Jonathan Owens makes candid admission about early stages of Simone Biles relationship
The NFL player and gymnastics Olympian have been together since 2020, and married in 2023.
As a professional football player who has been in the NFL since 2018, Jonathan Owens already knew what being in the public eye was like before he even met Simone Biles . But once the NFL safety and Olympic gold medalist began dating, everything was taken to a whole other level for Owens.
By 2020, Owens wasn't yet a known commodity in the football world , still trying to carve out a role as a special teams ace with the flexibility to step in in defensive situations if called upon. That year, he met Biles and the spotlight was on him like never before . That didn't affect his on-field performance; in fact, it seemed to make him better.
Owens began earning defensive reps in 2021 with the Houston Texans , then became a full-time starter in 2022. He then signed with the Green Bay Packers in 2023 and the Chicago Bears the year after, playing in all 17 games from 2022 to 2025. Biles was there every step of the way. Owens used her presence as a plus, but it wasn't always easy .
Jonathan Owens had a tough time adjusting to so much fame with Simone Biles by his side
In a recent interview with The Athletic , Owens candidly admitted that the early stages of his relationship with Biles were tough, as he had to adjust to newfound fame that he wasn't familiar with .
It was tough at first because I'm a pretty quiet, private person. It almost makes you a shell of yourself, at first, because of all the criticism. They've got something to say about everything you do. That was my first time of really, really being in the public eye and people trying to hate on you — 'Oh, you're Mr. Biles!' — and stuff like that. But that's what comes with it. You take the good with the bad, and at the end of the day, I'm living my dream.
Owens referenced his controversial statement in 2023 when he said that " men are the catch " during an interview. His comment drew a lot of backlash, flinging him into the unwanted limelight.
Since then, Owens has seemingly welcomed the spotlight, whether it be positive or negative.
