US Olympic Gymnast Simone Biles' Tragic True Story
The following article includes references to child abuse and sexual assault.
Simone Biles is the most accomplished gymnast of all time. She has over 30 medals, multiple of which are Olympic medals. She has toured the world through her career, earned endorsements with companies such as Nike and Uber Eats, and made millions. Biles has been on the cover of Vogue and she is married to a professional football player. From the outside, it sure looks like Biles is living a fantasy life. And by many measures, she is. But that doesn't mean it has all been a dream.
The world-class gymnast has faced several hardships throughout her life, starting when she was a kid. Nevertheless, Biles has kept a positive attitude about everything she has been through. As she said on an episode of her Facebook series, "Simone vs Herself," about the difficulties she faced as a child, "I would still be Simone Biles, probably not Simone Biles that everybody else knows, the world knows. But I also believe everything happens for a reason, and I'm forever grateful for that."
Clearly, Simone Biles is tough, and these are the tragic details that influenced the person she is today.
Simone Biles was subjected to food insecurity as a child
Simone Biles had to fight to prove herself at nearly every step in her career, and even after establishing herself as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, she has still had to fight to remain on top. Unfortunately, that fighter mentality was instilled in Biles as a child. Due to instability at home (more on that later), Biles and her siblings suffered from food insecurity. "Growing up, me and my siblings were so focused on food because we didn't have a lot of food," Biles said on an episode of her Facebook series "Simone vs Herself."
The food insecurity Biles faced has stuck with her in multiple regards, but it has been particularly noticeable in her feelings toward one certain animal. "I remember there was this cat around the house and I'd be so hungry. They would feed this cat and I'm like, 'Where the heck is my food?' And so I think that's where it stemmed, where I don't like cats is because this freakin' street cat, [my mom] always fed it, but she never fed us," Biles said.
Thankfully, Biles doesn't have those same worries about food these days. In 2018, she shared her love of cinnamon rolls with the Olympic Channel. She continued, saying, "Food brings everyone together, especially at World Championships because we just get so excited because everything looks so good."
She spent time in foster care as a child
In addition to experiencing food insecurity, Simone Biles was neglected by her parents, both of whom struggled with addiction during Biles' childhood. The family's neighbors noticed that the care of the children was not as it should have been, which landed the kids in the foster system. "I don't remember a lot about foster care, but I definitely knew that we had been taken from our biological mom and then you just think you're going to go back to her," Simone said in an episode of "Simone vs Herself."
Simone didn't stay in foster care for long. She and her sister, Adria Biles, were taken in and adopted by their maternal grandparents, moving from Ohio to Texas. Simone and her sister then went years before seeing their mother again.
Simone's mother, Shanon Biles, told the Daily Mail, "It took me six years before I saw my children again. I was respecting my Dad to let the kids' transition, he felt that was the best thing for them." According to Simone, adoption turned out to be a positive in her life. "Being separated from my biological mom, being placed in foster care before I officially got adopted by my grandparents, it just set me up for a better route at life," she revealed.
Simone Biles was diagnosed with ADHD
Simone Biles did not have an easy childhood. In addition to dealing with hunger, foster care, and adoption, she was also diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Having ADHD made school difficult for her; however, it also made her a fierce gymnast, as she detailed to TIME for Kids.
Biles isn't embarrassed to admit her diagnosis. "Having ADHD, and taking medicine for it is nothing to be ashamed of nothing that I'm afraid to let people know," the gymnast wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Others, however, have exploited Biles' diagnosis. After the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, hackers in Russia obtained and released Biles' and other athletes' medical records. After seeing that Biles still takes medication for her ADHD, the hackers suggested that the gymnast's prescription gave her an unfair advantage in competition. Biles was sure to defend herself in the wake of intense allegations. "I have ADHD and I have taken medicine for it since I was a kid," Biles tweeted. "Please know, I believe in clean sport, have always followed the rules, and will continue to do so as fair play is critical to sport and is very important to me."
She has suffered multiple injuries from gymnastics
Almost every athlete suffers an injury at some point in their career. But people like Simone Biles, who compete in high-impact sports, are at a higher risk. Biles has had to endure multiple injuries throughout her career. Some have set her back in training, but she has also competed while injured.
While on the gymnastics tour following the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, Biles cracked a rib. "As soon as I landed the Biles in one of the shows I immediately felt it 'crack.' I couldn't breathe but I continued the rest of the show. I believe we had just under two weeks of tour left," Biles told fans of the injury in a since-expired Instagram story. "Y'all feel it's okay to give your unwarranted opinion when you have no idea half the things we go through behind closed doors," she added.
Among Biles' other injuries have been a broken toe, an aggravated shoulder, and a bone spur, the last of which required surgery to remove. The gymnast also competed at the 2018 World Championships with a kidney stone. "Pain is just something I live with and that is pretty odd for my age, right? It feels weird if I'm not in pain," Biles said to the Daily Mail of her lifestyle.
Simone Biles was abused by her team doctor
Shortly after the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, the whole world learned what many on the USA Gymnastics team already knew: The team doctor, Larry Nassar, had been sexually abusing athletes for years. It was later revealed that Nassar had over 500 victims. One of them was Simone Biles.
The accomplished gymnast didn't share with anyone that she had been abused by Nassar until 2018. "Whenever my parents would ask me about it, or my brothers, I would just shut it down. Like, 'No! It didn't happen!' I would get really angry," Biles told Vogue. However, as Biles shared on an episode of "Call Her Daddy," she knew she needed to come to terms with what happened in her own time, and she needed some inner resolve before she was prepared to share her story. "I decided to speak out because I know it could help a lot of people ... but I wanted to be in a good enough place and to have the proper help lined up before I spoke out," she said.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
She had to withdraw from the 2020 Olympics
The 2020 Olympics did not go as planned for Simone Biles. Every athlete was already feeling the effects of having to wait an extra, unexpected year to compete after the Games were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Biles had a sinking suspicion that things were not going to go her way in Tokyo. While competing in the team finals, Biles completed an uncharacteristic performance on vaults because of a gymnastics phenomenon called "the twisties," which causes gymnasts to lose their whereabouts while in the air. This phenomenon is often brought on by mental stress, and if a gymnast continues competing while experiencing it, it can result in serious injury. Because of that and her mental state, Biles withdrew from competition, not wanting to risk Team USA's chances at medaling.
After the team competition, Biles also withdrew from her individual events, worried she might injure herself. "I said [to my coach], 'I'm done. I'm not doing any more because if I survive that, I don't know how much else I can survive,'" Biles said of her withdrawal from the Games on an episode of "Call Her Daddy." "I always say I'm a cat with nine lives, but I think that was my ninth." Biles' disappointment didn't end with her withdrawal. The gymnast also faced backlash from the American public who didn't understand her reasons for leaving the competition.
Simone Biles lost her aunt just before the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games
After Simone Biles withdrew from competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, more about her mental and emotional state was revealed. In addition to suffering from the twisties, Biles was grieving. "Two days ago my aunt unexpectedly passed, and that was something I wasn't expecting to happen at the Olympic Games either, so at the end of the day, you have to be a little bit more mindful of what you say online, because you have no idea of what these athletes are going through as well as (in) their sports," Biles said to reporters at the Olympics, as reported by CNN.
While the world debated whether Biles' withdrawal from competition was warranted, those closest to her saw that she was struggling and applauded her for her courage to advocate for herself. Her coach Cecile Canqueteau-Landi told People that Biles was entitled to some time off. "I think she needs a good break. We're going to go back to work but I'm happy for her that she gets to go back to her family, her boyfriend, her dog. She's just going to go home and enjoy," Landi said, adding that Biles, despite not competing herself, was a very supportive teammate through the entire ordeal.
Her brother faced murder charges
In September of 2019, Tevin Biles-Thomas was arrested after it was alleged that he had murdered three people at a New Year's Eve party months earlier. Tevin, along with Simone's sister Ashley, were raised by their great aunt, who remained in Ohio while Simone and Adria moved to Texas with their grandparents.
"My heart aches for everyone involved, especially for the victims and their families. There is nothing that I can say that will heal anyone's pain, but I do want to express my sincerest condolences to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy," Simone tweeted after her brother's arrest. "I ask everyone to please respect my family's privacy as we deal with our pain."
Tevin spent years after his arrest trying to fight the charges, and in 2021, he was acquitted. In the courtroom following his acquittal, one of the victims' family members lunged at him but was intercepted. "This was a horrible tragedy, three families lost three family members and you know, absolutely horrific. So, we understand emotions were running high. But today, Tevin Biles was vindicated, what he's waited to get for the last two and half years," Tevin's attorney Joe Patituce said in a statement, as reported by CNN. At the time of the incident, Tevin was serving in the United States Army. He also lost his cousin in the tragedy.
Simone Biles was 'fighting demons' around the time of the 2020 Olympics
Simone Biles' withdrawal from the 2020 Olympics left many people confused. Although she didn't owe the public a detailed explanation, Biles eventually did share just what was going on in her mind during the Olympics. As she explained on an episode of "Call Her Daddy," Biles' issues at the Olympics were the result of years of suppressed trauma. "I would literally tell my team, my teammates like, 'I'm fighting demons.' ... I literally felt like I was fighting my body and my mind to do these tricks."
Biles had a difficult time explaining what was going on even to those with whom she is closest. After withdrawing from the Olympics, Biles called her mother to tell her what had happened, and as she noted, she wished at the time that she had been physically hurt as that would've been easier to explain.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Simone Biles testified about her abuser
Former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar abused hundreds of athletes during his tenure, including Simone Biles. Upon this revelation, it was also revealed that USA Gymnastics officials knew about the abuse but did not take any steps to protect its athletes. In 2021, just weeks after the Tokyo Olympic Games, Biles took the stand in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about Nassar's abuse and the mishandling of the FBI's investigation of the former doctor.
"Over the course of my gymnastics career, I have won 25 World Championship medals and seven Olympic medals for Team USA. That record means so much to me, and I am proud of my representation of this nation through gymnastics," Biles said in her testimony. "I am also a survivor of sexual abuse, and I believe without a doubt that the circumstances that led to my abuse and allowed it to continue are directly the result of the fact that the organizations created by Congress to oversee and protect me as an athlete, USA Gymnastics, and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee failed to do their jobs."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Her husband's comments about her went viral for all the wrong reasons
In April 2023, Simone Biles married Jonathan Owens, a safety for the Green Bay Packers. The two dated for years prior after meeting on a dating app. Shortly into their long-distance marriage, the couple faced a scandal after Owens appeared on the "The Pivot" podcast. The NFL football player shared how he and Biles met, sharing that he didn't know who Biles was prior to dating her. Owens also joked that he was the more desirable partner in the relationship.
The internet did not take kindly to Owens' comments — whether they were sarcastic or not. His quotes went viral, and people across the world were quick to tell Owens their opinions on his statements. As Biles later shared, she did not appreciate the backlash against her husband, and she was sure to clarify what Owens said and how she felt about it. "He never said I wasn't a catch," Biles said on an episode of "Call Her Daddy." "He said he was a catch because he is. ... That really hurt that they were talking about my husband like that." She continued, saying, 'Talk about me all you want, but don't come for my family."