In Paris, Biles secured three more gold medals, in vault, all-around, and team, bringing her total for Olympic medals up to 11–of which, 7 are gold. Biles’ incredible talent, drive, and ability to overcome obstacles, including "the twisties" and a serious calf injury, were the main focus of Simone Biles Rising, but Biles did address the controversy regarding the comments her husband, Chicago Bears player Jonathan Owens, made about their early dating days, which garnered plenty of attention. Owens’ comments, the social media backlash that followed, and Biles’ and Owens’ opinions on the controversy are all included in the docuseries.
Jonathan Owens' Controversial Statements About Simone Biles Explained
Owens' Description Of His Relationship With Biles Received Significant Backlash
In a 2003 interview on The Pivot Podcast, Simone Biles’ husband, Jonathan Owens, made a series of fateful comments about the couple’s early days, claiming that he was "the catch" in the relationship rather than the other way around. Many listeners took offense to this, and the outrage at this notion was swift and heated. What made these comments all the more controversial was Owens’ insistence that he didn’t know who Biles was when they met.
What made these comments all the more controversial was Owens’ insistence that he didn’t know who Biles was when they met.
In addition to the implications that he was the one who was out of Biles’ league rather than the other way around (or, at least, many viewers’ interpretation that this is what he meant), many simply didn’t believe it was possible for Owens not to have known about or heard of Biles, which made the comments seem at best disingenuous and at worst hurtful. The couple met in 2020, when Biles had already more than made a name for herself as one of the greatest gymnasts in history.
Notably, Owens also suggested that Biles appreciated that he hadn’t heard of her, which does put his comments in a slightly different light. If one of the things Biles liked about Owens was indeed that he didn’t know her (and therefore could separate her legacy and celebrity from the person she is), then his comments weren’t intended to hurt her or diminish what she has accomplished. It’s certainly possible that this is true, but it was very quickly too far gone in the public eye. Social media users had already gotten their hands on the story, and massive backlash began.
Simone Biles Rising / Netflix The main rhetoric that emerged from this debacle was surrounding the nickname “Mr. Simone Biles,” which was meant to suggest that Owens’ identity was overshadowed by Biles because she was more famous than he was. Further accusations in this vein were that Owens wasn’t as successful as Biles and/or had made these comments because he was jealous of her iconic status and all she had accomplished. Posts directly calling Owens this name were not uncommon and continue even now.
The commentary also became about who is the better athlete, as Biles is an Olympic gymnast and Owens is an NFL player. Interestingly, this ended up being a precursor to very similar arguments about whether Taylor Swift or her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs, is more successful or more popular. It’s impossible to ignore the gendered implications of the entire argument, wherein many are offended because these conversations tend to diminish women’s work and accomplishments. However, both Swift and Biles have made it abundantly clear that they resent this discourse.
Both Swift and Biles have made it abundantly clear that they resent this discourse.
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What Was Simone Biles' Opinion Of "Mr. Simone Biles"?
Biles Is Tired Of Hearing About This Controversy
In Simone Biles Rising part 2, Biles makes it crystal clear that she is happy in her relationship, wasn’t offended by her husband’s comments, and wants the criticism of Owens to stop. She explicitly identified how tired she is of hearing about it and admitted to deleting social media off her phone, especially Twitter (now called X), multiple times, in part because of this controversy. Her exhaustion and frustration regarding the topic was palpable in the docuseries.
No one but the couple can truly know the inner workings of a relationship.
At the end of the day, while the public is entitled to their opinions and there are certainly conversations to be had about the gendered nature of this discourse, no one but the couple can truly know the inner workings of a relationship (which is the case for any couple, not just famous, incredibly successful ones). If Simone Biles is content with what her husband said and wants the criticism to stop, that should be weighed most heavily. As Biles made quite clear in Simone Biles Rising part 2, that is exactly what she wants.
Source: The Pivot Podcast
After stepping away from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to mental health struggles, Simone Biles embarks on a transformative journey. The docuseries follows her as she overcomes past traumas, rebuilds her gymnastics skills, and prepares for a triumphant return to the Olympic stage in Paris.
Cast Simon Biles
Release Date July 17, 2024
English (US) ·