On an episode of “The Pivot Podcast,” football player Jonathan Owens opened up about how he met his wife and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. “It’s really how she pulled me, man. That’s the question,” the NFL player explained when asked about their love story. He went on to reveal that he didn’t know who the stunningly transformed Biles was, but that the two of them matched on the exclusive dating app Raya, and Biles hit him up soon after.

When host Ryan Clark joked that Owens was the true “catch” in the situation, the football safety replied, “I always say we –- the man –- [are] the catch.” He added that he was weary of committing to a relationship so early in his football career but that he and Biles ultimately hit it off. While seemingly said all in good fun, the anecdote ended up going viral, with corners of the internet indignant at the implication that Biles wasn’t as desirable of a partner.

Since then, the gold medalist has opened up about how the scandal hurt her, but not because of her husband’s words. “I thought it was hilarious at first, and then they hurt my feelings,” Biles said about the backlash in an episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. “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.'”

Biles was surprised by the catch backlash

Following the release of the infamous podcast episode in December 2023, the internet was flooded with discourse about Jonathan Owens framing himself as a catch and stating he didn’t know of Simone Biles before their relationship. “This is really odd that you would degrade your wife like this on a public platform,” an Instagram commenter wrote under a clip of the podcast. “You will forever be known as Simone [B]ile’s husband. You’re not the catch lmao.”

As they’re both accomplished athletes, Biles and Owens’ relationship has been pretty high-profile since they started dating in 2020. Even with all this media scrutiny, Biles revealed that she was super surprised by the backlash her husband received over his “catch” comment. “Whenever he did that interview, I thought everything was okay,” she said on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. “And then I go on Twitter, and everybody’s like, ‘Divorce this man, he’s mean!'”

While many of her fans were offended on her behalf, Biles didn’t take the comment negatively. She was even present during the interview, with the YouTube video of the podcast episode cutting to a giggly Biles while Owens recounted the story of how they met. “I didn’t think anything of that interview, and 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.”

The couple kept their response low-key

When talking about her husband’s viral comments, Simone Biles revealed that it hurt seeing her significant other discussed so negatively. “For me, it’s like, talk about me all you want, but don’t come for my family,” she said to podcast host Alex Cooper. She went on to add that she felt frustrated that she wasn’t able to “clap back” at the other social media users, choosing to keep things “classy” instead.

While the duo didn’t directly acknowledge the scandal, Jonathan Owens posted photos of him and Biles on Instagram a few days after the release of the podcast episode. The pictures included snapshots from one of the Biles and Owens’ two weddings in addition to more laid-back photos of them together. “Unbothered,” he wrote in the caption, adding a laughing and heart emoji before wrapping the post up with a crossed-fingers emoji. “Just know we locked in over here.” Biles also commented on the photo, including a crossed-fingers and kiss mark emoji before writing, “for life.”

The gold medalist also expressed her frustrations on X, formerly Twitter, amid the controversy. “Are y’all done yet?” she wrote, including a photo of a child scratching their head. While these coy social media posts conveyed to the public that Biles and Owens were still going strong, the former Olympian still expressed how much the backlash actually hurt her.

Simone Arianne Biles has incredible reasoning apart from her gymnastic skills. While her 4x Olympic gold medals are a highlight, her relationship with Jonathan Owens is also an exciting part of her life. Both Owens and Biles seem to be madly in love with each other and are not afraid to flaunt the same. Biles’ NFL football safety husband went gaga over the US gymnast when the duo were vacationing in Hawaii. On the flip side, Biles openly expressed how proud she was after Owens landed a $4.75m deal with the Chicago Bears.

Simone Biles took the risk of being labeled “Quitter” and “banned from America” when she pulled out of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Her reason, she stated, was to prioritize her well-being, acknowledging that there is more to life than just gymnastics. This moment not only highlighted the physical safety of athletes but also sparked an important conversation about mental health.

After a blast during Simone Biles’ birthday last month, now it’s Jordan Chiles’ turn to be at the center of attention and America’s most decorated gymnast isn’t going to back off from carrying out her best friend duties! When it comes to gymnastics, there are few friendships more to make fans gush than that of Biles and Chiles.

The sport of gymnastics, while celebrated for its grace and athleticism, has a troubling history marred by traumatic experiences for many of its top athletes. Despite their remarkable achievements, athletes like Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Maggie Nichols, and others have faced significant challenges within the sport. While Simone Biles and her peers have emerged as vocal advocates, shedding light on the dark realities of gymnastics, cracks in the system persist.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist said she “did a lot better than I thought I would do” after winning gold at both the national and world championships this year

Even Simone Biles has been surprised with how impressive she remains on the mat.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist, 26, made her return to competition earlier this year, adding both another national and world championship gold medal to her pile of career accomplishments.

Biles’ dominant return led to her being named the Associated Press’ “AP Female Athlete of the Year” for a third time in her career, as expectations she’ll compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics continue to ramp up.

Biles, who previously won the award in 2016 and 2019, has approached her return humbly, however.

She’s yet to declare herself for the 2024 Summer Games or to give off any inkling of over-confidence after stepping away from gymnastics for roughly two years, taking a break from the sport after 2021 due to “the twisties.” Biles told the AP she felt like she put herself into a “protective shell” while trying to overcome the issue in recent years, which she has said included going to therapy.

Biles smashed out of that shell in dramatic fashion in July when she made her return to the mat in Chicago, breezing to her eighth career national championship and her first since 2021.

“I did a lot better than I thought I would do,” Biles told the AP, admitting a bit of uncertainty upon her return.

The next month, Biles added her sixth all-around title at the world championships, officially becoming the most decorated gymnast in history.

“It means everything to me, the fight, everything that I’ve put in to get back to this place, feel comfortable and confident enough to compete,” an emotional Biles said after taking home another gold.

America’s favorite couple Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens just love to pamper each other, making their fans swoon at their chemistry. Even when things don’t go according to the plans, Biles and her man never fail to stand in each other’s corner to help them across the troubled waters.