Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens make up one of the highest-profile relationships in all of sports. However, that doesn't mean it's the most popular.
The Olympics star and newly-minted Bears safety tied the knot to much fanfare last spring. The tale of two standout athletes meeting on a dating app, becoming friends and then partners had reached its happy ending.
The public's perception of the relationship between Biles and Owens have changed in the months since their wedding, however. Much of that revolves around Owens, who made comments suggesting he was "the catch" in his and Biles' partnership during an appearance on "The Pivot" podcast back in December.
Biles hit back at Owens' naysayers on Instagram, penning a passionate post on her story which indicated that she was done with criticisms being leveled at her husband.
"I'm going to quickly address this, the joke was never a joke! Y'all are blatantly being disrespectful to my relationship & my husband. So I'm gonna go ahead and say this one time. Respectfully, f— off," Biles wrote.
"[And] if you keep commenting or tweeting at me I'm just going to block you. Simple as that," the gymnast continued.
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The response came one day after Biles shared snaps of her beau supporting her from the stands during the 2024 Core Hydration Gymnastics Classic. Biles took home the senior all-around crown at the event, the first of the Olympic calendar.
Jonathan Owens LOVED Simone Biles' vault performance. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/QKRh2VpZX6
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) May 19, 2024
Simone Biles husband comments, explained
The spark that seems to have brought all of this furor among internet users is Owens' appearance on "The Pivot" last December. In the podcast, Owens claimed that he was the crown jewel in his and Biles' relationship.
"I always say that the men are the catch," Owens said before mentioning that it took him some time to ward off fears of commitment before agreeing to date Biles.
Those comments set the internet into a blazing inferno. It was a reaction that caught Biles by surprise.
"He never said I wasn't a catch," Biles said on an April 16 appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast. "He said he was a catch because he is. I've never met a man like him. A lot of people that meet him are like, oh my gosh. I want a man like that, like Jonathan."
Initially, the remarks from random observers amused the four-time Olympic champion.
"I thought it was hilarious what people were saying divorce him, divorce him. All of this crazy stuff," Biles said. "And, like, he doesn't even like to say divorce. So I thought it was hilarious at first, and then they hurt my feelings."
As time wore on, though, suggestions that Biles should leave Owens began to grate on her.
"Then, like, one night, I broke down, and I'm like, 'Why are you guys talking about my husband like this," Biles said. "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."
Owens took to Instagram Stories to offer his own critiques about those who have cast him in a bad light over the past few months.
"Being fake mad about people y'all don't know from a can of paint is weirdo behavior," Owens wrote.