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Simone Biles has shared new updates on the massive Texas mansion she is building with her NFL star husband, Jonathan Owens, after he sparked furious backlash when he admitted he didn’t know who his wife was when they first met.

The 26-year-old gold medalist – who recently returned to gymnastics for the first time in two years and confirmed that she’s hoping to compete in the 2024 Olympics – took a break from her busy schedule to check on the progress of what will soon be her new abode.

She shared a few snaps to her Instagram Story as she showed off the progress of her mega mansion.

The gymnast documented the interior of the home – seemingly ignoring the social media firestorm that has surrounded her relationship after Jonathan, 28, claimed he had no clue who Simone was before they began dating.

In one snap, her pup sat on some wooden planks lying on the floor while looking at the covered-up glass doors.

In another image, Simone gave people a sneak peek at the laundry room, which had been complete with the baseboards of cabinets.

The progress photos come as her spouse was slammed after he admitted he had no clue who Simone was when they began dating.

The pair met on the celebrity dating app, Raya.

Simone Biles

During an appearance of The Pivot Podcast, he revealed that he had never paid attention to gymnastics.

‘Literally had been on the app for a couple of days, man, and it’s like she pops up and, I’m like “Let me see who this is.” I had never really paid attention to gymnastics, so it piqued my curiosity,’ Jonathan shared.

‘I go do my workout, and I come back and I had some likes on my Instagram. I still waited and then I come back to my phone, and then she messaged me on the app like, “Hey.”

‘I didn’t know who she was at the time, but the first thing that I saw was that she just had a bunch of followers so in my mind, I’m like, “OK, she got to be good.”‘

He then recalled the first time they hung out before referring to himself as the ‘catch.’

‘She came through, she lived in the suburbs so she had to drive about 45 minutes to get to me, then the rest is history… I always say we the men that’s the catch man. I always say that,’ the NFL star said.

His comments sparked furious outrage amongst fans who branded him ‘Mr. Simone Biles’ and told him he should be more like Travis Kelce – who has been known for praising his popstar girlfriend, Taylor Swift.

Despite the drama, the gymnast seems to be focusing on building their home together.

She has previously shared a slew of snaps of her mega mansion.

In a previous photo from November, Simone couldn’t hide her excitement as she grinned from ear-to-ear while posing in her mega mansion.

At the time, the athlete seemed overjoyed that one section of the home had drywall.

We have drywall,’ she wrote with the crying face emoji.

In addition to the drywall, Simone was ecstatic that the sliding doors were complete as she shared an image of the jaw-dropping view.

She also proved that she wasn’t afraid to get dirty for the sake of the home as she previously shared a photo of the dirt-covered boots she changed into from her Prada slides before walking into the home.

Simone uploaded a snap of one section of the home that boasted high ceilings, wooden beams, and was clearly still undergoing construction.

But the building process hasn’t been smooth sailing.

In the past, Simone shared that she had spent six hours at the house overseeing its progress one day.

Just last month, she showcased the hallway, and sliding doors.

‘Can’t decide if this is the hallway of my dreams or the ones that in my nightmares lmao,’ she joked in a snap, which featured a long corridor that was still in the midst of being constructed.

Then, Simone gave fans a closer look at the stunning lake behind the home that was surrounded by greenery.

‘This is my favorite view,’ she gushed.

The Olympian then showed off the outside of the sprawling mansion, adding, ’tiles are in,’ with a ton of exclamation marks.

Simone first revealed that she and Jonathan, who wed in April, were building a home together in March.

At the time, she shared a selfie of her and the 28-year-old football pro standing on a large piece of bare land, which she captioned: ‘A home is made with love and dreams. Cheers to breaking ground.’

Since then, she has continuously documented the progress on her Instagram.

In August, she celebrated with her followers when the first set of stairs in the home were completed.

She shared that she was planning to include a master bedroom with a private balcony, a game room, wet bar, theater, and bathroom on the second floor.

The property is thought to be in the greater Houston area, where Simone spent her childhood.

The athlete made a triumphant return to gymnastics in August – following a two-year hiatus from the sport after she suffered from mental health issues that saw her forced to withdraw from multiple events at the 2020 Games.

At the time, she said she was suffering from something called ‘the twisties’ – a mental block that causes gymnasts to feel like they are ‘lost in the air.’

She later hinted her withdrawal was in part due to the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of pedophile doctor Larry Nassar.

She was one of more than 150 gymnasts abused by Larry, the former national team doctor, during his 30-year career, and in 2019, she said the trauma of the assaults had left her struggling with suicidal thoughts.

In September, she revealed on the Today show that she wanted to compete at the Games next summer in Paris, France – but admitted she would ‘have to take care of herself’ more than she did in Tokyo, and was undergoing therapy to ‘make sure everything is aligned.’

A source told DailyMail.com in June that it was her husband, Jonathan, who convinced Simone to return to gymnastics.

Leave it to Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens to sleigh the holidays.

Amid criticism of their relationship, the Olympic gymnast and Green Bay Packers safety celebrated their first Christmas together since getting married in April.

Posing in front of a blue and white tree, Simone, 26, perched on her husband’s lap as the 28-year-old gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek. Of course, the holiday also called for matching plaid pajamas and festive, candy cane cocktails. As she captioned a series of Instagram pictures, “Merry Christmas.”

However, the days leading up to Dec. 25 weren’t so jolly and bright as many fans called out Owens for his major fumble. After all, during a recent interview with The Pivot, he not only declared he was the real “catch” in their relationship but also admitted he didn’t know who Biles was when they matched on the dating app Raya in 2020.

Simone Biles

“The first thing that I saw was that she just had a bunch of [Instagram] followers,” he said, noting he never paid attention to gymnastics. “So, in my mind I’m like, ‘Okay, she’s gotta be good.'”

Despite the backlash, he’s not going on the defense. Rather, he wrote “unbothered” on Instagram alongside shots from their second wedding in Mexico. “Just know we locked in over here.”

Indeed, Simone isn’t calling a time out, either.

Not only did she like several posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) about the drama—including one from a fan who wrote, “They annoying huh sis?”—but she also posted a message of her own: “Are y’all done yet?”

And if you are, read on to see how all your favorite couples celebrated the holidays this year…

 

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens recently celebrated their first Christmas together as a married couple. The gymnastics superstar shared glimpses of their celebrations on her social media profile.

Biles and Owens have been extremely busy with their professional commitments since they got married on May 5, 2023. While the four-time Olympic gymnast was focused on making her strong comeback, the NFL player had to shift to Green Bay to train with his new team, Green Bay Packers.

However, despite their busy schedules, the pair manage to come together whenever they get a chance.

On the occasion of Christmas, the fan-favorite couple spent the holiday together. Owens and Biles enjoyed their ‘Merry Christmas’ at home together after the Green Bay Packers achieved an impressive victory against the Carolina Panthers.

Simone Biles

The 26-year-old gymnast shared snaps of their celebrations from December 25 on Instagram.

In the pictures, the couple were spotted twinning in checkered pajama suits. They were adorably kissing each other in the first snap. In the next, Biles shared a picture of the couple sipping cocktails in their respective glasses.

In the last slide, Owens was seen holding a small orange gift box. He was trying to understand what was inside it. Perhaps, it was Biles’ gift for him.

Sharing these happy frames, Simone Biles wished her fans with the caption:

Simone Biles recently made new additions to adorable memories with her husband during their first Christmas as a married couple. 2023 has been a year of new additions for the elite gymnast. She added wedding vows, a mighty comeback, and the sixth all-around world championship medal to her life this year. However, the perfect year brought some unpredictable glitches toward the end as her husband, Jonathan Owens, faced heat on the internet over his ‘catch’ comment.

The couple recently flooded their social media handles with their adorable Christmas celebration pictures to pour cold water over the haters. Now comes another addition to that. A social media post showcased the gymnastics queen taking a trip to the latest addition with her four-legged squad. In fact, this new element is very grand, just like all the other things she acquired this year.

Simone Biles showcases a new section of the house

Simone Biles took to Instagram and added a series of stories about a new section being constructed in her house. The stories displayed a large space that had well-defined and neat wooden shelves and cabinets. Biles captioned one story she posted with the words “laundry room.”

Simone Biles

The gymnast’s words also carried an emoji with hearty eyes, conveying that she absolutely loved how it turned out. While the room’s enormity is the first thing that one notices, the walls of the room also attract attention.

The room also has big windows for natural light to come in. While Simone Biles is going modern for the laundry room, she recently went traditional for the Christmas celebrations. In fact, she carried out a mid-20th-century tradition along with Owens to soak in the joy of Christmas this year.

The twinning Christmas tradition enjoyed by Biles and Owens

Simone Biles recently uploaded a new photograph via an Instagram story along with Jonathan Owens while celebrating Christmas. The couple decided to follow a Christmas tradition and were clad in matching shirts and pajamas. Several American households have been popularly following this custom, wherein everyone wears matching clothing, especially sweaters and pajamas.

The still captured by the couple showcased Simone Biles perched on the lap of Owens, while he embraced her from the back. The adorable pair had their eyes closed for the picture, which suggested that they were both fully present, yet completely lost in each other. The last few days have been harsh and full of hate for the couple. However, the holiday season seems to have drowned out their woes.

Simone Biles has a few words for her social-media followers.

The Olympic gymnast appeared to address recent backlash toward husband Jonathan Owens after the Green Bay Packers safety revealed how they met and how he initially had no idea of Biles’ occupation nor her success.

During a recent appearance on the podcast The Pivot, Owens also told co-host Ryan Clark, “I always say the men are the catch, man. I always say we the catch.”

After taking some heat for what he said regarding their three-year relationship, Biles shared a meme to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday of a child scratching their head, captioning the post, “Are y’all done yet?”

Biles and Owens were married in April after meeting in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic on the highly exclusive dating app Raya. However, Owens said it was Biles who actually had to bring her “A” game to the table.

When Owens was asked, “How in the hell did you pull Simone Biles?” the NFL player responded: “It’s really how she pulled me, man, that’s the question.”

Simone Biles

“So literally, had been on [Raya] for a couple of days, man, and she pops up, and I’m like, ‘Let me see who this is.’ I had never really paid attention to gymnastics, so it piqued my curiosity,” Owens explained on The Pivot.

“When she won the Olympics I was in college, and we didn’t have NBC,” Owens explained. “We didn’t have an Olympic channels, and we’re in camp. So I’m not paying attention to you know, so I never would have had a moment to where I would have watched.”

Owens played it cool after they matched, working out before returning to see there was an update on his phone — on a completely different app.

“I come back and I have some likes on my Instagram — and then I still waited,” he said. “Then she messaged me on the app: ‘hey’.

“Man, this gotta be fake,” Owens remembered thinking. “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.”

Ryan Clark, “The Pivot” podcast host, recently addressed the controversy surrounding Jonathan Owens’ comments about his wife, Simone Biles.

Owens, a Green Bay Packers safety, admitted on the podcast that he was unaware of Simone Biles’ status as a celebrated gymnast when they first met. This revelation sparked significant online backlash.

In a social media video on X, Clark emphasized Owens’ affectionate recounting of their meeting, expressing frustration over how Owens’ light-hearted remark about being “the catch” in their relationship was misinterpreted.

Clark argued that the public’s focus on a single clip from the interview overlooks the deeper context of Owens’ admiration for Biles and their mutual support.

Owens, 28, and Biles, 26, both appeared on The Pivot podcast, hosted by former NFL players Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder, in a wide-ranging interview that also discussed how the two athletes met.

In a clip of the podcast released on Tuesday, the Green Bay Packers safety told the hosts he met Biles on the dating app Raya.

“I didn’t know who she was at the time, but like, the first thing I saw was she’s got a bunch of followers, so in my mind, I’m like, she gotta be good,” he said.

When pushed about how he could have possibly not heard of the multi-Olympic gold medalist, Owens said he had been busy.

@thepivot

How did Jonathan Owens meet hus wife Simone Biles?? Tap in now to hear the story

original sound – The Pivot Podcast

“When she won the Olympics, I was in college, and we didn’t have NBC. We didn’t have Olympics channels and we’re in camp. We’re in camp in late July, early August,” he said. “So I’m not paying attentionI’m like, ‘Lemme see who this is.’ I never really paid attention to gymnastics, so it piqued my curiosity.”

Simone Biles

After Biles messaged him on the app, the two eventually wed in April 2023 in Houston, People reports.

Clark later asked Owens: “So you was really the catch?”

“I always say the men are the catch,” Owens responded. Owens’ response drew criticism and consternation across the internet — especially as the clip dropped the week Biles was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for the third time.

“Simone Biles’ husband is a walking red flag,” said one TikToker.

“The way this unknown man sat there and tried to humble his wife, Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, Simone Biles. In the words of Adele, ‘Divorce babes, divorce,'” said another.

One X user went all the way back in Owens’ X profile to dig up a tweet in which he proved he was at least aware of the sport (though Biles didn’t compete in the 2012 Games).

 

Lowkey i be hoping tht the people from the other nations fall when they be doin gymnastics lol

— Jonathan Owens (@jjowens_3) August 3, 2012

Still, there were some users on social media who seemingly defended Owens, writing: “Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens [are] clearly happy together and they can joke about how they met and initially got together but leave it to total strangers on here to get irrationally invested and upset over his comments about their relationship.”

To be fair, Owens is not the only person to end up dating or marrying someone whom they didn’t realize was famous at the time.

Lena Dunham’s husband Luis Felber said he had to Google her before they went on a date. The singer Lily Allen just thought “Stranger Things” star David Harbour was “a sexy policeman from a reality TV show” because he’d posted a pic of himself in his Jim Hopper costume.

Despite the online backlash, Owens seems to be “unbothered” by the criticism over his comments, or at least that’s what he posted on Instagram on Friday.

“Just know we locked in over here,” he wrote.

Business Insider reached out to Owens for comment on the backlash but didn’t hear back immediately.

Simone Biles, the 26-year-old American and four-time Olympic gold medalist, gearing up for an Olympic return at Paris 2024, has been named the 2023 Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in the U.S. The honour was voted on by a panel of sports media professionals.

This marks the third time Biles has claimed the award, having previously won it following the Rio 2016 season and in 2019. However, this recognition is arguably the most significant for the now-26-year-old, who openly shared her mental health struggles during Tokyo 2020 in 2021 and took a hiatus from the sport before her remarkable comeback this season.

In June, she announced her return and subsequently secured her eighth individual all-around title at the U.S. Championships in August. Her stellar comeback continued on the world stage in Antwerp in October, where she claimed her sixth World Championship title in the all-around, in addition to gold medals in team, floor exercise, and balance beam events.

With a total of 30 world medals, 23 of which are gold, Biles is showing unwavering determination as she heads full steam ahead towards the Olympic Summer Games in Paris 2024.

simone biles

“I will always have the freedom to choose what I want to do after my career is over,” Biles shared in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com’s Scott Bregman earlier this season. “But I can’t continue my career indefinitely.”

Biles now joins the ranks of six women who have won the AP award for a third time, alongside notable names like Serena Williams and Annika Sorenstam, among others. She emerged victorious over basketball star Caitlin Clark and Aitana Bonmatí, the Spanish footballer who led her team to the Women’s World Cup title, to claim the prestigious 2023 honour.

Fans of Simone Biles are urging the Olympic gymnast to divorce Green Bay Packers safety Jonathan Owens for his arrogant answer when asked about how they met on an online dating app for celebrities.

Owens, 28, and Biles, 26, recently made an appearance on “The Pivot” podcast, during which he admitted to not knowing who she was when they first met. Many pundits and fans called him out as a liar.

The couple met right when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which is when Biles was everywhere due to the Olympic Games in Tokyo getting postponed.

Owens also stated that Biles was the one who chased him because he was not ready for commitment and called himself the “catch.”

Simone Biles

Simone Biles won’t divorce Jonathan Owens

While many fans saw Owens’ story as disrespectful, Biles will surely stand by his side, especially because she’s not shy about being the “chaser.”

During the interview, Biles stated that she knows her wants and needs, and is not afraid to do anything to get them.

Still, Owens should have a little bit more awareness about how those comments might make Biles look in the public eye, even if she could care less.

Simone Biles, the renowned gymnast, made a difficult decision to withdraw from the gymnastics team finals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to experiencing the ‘twisties,’ a disorienting phenomenon for gymnasts. In a newly-released book by Gotham Chopra titled ‘Religion of Sports,’ it is revealed that Biles reached out to her mom, Nellie, for support during this emotional time.

According to the book, Biles expressed feeling like she might die every time she performed a vault with two and a half twists. This fear led her to withdraw from the competition, as she confided in her teammates, “I don’t want to do something stupid.”

Seeking reassurance and guidance, Biles called her mom, who provided the much-needed support. Nellie comforted her daughter and emphasized the importance of prioritizing her well-being, saying, “You don’t need to go out there and hurt yourself. That’s just not right.”

During the intimate moment between mother and daughter, Nellie continued to offer words of encouragement, telling Biles to take care of herself and reminding her that they were all praying for her. The book also details how Nellie informed the rest of Biles’s family and friends about her decision to withdraw from the competition, emphasizing that Biles had put her mental and physical well-being first.

Simone Biles

Biles overcame criticism after her decision

Biles faced both support and criticism for her decision, with some applauding her prioritization of mental health while others condemned her as weak. In response to the backlash, the book reveals Biles’s frustration as she explained to her family that people failed to understand the reasoning behind her decision.

She emphasized that her choice was not about losing medals but rather about preventing potential injury, stating, “If I would’ve continued, I probably would have gotten injured. They wouldn’t have been able to replace [my scores].”

The book provides a poignant insight into the emotional turmoil Biles experienced during this challenging time and sheds light on the complexities of elite athletic competition. It showcases the unwavering support of her family and the internal struggle she faced in making a decision that ultimately prioritized her well-being.