Simone Biles loves challenges, even those against her man, Jonathan Owens. The multi-Olympic champion, who has won seven gold medals, posted a clip from her docuseries, Simone vs Herself, showing a rope climbing competition between her and the NFL football player. Although Owens had an advantage of over a meter, Biles easily won the race and the couple’s $50 bet (over 45 euros). In the caption, the athlete wrote: “Never underestimate a gymnast. There’s nothing better than a friendly challenge with your boyfriend.”
Now married, Biles and Owens officially announced their relationship on Instagram in August 2020, with a simple selfie captioned “It’s just us.” Since then, they have become one of the most adorable couples on social media, thanks to their sweet holiday photos, gifts exchanged during festivities, and moments of intimacy. Here is everything you need to know about the Chicago Bears safety and his relationship with Simone Biles, from their wedding to daily challenges.
Jonathan Owens: the Career of the Football Player
The 28-year-old NFL player grew up in St. Louis, where he began playing football in high school. In college, he then played for Missouri Western State University. Owens first entered the NFL in 2018, playing for the Arizona Cardinals, before joining the practice squad of the Houston Texans in 2019. He officially signed with the Texans in 2020. Then he signed with the Green Bay Packers in May 2023, before signing a two-year contract with Chicago a year later.
Owens Missed Training to Support Biles at the Paris Olympics
Owens missed training to attend Biles’ events at the Summer Olympics in Paris 2024, her third consecutive Olympics. Professional football players are not allowed to take too much time off, especially in the weeks leading up to the start of the season, but Simone Biles revealed the news at a press conference, saying: “The Bears are giving him a couple of days off from training, so he will be there, yes. Just for a short time.”
It will be Owens’ first time seeing Biles compete at the Olympics. At her first appearance in 2016, the couple were not together yet, and when she returned for the Summer Olympics in 2020 (which took place in 2021), no spectators were allowed due to COVID-19 regulations.
In March, Owens signed a two-year contract with the Bears. The team’s training camp this summer will begin on July 23, so he will miss a few days of training just when it’s Simone’s turn to step onto the Olympic podium.
“These are memories created that we will never get back, so whenever we can be there to support each other, we are super excited because our schedules don’t align very well,” Biles added.
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Challenge Each Other on Who is the Better Athlete
In December 2023, Biles appeared on the show Peacock 2023 Back That Year Up with Kenan Thompson and Kevin Hart, where she revealed that she and her husband constantly challenge each other athletically. “I think we are good at our respective sports”, she said. “We have tried to challenge each other based on, for example, difficulty, skill, and all those things. So, in the end, gymnastics is harder, whether he agrees or not.”
When Thompson said that Simone’s answer was a “diplomatic” one, the gymnast added: “We’ve argued a couple of times, and then we found a compromise once we got married. We haven’t talked about it since, but it keeps coming up every time. But he did my gym workout, and he can barely handle it. And I went to their NFL training and crushed it.”
Owens Proposed to Biles on Valentine’s Day 2022
The gymnast shared the happy news on Instagram with a photo of the NFL player kneeling in a gazebo. In the image, Biles is wearing a ruffled mini dress and black sandals with gold heels. “The easiest yes“, she wrote in the caption of the sweet shot. “I can’t wait to be with you forever, you are everything I’ve dreamed of and more. Let’s get married.” Owens also shared the proposal on his social media. “This morning I woke up with a fiancée“, he wrote.
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Married on April 22, 2023
The athletes celebrated their wedding on Instagram as well, sharing beautiful photos of their ceremony taken by Houston photographer Rachel Taylor. In the photos, Biles wears a four-layer white gown with a deep neckline and an open back.
“I officially want Owens,” Simone wrote in the caption of the wedding day post on Instagram, while Owens commented: “The wifey had an amazing ring. The first day of ‘forever’.”
Simone and Jonathan Are Both Loving Puppy Parents
Owens is a devoted dad to his bulldog, Zeus. He also manages Zeus’s Instagram profile, @zeusthebulldog36. Zeus’s Instagram bio reads: “The most energetic English bulldog you’ve ever met. I love food, chewing on anything I can find, and taking long naps. Son of @jowens_3. Aspiring model.”
Biles also manages an Instagram profile for her French bulldogs, Lilo and Rambo, at @thebilesfrenchies. The two athletic puppies are also featured on their respective feeds with photos capturing them together and captions referring to the puppies as siblings.
Owens Didn’t Recognize the Famous Gymnast at First
According to Texas Monthly, Simone and Jonathan met on social media in March 2020, but Owens initially did not recognize Biles from her Instagram profile. “I didn’t know who she was,” Owens told Texas Monthly. “I had never heard of her and when I told her that, it was one of the things she liked about me.”
Owens elaborated more on how Biles impressed him in episodes of Simone vs Herself. “Her work ethic was the first thing that struck me. I had never watched gymnastics before I started talking to her. When I met her, honestly, I didn’t know who she was. It was just kind of like, ‘Oh, she has a lot of followers. She must be really good or something like that.’ And I would tell people, and they would say: ‘Simone Biles? She’s really the gymnast?’ And I’d be like, ‘Wow, she’s that good? Like how did I not [know] that?’
The Pandemic Gave Them the Chance to Get to Know Each Other Better
Both Owens and Biles had big plans for early 2020, with Jonathan headed to training camp and Simone set to compete in the Summer Olympics. When everything was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they had more time to be together, according to Texas Monthly.
Owens stated: “We ended up dating right before the pandemic. It was one of the few moments in her life when everything stopped and she couldn’t do anything. So we took the opportunity to get to know each other, to really get to know each other. It created our bond and made it stronger. I’m so grateful now.”
Simone Says They Were “Meant to Be Together”
In an episode of Simone vs Herself, Biles explained how similar she and Owens are. “We vibe at the same level. We have the same type of humor. We are both athletic. We are both elite athletes, so we understand each other perfectly. It was like it was meant to be,” she said.
Owens told Texas Monthly that he loves Simone’s positive personality. “Her energy is amazing. She is always happy, funny, bubbly.” He continued: “It was a perfect match. There is no better person for me. She loves me, she’s so affectionate. I adore her. And it’s intoxicating to see how dedicated she is to everything.”
They Support Each Other in Their Athletic Careers
Biles told People that Owens is one of her biggest fans. “Oh, he’s always so supportive. Even when I wake up in the morning and say, ‘I’m tired, I have to go,’ he jokingly says, ‘Don’t say that. You can do it, this is your dream. He’s always very available and makes sure I stick to my therapy and everything else. He’s the best because he’s been through it too [as an athlete], so he knows exactly how the process works.” Jonathan had the chance to cheer on Simone in person when she won her seventh national women’s title. He posted a sweet photo congratulating Biles, with a caption saying: “This is the first time I’ve seen you compete in person and you didn’t disappoint. It’s so beautiful to watch you do what you love and be the best. I’m so proud of you, my little champion.” The gymnast responded in a comment: “I love you so much. I’m so happy you came to watch while I was in the middle of OTA.”
Simone Also Supports Owens’ Football Career and Often Attends His Games. An Instagram post from November 2020 shows Biles in Texans gear at the stadium. The caption reads: “You know where to find me on Sundays.”
Biles Called Owens Her “Favorite Person” in a Birthday Wish
Biles didn’t let preparations for the Tokyo Olympics stop her from celebrating Owens’ 26th birthday. On July 22, she posted a sweet wish on Instagram, with a carousel of highlights from their relationship. “Here in Japan it’s already my favorite person’s birthday. I love you so much. I can’t wait to celebrate you when I get home.”
She continued: “Thank you for keeping me sane during the craziest times. An ear to vent to, someone to share fun times with, and create the best memories. I don’t know how I got so lucky and what I would do without you. But I hope you have the best day ever. It won’t be as fun without me. Forever yours, S.” Owens commented under the post: “Thank you so much baby, I love you.”
The Couple Celebrated Their Anniversary with Coordinated Outfits
Biles posted a sweet photo on Instagram to celebrate her first anniversary with Owens, where the couple wears matching outfits for what seems to be a date night. In the photo, Simone and Jonathan are wearing orange looks, a t-shirt for Owens and a strapless top for Biles, paired with light distressed jeans and white sneakers. In the caption, the gymnast noted that the post was shared the day after their actual anniversary.
“Oops, I forgot to tell you that we’ve been dating for over a year. So happy first year to the best thing that ever happened to you: ME“, Biles wrote. Owens left a comment under the post, saying: “Time flies when you’re having fun. To many more moments with you baby.”
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