As Simone Biles nears her return to the pinnacle of gymnastics at the upcoming Summer Olympics, she can count on the support of her biggest fan: husband Jonathan Owens.
In addition to being one of the most athletic couples ever—Owens is an NFL safety playing for the Chicago Bears—the pair are the definition of relationship goals. Biles has donned her beau’s jersey at football games, while Owens has attended all of her major meets leading into the Paris Games. “I know the routines. I’m getting the score down,” Owens told People of his gymnastics enthusiasm. “If I’m going to pay attention to it, I have to lock in. I’m going to go full in.”
But just like any other couple, 27-year-old Biles and 28-year-old Owens have had their share of ups and downs—with some fans unexpectedly questioning their relationship in recent months. Here’s everything you need to know about how they met, their 2023 wedding, and what their relationship is like today.
Biles and Owens met on a dating app
Biles and Owens met shortly after the gymnast ended a three-year relationship in March 2020. The pair connected as many Millennials and Gen Zers often do: through a dating app. In this case, they matched on Raya, the membership-based app known to attract celebrity users.
Biles made the first move. “She messaged me on the app, like, ‘Hey,’ and I’m like, ‘That’s gotta be fake,’” Owens told Pivot Podcast in December 2023. “I didn’t know who she was at the time, but the first thing that I saw was that she just had a bunch of followers. So in my mind, I’m like, ‘OK, she’s got to be good.’”
Owens, who was still trying to establish himself with the NFL’s Houston Texans, invited Biles for a visit. She accepted, making a 45-minute commute from a city suburb a few days later. The pair immediately “hit it off” and “laughed the whole night,” according to Owens.
In August 2020, Biles confirmed their couple status via a pair of Instagram photos.
Because the COVID-19 pandemic led to the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and completely disrupted Biles’ training schedule, she and Owens were able to spend a lot of time together. “It was one of the few times in her life where everything was just shut off, and she couldn’t do anything,” Owens told Texas Monthly. “So we used it to get to know each other—really get to know each other. It created our bond and made it stronger.”
They lived apart after their wedding
After Biles took an extended hiatus from competition following the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, she and Owens continued to grow closer. They got engaged in February 2022. The couple officially married a year later in a courthouse ceremony on April 22, 2023, before holding a destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on May 6.
However, their wedded bliss immediately hit a new obstacle. After a breakout season in which he started every game for the Texans the year prior, Owens signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers—meaning he would have to relocate to Wisconsin for his new job.
Meanwhile, Biles stayed in Texas to ramp up training for her return to the mat at the U.S. Classic and U.S. Championships in August 2023. “It’s been different,” Biles told Today’s Hoda Kotb. “But least we’re both busy focusing on our respective sports, so it’s been nice.”
The two continued planning for their future as well, starting construction on a waterfront mansion in Texas for when they are back under the same roof.
They’re competitive with each other
Given their high-stakes professions, it’s not surprising that Biles and Owens have a competitive streak even when they aren’t working. Biles revealed on Peacock’s 2023 Back That Year Up that she and Owens, who played college football at Missouri Western and entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2018, have had significant debates about which of their respective sports is more challenging.
“We fought over it a couple times and then vowed once we got married we wouldn’t talk about it again. But it keeps coming up every time,” Biles told hosts Kenan Thompson and Kevin Hart.
However, there really is no argument, according to Biles. “At the end of the day, gymnastics is harder, if he agrees or not,” she said. “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.”
Owens called himself “the catch” in their relationship
While Biles and Owens can ultimately make light of their disagreements, they have also defended each other following criticism of their relationship.
During his appearance on Pivot Podcast, a host asked Owens if he considered himself “the catch” of the two. “I always say that the men are the catch,” the Missouri native responded, somewhat in jest. The comment sparked backlash from some fans, who felt Owens had devalued Biles’ athletic accomplishments as a four-time Olympic gold medalist and the most decorated gymnast in history. Some even suggested the couple should divorce.
While Owens had his social media notifications turned off, Biles read through many of the angry comments and eventually revealed how they “really hurt” her. “I’m like, he’s the sweetest. He praises the ground that I walk on. Truly, I’ve never met a man like him,” she told the Call Her Daddy podcast in April. “He never said I wasn’t a catch. He said he was a catch because he is.” Later in the interview, she added: “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. Never.”
Owens recently spoke about the incident for the first time, telling Us Weekly he and Biles will continue to “focus on each other” despite the negativity. “They don’t know everything that goes on in our relationship,” Owens said. “As long as we stay tight and our bond stays strong, we’re unbreakable.”
Owens is supporting Biles at the Olympics
Just as she has cheered him on at NFL games, Owens encouraged Biles throughout the lead-up to the Olympics, saying he has yet to miss any of her competitions in 2024. “I definitely will say I’m a gymnastics guy now,” he told Us Weekly.
Owens is expected to attend at least part of Biles’ schedule at the upcoming Summer Games in Paris. The gymnast previously told USA Today that Owens’ current team, the Bears, would grant him time off from training camp later this month to accommodate the trip. The Olympic opening ceremony is July 26, two days before Biles and the rest of the American squad begin qualifying for the team gymnastics competition on July 28.
“Any time we can show up for one another in support, we just get super excited because our schedules don’t align that much,” Biles said. “So whenever it does, it’s really important for the both of us to show up in support.”
Whether or not Biles can win her second all-around title in Paris, it’s clear she’ll be leaning on Owens for inspiration.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
