Simone Biles is revealing how “hurt” she was by the public shade she and her husband received for his viral 2023 interview.
The Olympic gymnasts’ NFL player husband, Jonathan Owens, appeared on “The Pivot Podcast” late last year where he referred to himself as “the catch” while sharing his initial feelings when meeting Biles. The Chicago Bears player admitted to not knowing who Biles was when they matched on a dating app and how he equated her success as a gymnast to all of the followers she had on social media.
Owens went on to share how he “was fighting” against being “afraid to commit” to Biles around the time they started dating due to how early it was in his NFL career.
Biles faced backlash from fans at the time who told her to leave her husband and claimed she appeared more interested in him than he was in her. Now, looking back at the ordeal, the most decorated gymnast in history says she was crushed by the public’s perception of Owens.
“First of all, that interview had nothing to do with me,” Biles said on the Call Her Daddy podcast about her husband’s interview.”It was all for him. So I think they were mad that he didn’t include me in the interview, but he has to have his moments too, and I let him have it.”
She went on to clear up his comments on being “the catch” and noted that he never downplayed her role in the relationship.
“He never said I wasn’t a catch,” Biles 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.”
While she was initially amused by the public discourse surrounding her marriage, the shady remarks eventually got under her skin.
“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.”“Then, like, one night, I broke down, and I’m like, ‘Why are you guys talking about my husband like this?'” she added.
According to Biles, her husband is “the sweetest” guy who “praises the ground that I walk on.” He also practices chivalry by holding doors for her and making her feel beautiful. Seeing people who don’t know Owens personally bash him, “hurt” Biles.
“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.The pair celebrate their first wedding anniversary on April 22, as Biles prepares for a potential return to the Olympics taking place in Paris this summer.
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