Simone Biles on the ‘mental toll’ caused by her husband Jonathan Owens’ hatred

Simone Biles is making it clear that she won’t tolerate criticism from fans of her husband, NFL star Jonathan Owens.

In the second part of the Netflix docuseries The Rise of Simone Biles, which premiered on October 25, the world-famous gymnast addressed backlash Owens faced after he hinted he was a “trick” in a couple’s relationship during an interview “The Pivot podcast in December 2023.

Owens, the Chicago Bears defensive end, also came under fire for saying during an interview that he’s never heard of Bileswho is the most decorated gymnast in history when they first met on dating app Raya in 2020.

In the third episode of the Netflix docuseries, Biles defended her husband, saying his comments were “taken out of context.” She recalled how her fans, who instantly became “Jonathan’s biggest haters,” lashed out at him, with many now calling him “Mr. Biles” on social media.

“Who’s going to go into someone’s (social media) profile and tell them who they can and can’t love? It’s just ridiculous,” Biles said.

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens attend the game between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers on January 29, 2024 in Houston.Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

“They equate our love to the number of trophies, medals and accolades I have, and that’s not how love is measured,” she continued. “It doesn’t reflect how much my husband loves me.”

Owens also spoke during the episode about the pain the backlash caused him.

“Just like you wouldn’t want someone talking bad about your relationship behind your back, it’s just disrespectful. It’s like you wouldn’t do this to anyone else,” the athlete said.

“At the end of the day, we are all human, no matter what you do,” he added.

According to Biles, fans on social media have a “false sense of reality.” They believe they “really know” the celebrities they follow and therefore feel comfortable enough to comment on their personal lives.

“Most of the time they don’t understand the mental toll it takes, especially heading into an Olympic year,” Biles said.

“I know we signed up to judge at the gym, but when you guys talk about him or my family, yeah, I’ll come to you guys,” she added.

When backlash began over Owens’ comments during an interview with The Pivot, Owens initially responded by posting photos from the couple’s wedding day on Instagram. “No worries. Just know we are locked in here,” he captioned them, adding a laughing, heart and crossed fingers emoji.

Biles used the same crossed fingers emoji in a comment on Owens’ post. “For life,” she wrote.

Biles too, it seems. responded to early criticism of Owens when she tweeted: “Are you done yet?” next to the image of a confused child by X.

But a few months later, Biles r disclosed how much this reaction hurt her when she talked about it more seriously during an episode of Alex Cooper’s series in April 2024. Podcast “Call Her Daddy”.

bileHe recalls being in the room during Owens’ performance on “The Pivot” and “feeling great” about his remarks. “I thought, ‘My man just killed this,’” she said.

But she soon learned that some of her fans had different views on his words.

“I go on Twitter and everyone is saying: divorce this man, he’s evil. I’m like, he’s the cutest. He praises the ground I walk on. To be honest, I have never met such a person,” she recalled. .

Biles also said at the time that Owens’ comments about him being a “trick” in the marriage were misinterpreted.

“He never said I wasn’t a catch. He said he was a godsend because he was,” she explained. “I have never met a person like him. A lot of people who meet him say, “Oh my God, I want a man like that.”

Biles wondered if perhaps her fans were just upset that she wasn’t shown with Owens during the interview, but she dismissed that idea.

“He has to have his moments too, and I let him do that,” she said.

Although the couple was able to laugh it off at first, the backlash against her husband ultimately made Biles cry, she said.

“I broke down one night and thought, Why are you guys talking about my husband like that?” she said. “You don’t know him, you don’t know who he is, and if anyone has met him, they know he’s the sweetest guy and would do anything for anyone.”