Love & Relationships
When a young Black woman redefines the entire category of elite gymnastics and becomes the most decorated gymnast — male or female — of all time, you can’t help but take notice. However, the four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and her husband, Jonathan Owens, have recently made headlines for a less-romantic detail of their love story.
Since becoming engaged in 2021, Owens, an NFL safety for the Green Bay Packers, has persisted that prior to matching with Biles on the celebrity dating app, Raya, he was unfamiliar with her and the history-making titles she holds.
“I didn’t know who she was,” he told Texas Monthly in June 2021. “I just hadn’t heard of her, and when I told her that, that’s one of the things she liked.”
Most of the internet met this revelation with irony and mild confusion since Owens is a new face to most outside of his recent marriage to Biles.
In a recent conversation on The Pivot podcast, Owens spoke to the hosts about the origins of their relationship, rehashing how Biles made the first move by sliding into his DMs after matching on Raya. When podcast host Channing Crowder inquired of Owens, "How did you manage to win over Simone Biles?" the NFL player humorously replied, "It's more like how she won me over."
The football player went on to affirm that he was ultimately “the catch” within the two’s relationship dynamic, leading to online criticism of the remark.
It’s safe to say that Biles’ history-defining trajectory is difficult to ignore, making her a “catch” in our eyes. Nevertheless, to acquaint you with the couple’s love story, here's a breakdown of the timeline of their relationship.
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens' Complete Relationship Timeline
March 2020: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Meet on Raya
Biles and Owens’ love story began at the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, after matching on Raya. With the world on pause, the two took advantage of their less busy schedules to build a foundation for their connection.
"It was one of the few times in [Simone's] life where everything was just shut off and she couldn't do anything," Owens shared in an interview with Today. "So we used it to get to know each other — really get to know each other. It created our bond and made it stronger. Now I'm so thankful."
August 2020: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Make Things Instagram Official
In the summer of 2020, Biles and Owens locked in their relationship, making things Instagram-official. The gymnast shared a round of cozy photos of her and Owens hugged up together with a caption that read, "It's just us." The footballer planted a kiss on Biles to seal the deal.
February 2021: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Spend Their First V-Day Together
For their first Valentine’s Day together, the lovebirds went all out to celebrate the romantic occasion. Biles took to Instagram to share their extravagant V-Day layout filled with heart-shaped balloons, rose petals covering the floor, and a sign displaying “LOVE” as their backdrop. Biles’ caption read, "lucky to be loved by you 💘."
July 2021: Jonathan Owens Praises Simone Biles for Her ‘Strength’ and ‘Courage’ During the 2021 Olympics
Owens showed that he has Biles’ back after she withdrew from the individual all-around finals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games by sharing a heartfelt post in support of his lady on Instagram.
“Imma ride with you through whatever baby,” Owens wrote. “Your strength and courage is unmatched and you inspire me more and more everyday SB. You always gone be my champ baby and don’t you ever forget that, i love you so much and i can’t wait till you come home and i get to see that beautiful smile again. You know I’m always here for you baby.”
In the comments, Biles wrote, “I love you so much.”
February 2022: Simone Biles Says 'Yes' to Jonathan Owens' Valentine's Day Proposal
Following Valentine’s Day, Biles said “yes!” to the football player’s marriage proposal. They shared a post of their engagement announcement in a carousel of adoring photos with Owens on bended knee.
"THE EASIEST YES," Biles wrote in the caption. "I can't wait to spend forever & ever with you, you're everything I dreamed of and more! let's get married FIANCÉ 💍🥺🥲🤎 @jowens_3."
April 22, 2023: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Exchange Vows in an Intimate Setting
The wedding bells were ringing! Biles and Owens exchanged vows during a civil ceremony at the Harris County Courthouse in Houston, Texas. The gymnast captioned the slideshow of wedding day photos writing, "I do 🤍 officially owens 🤍."
Owens echoed his affection with a post, captioned: "My person, forever ❤️💍."
May 4, 2023: Simone Biles Marries Jonathan Owens a Second Time During a Destination Wedding in Mexico
After their private courthouse wedding, the couple hosted a lavish destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with 144 guests.
In a video segment with Vogue, Biles shared, “I think this is exactly how brides are supposed to feel. Luxurious, beautiful, kind of on top of the world.”
October 19, 2023: Simone Biles Opens Up About How Marriage Changed Her Outlook on Gymnastics
While on the Today show, Biles opened up about her changed perspective on gymnastics since marrying Owens, conveying a sense of fulfillment beyond the sport.
"Gymnastics is just something I get to come in and have the privilege of doing,” Biles shared. “I don’t feel like it’s the end all be all anymore, as before I kind of felt like that. I get to go home to my husband, to my dogs, to my house and all of the things. So it feels really good.”
December 2023: Jonathan Owens’ Comments on ‘The Pivot’ Podcast Sparks Backlash From Simone Biles Fans
During an episode of The Pivot podcast, host Crowder asked Owens, "How in the hell did you pull Simone Biles?"
In response, the football player said, "It's really how she pulled me, man, that's the question.”
Owens went on to double down on their origin story, stating that he was initially unfamiliar with Biles, "When she won the Olympics, I was in college, and we didn't have NBC, we didn't have Olympics channels, and we were in [training] camp [in] late July, early August.”
He added, “So I'm not paying attention. I never would've had a moment where I would've watched [her compete].”
When questioned whether he saw himself as the prize in his relationship with Biles, the NFL star stated that, "I always say that the men are the catch."
While Owens eventually revealed he was initially “afraid to commit” because "I'm like, 'It's kinda early.'”
He continued, “But you know, it happens when you least expect it. When we hung out, we just hit it off instantly. Laughed the whole night.”
Following the backlash, the couple responded on their perspective social media pages. Owens posted a photo from their wedding on his Instagram with the caption, "Unbothered 😂❤️ Just know we locked in over here 🤞🏽."
While Simone took a comedic approach and tweeted, "are y'all done yet?" with a meme of a little kid scratching their head.
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Feature image by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
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