Red Flags For Simone Biles And Jonathan Owens' Marriage

When it comes to female athletes, one name that has gone down in history is Simone Biles. The gymnast, who has been through an incredible transformation throughout her career, has recently been in the spotlight again thanks to her magnificent performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. While Biles is giving us record-breaking gymnastics, today, our focus is on her marriage with American football star Jonathan Owens.

The two athletes met in the spring of 2020, made it Instagram official that August, got engaged in February 2022, and tied the knot in April 2023. However, even though their relationship might seem picture-perfect to some, there have been a few red flags over the years that we can't help but notice. From debating whose sport is more challenging to struggling with the inevitable distance between them due to their athletic careers, here are all the things that could potentially put a strain on the couple's marriage.

During a 2023 appearance on "The Pivot Podcast," Jonathan Owens said something controversial that put him in a not-so-kind spotlight. When host Ryan Clark asked the athlete if he thought of himself as "the catch" in his relationship with Simone Biles, Owens simply responded with, "I always say that the men are the catch." Of course, this did not sit well with listeners worldwide, and social media quickly turned Owens' statement into a heated debate. After all, what woman wants to hear that her husband thinks he's the catch in the relationship — especially so publicly?

When asked about the backlash, Biles herself weighed in on the controversial statement, revealing that she didn't take his words too seriously. "I was in the room. I was sitting on the chair. You just couldn't see me on the videos [but] I was there for the whole entire video," Biles revealed during an appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast in 2024. "He never said I wasn't a catch ... He praises the ground that I walk on. Truly, I've never met a man like him." 

In 2017, 20-year-old Simone Biles spoke to Entertainment Tonight, revealing her lack of relationship history. "I have never had a boyfriend in my life," Biles admitted. "At 20 years old I feel like you should have gone through those things and gone on dates. I have been on like, maybe one proper date." Soon after, she began dating fellow gymnast Stacey Ervin, and the two were reportedly together until March 2020.

Biles began dating Jonathan Owens that same month, which could potentially be too soon after her breakup with Ervin. Of course, jumping from one relationship into another doesn't have to be a red flag, but there is a reason why those we hook up with after a breakup are called rebounds. "[A rebound is] when people get into a relationship soon after a breakup, even if they're not ready to be in a relationship," psychologist Juhi Pandey explained to Bonobology. Of course, while love is unpredictable and doesn't follow any rules, most of the time, rebounds are just that — rebounds.

Simone Biles isn't the only one who struggled with the timing of the relationship. On "The Pivot Podcast," when asked how he managed to wow Biles, the NFL player responded with, "It's really how she pulled me, man. That's the question." This leaned into the narrative that he's the catch in their relationship. In fact, after Jonathan Owens and Biles had matched on the popular celebrity dating app Raya, Owens didn't message her — instead, he went on about his day. "I go do my workout and I come back and I have some likes on my Instagram," Owens revealed. "I didn't know who she was at the time. But like, the first thing that I saw was that she just had a bunch of followers. So in my mind I'm like, 'Okay, she's got to be good.'"

In the same interview, Owens admitted that he struggled with commitment issues at the time. "I was afraid to commit," Owens said. "It was my third year, and I hesitated, thinking it might be too early. But it happened when [I] least expected it, and we hung out, and we hit it off instantly." Of course, Owens' initial hesitation when it comes to texting Biles first and later on committing to her is what many might consider a red flag.

While it's not unusual for couples to fight (in fact, arguing with your partner can have benefits), consistent disagreements can be a major red flag. During a 2021 appearance on E! News' "Daily Pop," Simone Biles admitted that she and hubby Jonathan Owens argue quite frequently about their sports. "But we definitely get in fights all the time about which sport is harder," Biles revealed.

In fact, in an interview with Sports Illustrated the same year, the gymnast admitted that their argument about which sport is more difficult is ongoing. "He drives me insane with this damn question," Biles said of her at-the-time boyfriend. "Because gymnastics is obviously harder!" Of course, while this type of argument could be without consequences, it could also, in the long run, result in some resentment — especially if it continues being a common point of tension between the two athletes.

It's no secret that any type of long-distance relationship comes with a plethora of issues. Considering that both Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens are professional athletes with busy schedules and lots of traveling, one could say that their marriage is partially long-distance.

In fact, this is something that Biles even addressed in an interview with "The Today Show," revealing that the couple had to separate a week after their wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. "Right after Cabo he went to Green Bay and signed, and two days later, he was up there, so it's been different," Biles admitted. "But at least we're both busy and focusing on our respective sports, so it's been nice and we cherish the moments that we get together." However, even though physical distance doesn't have to break a relationship, when paired with a lack of communication and understanding, over time it can definitely become a red flag.

Being in the spotlight comes with plenty of perks and lots of disadvantages. For Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens, this means that their marriage will always be in the eye of the public and everyone will continue having opinions. Of course, it isn't easy to deal with fans telling you your marriage is doomed, which is why Biles is under constant pressure to defend her choice of marrying the NFL star.

Speaking of the backlash to Owens' "catch" comment on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, Biles said, "I thought it was hilarious at first, and then they hurt my feelings. 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." Of course, the public can't ever grasp the full picture, but it's safe to say that people won't stop commenting and giving unsolicited advice — and that kind of noise can certainly affect a marriage. Biles even had to address the backlash again, this time taking to Instagram, where she posted on her Stories, "Y'all are blatantly being disrespectful to my relationship and my husband. So I'm gonna go ahead and say this one time. Respectfully, f*** off" (via The Independent).