Last December, Simone Biles and her husband Jonathan Owens went viral for a weird reason. They sat down for a filmed podcast interview, and Jonathan was asked a lot of questions about his courtship with Simone and how they met. Jonathan basically said that they met on Raya and he had no idea who Simone was, even though she had already won a million medals in gymnastics. He described Simone basically pursuing him and making the effort in the early stage of their relationship. He came across as a bit ungracious to Simone, especially when he claimed that HE was the catch and “I always say the man is the catch.”
Well, people were furious. And by that I mean women were pissed. There was a whole TikTok trend of women asking their husbands if they knew who Simone Biles was versus Jonathan (all husbands know who Simone is, only some knew Jonathan). People were yelling on social media for days. People were largely defending Simone as the undisputed goat, and calling out HER HUSBAND for minimizing Simone and her achievements. When Simone spoke to Vanity Fair for a cover story weeks afterwards, she was mad… at all of the people yelling at Jonathan. Apparently, she’s still mad about it too. Simone appeared on the Call Her Daddy pod and she talked about how people yelling at her husband hurt HER feelings.
Nearly four months after her husband’s viral interview, Simone Biles shared her reaction to the public criticism and people calling for her to divorce him.
“I thought it was hilarious at first, and then they hurt my feelings,” Simone said on the April 17 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast. “And then one night, I broke down and I’m like, ‘Why are you guys talking about my husband like this? Like, you don’t know him. You don’t know who he is. And if anybody’s met him, they know he’s the sweetest guy and will do anything for anybody.'”
“That really hurt that they were talking about my husband like that,” she continued. “Because for me, it’s like, ‘Talk about me all you want, but don’t come for my family—never.’ Because I’ve been in the limelight long enough where I can brush things off, have my little powwow about it. You’re not going to know I cried about it, but I be crying about some stuff. But I only cry about it because I can’t clap back. Just know that.”
Looking back at that moment, Simone recalled being in the room for Jonathan’s interview.
“I was feeling great,” she told Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper. “I was like, ‘My man just killed that.'” But then she read the social media reactions. “Whenever he did that interview, I thought everything was OK. And then I go on Twitter and everybody’s like, ‘Divorce this man! He’s mean!’ And I’m like, ‘He’s the sweetest. He praises the ground that I walk on.’ Like truly, I’ve never met a man like him.”
Simone then shared her take on why she felt people were upset about the interview. “First of all, that interview had nothing to do with me,” she noted. “It was all for him. So I think they were mad that he didn’t include me in the interview. But he has to have his moments too, and I let him have it.” The 27-year-old also said Ryan was the one to bring up the “catch” comment.
“By the way, he said it, but Ryan Clark said it so many times,” she shared. “Like, ‘Yeah, so you’re saying…’ It was kinda hyped up. You know boys, whatever, those conversations. They’re drinking their little tequila, whatever it is. So I think that was the thing. If it was that girls’ moment, it’s just different. That was like their fireside chat that they’re outside, hanging with the boys, whatever. There was nothing foul about it.”
I adore Simone but – lmao – maybe she should stay out of it? People were mad on her behalf, they were mad because her husband made it sound like she pursued him because HE is the catch, and he seemingly minimized her achievements. Now, if Simone is saying that she has a great marriage and Jonathan adores and cherishes her, then I agree, people need to move on. But absolutely none of all of that social media chatter was negativity directed at Simone. They wanted to ensure that Jonathan is treating her well.
#SimoneBiles husband says he didn’t know who she was when they met & says he’s the catch. pic.twitter.com/gnbUFerFot
— The Gworls Are Fighting (@baddietvv) December 21, 2023
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instagram.
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- Award ceremony, victory ceremony, Simone BILES (USA), 3rd place, bronze medal, bronze medal, bronze medalist, bronze medalist, jubilation, cheering, joy, cheers, artistic gymnastics, gymnastics, equipment final balance beam of women, apparatus final, women� �ôs Balance Beam on August 3rd, 2021 Ariake Gymnastics Center. Olympic Summer Games 2020, from 23.07. – 08.08.2021 in Tokyo / Japan. ¬,Image: 625180613, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: picture alliance / SVEN SIMON, Model Release: no, Credit line: Frank Hoermann / SVEN SIMON / DPA Picture Alliance / Avalon
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- Turnen Weltmeisterschaft 2023 Turnen: Weltmeisterschaft 2023, Damen, Finale, Boden, Sportpaleis. Simone Biles aus den USA steht bei der Siegerehrung mit Medaille und jubelt. Antwerpen Sportpaleis Belgien *** Gymnastics World Championships 2023 Gymnastics World Championships 2023, women, final, floor, Sportpaleis Simone Biles of the USA stands with medal and cheers Antwerp Sportpaleis Belgium during award ceremony,Image: 812060365, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO / Avalon
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- Turnen Weltmeisterschaft 2023 Turnen: Weltmeisterschaft 2023, Damen, Finale, Schwebebalken, Sportpaleis. Simone Biles aus den USA steht bei der Siegerehrung mit Medaille. Antwerpen Sportpaleis Belgien *** Gymnastics World Championships 2023 Gymnastics World Championships 2023, women, final, balance beam, Sportpaleis Simone Biles from USA stands with medal Antwerp Sportpaleis Belgium during award ceremony,Image: 812084182, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO / Avalon
The scuttlebutt bothers her because deep down, she knows it’s all at least partially true! I put myself in her shoes when he was speaking about her, and honestly, if my fiance said anything even close to what he said about being the prize (the prize only ever being the man in a relationship is just bold-type sexism, Simone!), not knowing who I was and not really feeling me at first, it would most likely be over! People who love and support you don’t minimize you and make you seem like a second or third choice. That interview was about him trying to put her in her place beneath him, and it’s tragic that she can’t see that.
Solidly agree. Well said.
Yes!! It hurts because it’s true!! But it’s easier to be mad at everyone calling him out than to be mad at him for feeling that way and saying it!!!!
One day she’ll realize…
All of this. It was the minimizing of her that was bothersome. And there is no way in hell that he didn’t know who she was. I mean, even if he wasn’t a pro athlete I would think it very dumb of him to not know the name of one of US’s top Olympic athletes.
Not even just top US Olympic athlete, but top Olympic athlete in the world. You’d have to be living under a rock to not have heard of her.
I would not be surprised if he brings it up regularly which would explain her feeling the need to continue to defend it like this. But that’s just me.
That’s what I think, too! I think she married a manbaby who is mad that people see him for what he is, and he’s making it *her* problem instead of reconsidering what he said with his own two lips!
@dragonwise – very well put. Makes me so sad that she’s making herself smaller to not offend his fragile pathetic ego.
Agreed.
Many of us have been “dumb in love” before. And I’ll just leave that there for wider interpretation.
Give it ten years. It’ll wear off.
I adore her.. but those Packers are always a bizarre bunch. Roger’s and Favre come to mind immediately, maybe Simone’s husband trade will enlighten him a little. (I thought I read he was traded if I’m wrong sorry.)
According to celeb net worth Simone net worth is 16 million and Jonathan is 2 million.
Excuse me, EXCUSE ME? who is the catch again??
Let’s see what he does/says/posts during the Olympics this summer.
Also, I saw a vid of people asking football fans who he is and who she is…. he is not a household name to many people. Every person asked knew who she is! I asked my husband (nfl fan, lotsa sports knowledge) if he knew of him and he didn’t. He does now, because of Simone.
Her husband went undrafted in thr NFL draft and was on the Packers practice squad for most of career. Of course he is not known
The whole thing bothered me because it seemed he was all “I’m a big deal too! Don’t forget about meeeeeee”, and unfortunately he did it in a way that seems to be the norm today – you have to bring someone else down or make them seem less in some way in order to embiggen yourself. It smacks of insecurity and immaturity.
The funny thing is he would have NEVER gotten any kind of interview if he wasn’t Simone Biles husband, period. He’s mid & will wash out of the league in another 2-3 years like all mid players in the NFL do
I too was once young enough to think that people taking issue with my partner disrespecting me was them being “bullying”. But he knew what he said. The choice of words was deliberate. And it has nothing to do with letting him have the spotlight for his own achievements. If she wants to be with him then that’s up to her but it’s clear what went on.
Well, it was negativity against her. Simone didn’t ask for random peoples’ protection. When people are trashing someone’s husband, they’re also implying the wife is too stupid to know the kind of man she married. They’re saying that they are smarter than she is, that they know her husband better than she does, that they wouldn’t marry a loser and abuser like she did. And now, what? Should Simone thank them for fighting an imaginary battle on her behalf?
Well, no.
What people are saying is more: abusers use language like this, so be careful here & watch for emerging patterns of behaviours.
Because only truly sadistic people blame the victim, & no one here is doing that.
Tbh, your post is extremely uncomfortable to read. Is that how you truly view how people seek to help others? Is that how you see victims, as stupid?
Your language is just as concerning as his.
I know I sound angry, but I don’t think people realize how their well-meaning concern can be viewed by the recipient. There was no evidence of problems with Simone’s marriage or that Jonathan was ever anything but respectful. He said one thing as a joke and everyone started painting their own assumptions and fears on him, even after Simone said they weren’t true. So, why are they treating Simone as a victim who’s unable to see a problem? Why isn’t her word about her own personal life good enough? Why is their arm chair diagnosis of the situation more valid than her personal experience? I know this comes from a place of concern, but once it’s been made clear that the concern is misplaced, then further insistence is just hurtful.
I mean there *Is* evidence he was disrespectful…because he disrespected her on a massive public platform.
I think this subject is difficult because most women have been in relationships where they were made to feel inferior and they considered it normal, whether because of youth, inexperience in relationships, full fledged abuse, or a combination of all of these. I had a nearly decade long relationship in my twenties where I was consistently devalued and abused and I told people to mind their own business. I understand that was my experience not necessarily hers. And it’s not like anyone’s demanding the police do a check here. But red flags are worth pointing out – and the fact that the criticism of his words makes her cry still (rather than his own words) is worrisome. In any case, she deserves better. But that’s up to her.
I second everything @kokiri said, but I want to add: No, Simone didn’t ask for protection by the public. But by marrying her husband, she should expect him to provide a level of public protection for her that he simply did not in this interview. In fact, in this interview, he went out of his way to disavow her attractiveness and success with his little quips about being the catch and not knowing that she’s one of the greatest athletes of all time, etc. And from being with her, he must have some understanding of the misogynoir she faces in her sport and in the media. So, instead of just refraining from speaking about her, he piles on? People weren’t trying to “protect” her, as much as they were pointing out that no one deserves to be publicly mistreated by their spouse. If your partner can’t find it in their mind to not disparage your public achievements by simply *not* speaking on them, they don’t respect you.
How your spouse treats you in private is one thing; how they treat you in public is a separate, yet *equally important* thing. The passive aggressive ways that people cause suffering to those who love them isn’t ok, and the public isn’t wrong for highlighting that.
The thing is that Simone didn’t see it that way and people are telling her she’s wrong and should see it differently. Right here people are saying she’s wrong for feeling hurt, she wrong for feeling protective of the person she loves, she’s wrong and tragic for not seeing her husband the way others do who know nothing about him. And the suggestion is that she’s wrong for even expressing her hurt because everyone was just trying to help.
It may be that she’ll stay blissfully married to Jonathan or maybe she won’t, but right now this is what she’s telling us, and I think it’s disrespectful to treat Simone like she isn’t a capable adult woman who knows her own mind.
I think people are overwhelmingly saying that *he* is wrong. If she takes that as people telling her she is wrong, she has work to do.
@osito – really? So telling her that she should stay out of any conversation about her own husband – that’s not a criticism of her? Insisting her husband is wrong, despite what she says isn’t denying her words? And if she’s upset by the assumptions of strangers, that’s her problem and she needs therapy? Yikes, that’s a lot of gaslighting to preserve a social media narrative.
People don’t have to agree with her that his behavior is wrong, and what he did in public, he can be publicly criticized for.
If she cannot differentiate between criticism for his public actions and people attacking her personally, she needs therapy. She doesn’t have to like what anyone says about him. She can offer counter arguments as much as she wants. She doesn’t get to claim that by criticizing him, the world is bullying her without pushback.
The gentleman felt he had to put her down so he could be lifted up. She comes from an abusive background and she’s young. I will say with my entire chest that she’s picked the wrong guy. NO ONE should allow themselves to be made small or make themselves small in order for a spouse/ partner to be big. He sounds insecure to the extreme. I wish her good luck with him. She needs to talk to Keke Palmer or Mary J. Blige and read up on Dorothy Dandridge and Debby Reynolds….
@Eurydice, everything you said. I also find it interesting that people ran with that one small snippet of the fuller conversation and immediately started making think pieces and telling Simone she should divorce her husband and telling her he’s exhibiting forms of abuse towards her. She doesn’t know her feelings, whew. That’s got to be rough. As she grew up emotionally with this man, this man supported her and loved her through one of the most challenging periods of her life, and Genpop is out here telling her that how she loves her man is wrong. I think this was a case of miscommunication, not gelling. As soon as I heard his statement, I got what he was trying to say and thought it was funny. It’s clear it was a jokey joke. Something they probably joke about with each other and with friends and family, but SM took it and ran with it.
She’s the one in the marriage with him and she knows how he treats her, what his attitude is day to day.
But given what he said, and what people were actually put off by about it, this:
.”.. he’s the sweetest guy and will do anything for anybody… ”
along with “You know boys, whatever, those conversations ”
… doesn’t really make any case for him, at ALL, WRT how he treats HER, whether or not he respects HER and acknowledges her achievements.
I’ve known guys who were real jerks WRT their wives, treating them like 2nd class citizens who could be that “sweetest guy” or “do anything for anyone” if it fit into their world view. And a spin on “boys will be boys” in 2024 isn’t a valid explanation for some guy acting like he’s all that and a bag of chips catch in comparison to his wife. Add in the Whose Sports Achievements are Bigger? aspect and even the sports-folks self-embiggening kind of stuff falls flat. Yeah, dude, you’re a pro football player, but she’s Simone Biles: GOAT.
I hope everything is good with them, and I hope someday it clicks that people were pushing back at his careless words because his statements came off as disrespectful and unappreciative of her.
I mean, if she’s secure in her relationship, it shouldn’t matter what other people say about her husband. Plus social media is not a real place.
This will be a very unpopular opinion — but I 100% agree with Simone. This is a classic example of how information doesn’t translate well in a thin medium. In text or as a quick soundbite, Jonathan sounds like a completely arrogant a–hat. But watching the interview, and listening to his tone of voice, and seeing the interviewers reactions, the interview comes off completely differently.
Watching the interview, it’s clear that he’s poking fun at himself for having been completely clueless about Simone and her accomplishments. He’s very sheepish that he didn’t know who she was when they met online, and obviously playing it up for the humor and irony. The interviewers are openly shaking their heads and laughing at him for having been so clueless, and he and Simone are laughing along. When Jonathan makes the comment (in response to teasing from the interviewers) about the man being the catch — he’s also clearly joking.
I think if that was the case we’d be hearing different things from her. And from him, frankly. I’ve said a lot of things in jokes that people misinterpreted in my life. I reacted to that with apologies and clarification – not making someone else do the labor of defending me.
And a lot of men couch their misogyny – mild or extreme – in “jokes”.
Idk this whole thing rubs me the wrong way…sorry. It’s her life to do with what she wishes. But I think he was deliberate.
I watched the interview, and I did not have the same take. The interviewer seemed more stunned and sheepish about what he was hearing than Simone’s husband was ashamed of saying it — I didn’t get the impression that he saw anything wrong with “not knowing who she was” (he sounded defensive, to me), and arrogant with the “I always say, ‘Men are the catch.'” I think he owned his hubris, so he gets to own the public’s reaction to it.
Look, it’s possible that he’s entirely wonderful to her at home and maybe got a little full of himself at the urging of the podcast host so ended up flexing into saying something that he doesn’t really mean and there’s nothing to really see there. That’s understandable although still offensive.
It’s also possible that he really believes he’s the catch and she’s lucky to have him and she doesn’t want to admit that to herself or the public at this time. Her not being ready to admit that her husband sees himself as superior is understandable as well.
But being upset that her fans were upset is not the position to take. The man voluntarily went on a podcast and said those things. No one pried into their personal life here.
I think it hurt people because she is a very successful black woman and we know that society doesn’t appreciate women like her enough most of the time. So, hearing this from her husband triggered a lot of people, parasocial or not. Also, it wasn’t just women. I saw a lot of men commenting about him not knowing who she is and thinking he is the catch. Simone is household name, everyone respects her sportsmanship, her success.
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Simone is the GOAT in her sport. She wears it with pride. She knows what she has accomplished, and that no one will ever beat her records (or at least not for a long time).
I think there could be a disconnect between functioning as an athlete and functioning as a woman. As an athlete, her achievements are clear, undeniable. Her goals are straightforward.
As a woman, she still has to function in a world where people overvalues mens experiences and achievements and undervalue womens, where even women downplay their own successes to avoid triggering jealousy in their male partners. Could that be what’s happening here? Perhaps he’s not as comfortable with her level of success as he should be, and she at the very least intuits that, and downplays herself in response? She’s not the first successful woman to do that. She’s better at her sport than he will ever, ever be at his, than it’s even possible to be in his. Even a self-aware man would struggle with that, and while he seems like he could be a sweet guy, he doesn’t strike me as all that self-aware.
To go from football star where most women you meet see you as an ultimate catch, where you’re fighting off the women who go after athletes, to marrying a woman who has already achieved more than you ever will–very few men could handle that–their masculinity is too fragile. That’s what’s so appealing about Harry–he knows his wife laps him in nearly every category (smarter, more talented, more life experience in the world as a functioning adult), and he’s proud of her–it’s no surprise that so many toxic men look down on him for that.
I think 24 or 25 year old Simone is doing what a lot of young talented women do–hold herself back in fear of making her man jealous/instigating his insecurity (which is his fault and his problem, not hers). I hope he’s a good guy who needs to do some self-examination, and not someone who will try to tear her down. We’ll see.
@Lanne yeah, this sounds very likely to me.
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We may not “know” him but he showed himself. I bet he gave her sh!t about it. What kind of a POS says that the men are always the catch, seriously? I can’t get over how awful he must be
Simone seems head over heels for Jonathan. Jonathan also seems head over heels – for Jonathan. I don’t know them personally, so perhaps that isn’t fair, but that’s the way they come across in pictures. I have a daughter Simone’s age, so just looking through that maternal lens, I would be a bit worried if my daughter was in such a seemingly lopsided situation. But who knows – maybe he just isn’t good at expressing himself, particularly in an interview. I do hope things work out for them because she is so clearly in love.
People aren’t going to thank you for saying their partner isn’t nice enough to them unless and until they’re ready to hear it.
Obvs rn she doesn’t want to hear it. I think strangers continuing to criticize her husband are going to make her defend him more, not help her see his unkindness the way we see it.
I’ve said this before but based on my experience with prodigy musicians (and this is similar) … she has been singularly focused from a very young age. She is not a well-rounded person with communities in school, church, hobbies, prom, etc…she has done one thing and one thing only, with only a few people around her. And that can cause an emotional immaturity and a vulnerability. Many prodigies are unfortunately taken advantage of because they just don’t know any better. She’s been so sheltered, all her life. She is not going to be able to discern his motives. I really hope she got a pre-nup.
I hope she’s able to get out of this relationship with her heart and her wallet intact and before they bring kids into it.
Separated by fall, divorced by spring 2025. Maybe sooner if she kills it at the Olympics; his ego won’t be able to handle Wheaties boxes and Nike deals.
Exactly this. His career in the NFL should be just about wrapping up around then anyways. Or his time as a starter anyways