simone is the most famous gymnast in the world, he wasn't aware of her greatness just yet. "I didn’t know who she was," he told Texas Monthly that same year. "I just hadn’t heard of her, and when I told her that, that’s one of the things she liked."
The timing worked out perfectly for the couple—the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Jonathan’s NFL training, suddenly freeing up their schedules, per the Monthly.
"We ended up hanging out right before the pandemic," he said. "It was one of the few times in her life where everything was just shut off and she couldn’t do anything. So we used it to get to know each other—really get to know each other. It created our bond and made it stronger. Now I’m so thankful." Awww.
They got engaged in 2022 and tied the knot the next year.
Jonathan popped the question in February 2022, with Simone sharing the exciting news via Instagram. “THE EASIEST YES,” Simone captioned her engagement photos. “I can’t wait to spend forever & ever with you, you’re everything I dreamed of and more! let’s get married FIANCÉ 💍🥺🥲🤎”
The couple got married in two 2023 ceremonies—first in an April courthouse wedding, then again in a larger ceremony in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The 140-guest event featured gold and white decorations, and Simone rocked four different dresses during the celebration, per People.
At the time, Simone explained to her followers why they got married in the United States before heading to Mexico for their ceremony.
"We had to get married 'legally' here in the U.S. since our wedding will be a destination wedding," she said on IG, per People.
During the wedding ceremony, Simone wore a while lace dress, while Jonathan rocked a beige tux. The wedding had a white and gold theme, and Simone later shared on her Instagram Story, per People, that the flowers were the most expensive part. “Who knew flowers were so expensive,” she said. The couple had eight bridesmaids and seven groomsmen, and they exchanged handwritten vows, People says.
He's close with his family.
Jonathan seems to be close to his mom and older sister. In 2020, he dropped several photos of himself with his mom on IG, writing in the caption, “Happy Mother’s Day to my ❤️ you have been my biggest fan and supporter through it all. I’m so thankful for everything you’ve taught me, enjoy your day beautiful 😌.”
He also shared back in 2018 on Instagram that his sister got him into football.
“Happy birthday sis! Who knows where I’d be if you didn’t force me to start playing football 😂 it’s crazy how close we are even though we 11 years apart, imma keep making you proud! Love you sis ❤️”
They support each other’s athletic careers.
Simone and Jonathan may have packed sports schedules, but they always make time to cheer each other on.
Simone shared a ton of Instagram posts during football season in support of her husband. “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 🤞🏾,” she wrote in the caption of one post.
“Love supporting you & your dreams,” she said in another post.
In mid-May, Jonathan shared a snap of himself and Simone sharing a kiss at a meet, along with several photos of his wife performing.
“Still in awe of last night 😍 Another one!!!! 🥇” he said. “You just never cease to amaze me baby, I love being able to watch you go out there and do your thing. I’m here with you every step of the way, wouldn’t miss it for the world 😌❤️.”
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“He’s a real man. I just, I love him," Simone told host Hoda Kotb on the TODAY show in January 2021. "We have a great time together. Our personalities match right up. We have the same sense of humor. And he’s just great. He’s an athlete, too, so we really understand each other, and I think that’s why our relationship has been seamless."
Simone is frequently rooting her man on in the stands, attending tons of his Packers games last year.
The same goes for Jonathan. He watched Simone compete in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 via livestream, since COVID regulations prohibited him from being there IRL. Plus, he joined Simone at the White House when she accepted The Presidential Medal of Freedom in July 2022.
"Words can’t explain how proud i am of you, this has been such a surreal experience to watch you receive your Presidential Medal of Freedom, and be the youngest to ever receive one at that!" he wrote on Instagram at the time. "You motivate me more everyday to be the best version of myself. Such a inspiration, i love you so much babe ❤️."
They're currently building their dream home.
Simone and Jonathan are building their forever home in Texas, per People, and Simone has been documenting the process on social media.
The massive home has a beautiful patio that overlooks the water, as well as spacious bedrooms and lots of natural light, according to Simone’s IG stories.
His dog has an Instagram account.
Simone and Jonathan are both big dog lovers, and he even has an Instagram account for his pup, Zeus. The dog’s Instagram profile calls him the “Most energetic English Bulldog you’ve ever met.” He also apparently loves “food, chewing on anything I can find, and taking long naps,” according to his bio.
They’ve argued over who is the better athlete.
Simone and Jonathan are both professional athletes, and apparently that’s caused some arguments over who is better.
During an appearance on Peacock’s 2023 Back That Year Up, Simone said that she and Jonathan have argued over which one of them is the better athlete. “I think we’re good at our own sports,” she said. “We’ve tried to pin each other against [one another] on, like, difficulty, ability and all that stuff. So, at the end of the day, gymnastics is harder—if he agrees or not.”
Simone said that she and Jonathan have “fought over” whether gymnastics or football is harder “a couple of times,” but decided once they got married that they wouldn’t talk about it again. “It keeps coming up every time, but he has done my workout in the gym and he can barely do it, and then I went to their NFL workout and I crushed it,” she said.
Simone has defended him after his controversial comments about their relationship.
In December 2023, Jonathan found himself in hot water after making some spicy comments about his relationship on The Pivot podcast. After sharing that he didn't know who Simone was when she slid into his DMs, Jonathan said he believes he's the "catch" in their relationship.
"I always say that the men are the catch," he said, adding that he was "fighting" against his natural feeling of being "afraid to commit."
At the time, Jonathan said he was "unbothered" by the backlash, posting the comment alongside a sweet wedding pic of him and Simone.
And, in an April 16 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, Simone said her husband’s comments about her were taken out of context and overanalyzed. “He never said I wasn't a catch," she said. "He said he was a catch because he is. I've never met a man like him. A lot of people that meet him are like, 'Oh my gosh. I want a man like that, like Jonathan,'” Simone told host Alex Cooper.
Initially, she found the comments funny. "I thought it was hilarious what people were saying divorce him, divorce him. All of this crazy stuff," she said. "And, like, he doesn't even like to say divorce. So I thought it was hilarious at first, and then they hurt my feelings."
Eventually, the haters got to her. "One night, I broke down, and I'm like, 'Why are you guys talking about my husband like this?' That really hurt that they were talking about my husband like that. Because for me, it's like talk about me all you want, but don't come for my family," she said.
Simone called her husband the "sweetest," adding that she's "never met a man like him. He still opens my doors."
The Dancing With the Stars alum later posted a funny TikTok about the whole situation, firing back at people who say she should leave her husband. In the video, she held up a piece of tape to the camera, repeating the audio, “It’s for your mouth. Let me know if you need a bigger piece.”
"To all my Twitter finger friends & etc. #fyp #sorrynotsorry #mindyourbusiness,” she captioned the clip.
And just a day after taking home first prize at the 2024 Core Hydration Gymnastics Classic on May 18, Simone gave a final notice to critics of her marriage.
"I'm going to quickly address this, the joke was never a joke!" Simone wrote on her Instagram Stories, per People. "Y'all are blatantly being disrespectful to my relationship & my husband. So I'm gonna go ahead and say this one time. Respectfully, f*ck off."
"[And] if you keep commenting or tweeting at me I'm just going to block you. Simple as that,” she added. "And no I don't need to touch grass or whatever tf y'all suggest...."
Simone did give a shout-out to all the fans who have been hyping her relationship up, saying she appreciates the support.
Go clear up those boundaries, Simone! Love to see it!
Jacqueline Tempera is an award-winning writer and reporter living in New Jersey with her many pets. She is a business owner and a double Scorpio who loves all things astrology and reality television. She is passionate about body diversity and representation, mental health, and the fight to end sexual assault and harassment. To learn more about Jackie, follow her on Instagram @jacktemp or visit her website at jackietempera.com.
