It can’t be easy being the sweetheart of America’s sweetheart, but for Jonathan Owens, the husband of world-renowned Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, it’s more than worth it! In fact, he likes it so much, he put a ring on it. Owens stands at 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), while Biles is 4 ft 8 in (142.2 cm), making him over a foot taller than her.
Simone Biles flaunts her legs in a ruched dress from Aliétte and Christian Louboutin sandals at the 6th Annual InStyle Awards on November 15, 2021, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: DFree / Shutterstock)
Meeting Through Raya
The pair first met in March 2020 through Raya, best known as the celebrity dating app. Owens, a safety for the Houston Texans in the NFL, revealed that despite Biles’ quadruple gold win at the 2016 Summer Olympics, he wasn’t immediately starstruck… but only because he didn’t know who he was talking to!
“I didn’t know who she was,” the football player admitted in a 2021 interview with Texas Monthly. “I just hadn’t heard of her, and when I told her that, that’s one of the things she liked.”
Tiny but mighty, the fearless gymnast had no qualms about pursuing Owens.
Simone Biles and her fiancé, Jonathan Owens, met through the dating app Raya and announced their engagement the day after Valentine’s Day (Credit: Simone Biles’s Instagram / Medron Photography)
First Conversations and Dates
“He would say I slid into his DMs,” Biles laughed in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. “I saw him and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s pretty cute.’ So I said hi, then I saw that he was in the Houston area, so we started chatting a little bit, and then we went to hang out a week or two later.”
Luckily, Owens reciprocated her feelings. While the 2020 Olympic Games had been postponed due to the pandemic, it gave Biles some much-needed time off from her busy training regiment, which she used to get to know Owens a bit better.
The couple have been inseparable since then and can frequently be seen posting adorable photos and videos of one another on social media.
Simon Biles’s diamond engagement ring is a 3-carat rock with F color and VVS2 clarity that is estimated to cost $300,000 (Credit: Simone Biles’s Instagram / Medron Photography)
In one instance, Biles posted a video of her and Owens in a friendly rope-climbing race at the gym. Despite giving Owens a head start, the gymnast quickly surpassed him, captioning the video, “Never underestimate a gymnast!”
Building a Relationship During the Pandemic
Luckily, NFL safety Owens doesn’t mind a friendly competition between athletes, and as of this month, they’re sure to have many more to come.
Jonathan Owens proposed to Simone Biles on Valentine’s Day, making the moment unforgettable with his thoughtful gesture and stylish appearance. He wore a smart suit as he got down on one knee, while Simone looked stunning in a ruched black dress. The footballer presented her with a breathtaking oval-cut diamond ring featuring a pavé band, estimated to be worth $300,000.
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Biles shared the sweet moment on her Instagram, saying, “THE EASIEST YES… I can’t wait to spend forever & ever with you, you’re everything I dreamed of and more! let’s get married FIANCÉ.”
A huge congratulations to the happy couple! Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens had their official ceremony on April 22, 2023, at the Harris County Courthouse in Houston, Texas. This was followed by a second wedding in Cabo, Mexico, on May 6, 2023.
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Despite his NFL training schedule, Owens will support Biles for a few days at the Paris games. The Chicago Bears confirmed he is excused from July 29 to August 3, even though there is a preseason game on August 1.
“I just love getting to watch her in her environment. She goes up there and does it, every freaking time. Surpasses what she’s supposed to do. I love that. I love that I get a backseat to see it all. I get to witness the greatness. I get to be able to sit back and watch the work she puts in,” he told USA Today.
“I know how hard it is. I appreciate the difficulty of what she’s doing. I would break my freaking neck,” he added, acknowledging he couldn’t do what she does.
Simone Biles and Caitlyn Jenner: A Historic Reunion of Olympic Legends
In January 2017, Caitlyn Jenner joined fellow Olympian Simone Biles at the 2017 Gold Meets Golden event held during Golden Globes Weekend at Equinox Sports Club in West Los Angeles.
Caitlyn Jenner won a gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal (Credit: WENN / Guillermo Proano)
She reunited with fellow Olympic legends Nadia Comaneci and Greg Louganis for the first time since they made their Olympic debuts in 1976!
Olympic athlete Simone Biles, actress Nicole Kidman, and Olympic athlete Nadia Comaneci attend the Life is Good at GOLD MEETS GOLDEN Event at Equinox on January 7, 2017, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)
The American television personality and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete paired a black top with a matching skirt that showed off her legs. She completed the outfit with a pair of classic black suede pointy-toe pumps.
Caitlin Jenner attending the Gold Meets Golden event held at Equinox Sports Club in Los Angeles on January 7, 2017 (Credit: WENN / Guillermo Proano)
Caitlyn also posed for photos with Simone Arianne Biles, who was part of the gold medal-winning team dubbed the “Final Five” at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Biles was the shortest out of all 555 athletes representing the United States in Rio.
Caitlin Jenner towers over much shorter Olympian Simone Biles (Credit: WENN / Guillermo Proano)
The Gold Meets Golden event was held to raise awareness and support for sports-related causes, including Los Angeles’ bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Caitlyn Jenner towers over Simone Biles, highlighting their significant height difference at Life is Good at GOLD MEETS GOLDEN Event at Equinox (Credit: WENN / Guillermo Proano)
Standing at just 4 feet 8 inches, Simone looked tiny next to Caitlyn Jenner, who is 6ft 2 (188 cm) tall.
Caitlyn Jenner and Simone Biles show off their feet in high heel shoes (Credit: WENN / Guillermo Proano)