Inside Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens’ Relationship Through the Years
Winter Olympics - Simone Biles And Jonathan Owens At Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena American gymnast Simone Biles and husband Jonathan Owens look on during the Men s Quarterfinals Playoff match between the United States and Sweden on day 12 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Photo by JMP/ABACAPRESS.COM Milan Italy PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxUK Copyright: xJMP/ABACAx
Winter Olympics - Simone Biles And Jonathan Owens At Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena American gymnast Simone Biles and husband Jonathan Owens look on during the Men s Quarterfinals Playoff match between the United States and Sweden on day 12 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Photo by JMP/ABACAPRESS.COM Milan Italy PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxUK Copyright: xJMP/ABACAx
From a COVID relationship to getting married in less than two years, gymnastics icon Simone Biles and NFL star Jonathan Owens made their moves fast. But what was their relationship sketch like?
Back in 2020, when the world was heading into lockdown and Biles into the 2020 Tokyo Games, the gymnast was the first to text Owens. And surprisingly, the NFL star didn’t quite know much about gymnastics.
"He would say I slid into his DMs," she told WSJ. Magazine in 2021. "I saw him, and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s pretty cute.’ And I said hi…and then I saw that he was in the Houston area, so we started chatting a little bit. And then we went to hang out a week or two later."
CINCINNATI, OH - NOVEMBER 02: U.S. gymnast Simone Biles talks with her husband, Chicago Bears defensive back Jonathan Owens 36 before the game against the Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals on November 2, 2025, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA NOV 02 Bears at Bengals EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon251102096
CINCINNATI, OH - NOVEMBER 02: U.S. gymnast Simone Biles talks with her husband, Chicago Bears defensive back Jonathan Owens 36 before the game against the Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals on November 2, 2025, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA NOV 02 Bears at Bengals EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon251102096
In the same year, Biles made the relationship official with an Instagram post, and Owens went to see Biles compete in 2021. Seeing the world’s most decorated gymnast in action must’ve been impressive, but Owens had a bigger surprise for Biles in 2022.
The NFL star proposed to Biles in 2022 January, and the gymnast’s excitement was reflected in her Instagram post’s caption. The 11x Olympic medalist said, “THE EASIEST YES,” before getting married to Owens in 2023.
But it wasn’t always smooth sailing between Biles and Owens, who, at times, had to go through trials that almost any couple do.
How Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Navigated Their Issues
In 2023, Owens received backlash for calling himself the “catch” in their relationship, noting that he never paid attention to gymnastics. But while Biles’ fans criticized him on social media, the gymnast was quick to defend him.
“I go on Twitter, and everybody’s like, 'Divorce this man, he’s mean,” she said during Alex Cooper’s podcast in 2024. “I’m like, he’s the sweetest. He praises the ground that I walk on. Truly, I’ve never met a man like him.”
And Owens proved her right. When Biles competed at the 2024 Paris Games and won 4 medals, her husband missed his mandatory training camp to cheer from the stands, proving himself her biggest supporter.
In 2026, Owens also showed massive support for Biles’ restaurant, Taste of Gold, at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Texas. And these kinds of gestures truly highlighted how they navigated through issues to uplift each other at any given moment.
Can you name another athlete-couple like Biles and Owens? Let us know in the comments.
Follow Gymnastics Digest for more.
Written by
Deblina Roy