Their relationship continues to be gold-medal-worthy.
Simone Biles Dropped the L-Word While Celebrating Boyfriend Jonathan Owens
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens met the way most couples do these days: on an app. The Olympic gymnast and Houston Texans safety connected just before the pandemic and, in the time since, have built a loving relationship that's all about lifting each other up.
Besides being incredible athletes—the greatest gymnast of all time, in Biles's case—the two have bonded over their shared sense of humor and their love for their pets. (She has two bulldogs; he has one.) “I’ll show up at her house, and her dogs will peek around her looking for my dog,” Owens told Texas Monthly in an interview. “They’ve become best friends.”
Biles and Owens are best friends too. “This was a match made in heaven,” he gushed to Texas Monthly. “There’s no better person for me. She loves me, she’s so affectionate. I just love that. And it’s just intoxicating seeing how much work she puts into everything.”
See Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens's relationship timeline, below.
March 2020
Biles and Owens connect on Raya just before the pandemic lockdown begins. But when they slide into each other's DMs, Owens doesn't realize at first that he is in the presence of greatness. “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.”
He added that the timing—which easily could have ended the relationship before it even began—actually helped them build a foundation. “We ended up hanging out right before the pandemic,” he said. “It was one of the few times in her life where everything was just shut off and she couldn’t do anything. 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.”
Biles echoed this in her own cover interview with Glamour earlier this summer. “I lived, I traveled, I did things I couldn’t do because of gymnastics,” she said of that time. “I just had fun.”
August 2020
After a few months of dating, the couple make it Instagram-official. Biles posts a cute photo of the two with the caption “It's just us.”
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A few weeks later, she follows that with another photo that's captioned, “The only time I fall is when he's there to catch me.”
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September 2020
Biles makes her Instagram debut on Owens's feed a month later. He captions the post, “Now you rockin with a real one.”
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December 2020
Biles and Owens spend Christmas and New Year's Eve together. “Always good to spend Christmas with the fam,” Owens writes in the caption of his photo, which shows the couple wearing matching pajamas. In between the holidays, Biles cheers on her NFL player boyfriend at a game.
“Her energy is something,” Owens told Texas Monthly. “She’s always happy, giggly, bubbly. If I’ve had a tough day at the office, I wouldn’t want to take that home to her. Her personality, man….”
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February 2021
Biles and Owens celebrate Valentine's Day with an elaborate setup, complete with balloons, a giant “love” sign, and rose petals. “Lucky to be loved by you,” Biles writes in the caption of her photo.
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March 2021
To celebrate their one-year anniversary and Biles's 24th birthday, the couple take a vacation together to Belize. “I love you more than I love Belize and that's a lot,” Biles writes on Instagram. (The gymnast holds dual citizenship in the country.) “My travel partner forever,” she writes on another selfie.
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June 2021
Over a year into their relationship, Owens is finally able to see his girlfriend compete for the first time, at the U.S. gymnastics championships. (Biles will go on to win her seventh national all-around title.) “What an amazing experience,” Owens writes on Instagram. “First time getting to watch you compete in person and you didn’t disappoint. It’s so cool that I get to watch you do what you love, and be the best at that ‼️ I’m so proud of you my lil champ. Trials up next and you already know I’m there!! Love you baby.”
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Later that month, at the Olympic trials in St. Louis, Owens shows his support by wearing a T-shirt bearing a quote from Biles. He also brings flowers to celebrate when she qualifies for the Tokyo Games.
July 2021
After Biles withdraws from two Olympic events, Owens shares his support and love on Instagram. “Imma ride with you through whatever baby,” he writes. “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.”
Biles comments on the post, “I love you so much.”
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August 2021
When Biles returns to the Olympic spotlight to compete in the individual balance beam finals, she wins a bronze medal. Owens takes to Instagram Stories shortly after to celebrate her win. “Words can't express how proud of you I am right now,” he writes.
The feeling is mutual. After returning to the United States, Biles stops by the NFL training camp to cheer on her boyfriend. “Open practices a.k.a. bring your girlfriend to work day,” she jokes on Instagram. Owens comments on her post, “So glad you got to come out baby.”
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On August 8, Biles shared her own pics from another visit, this time wearing an “OWENS” T-shirt. “Another day another practice ❤️,” she wrote alongside the sweet moment.
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On August 15, the pair had a spur-of-the-moment “sunset photoshoot.”
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While Biles was “beaching until further notice” during a girls' weekend, Owens played in a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on August 21. Biles supported her boyfriend from afar, writing "Sending you love & well wishes from vacation I'll be cheering you on! Go #16!" She wrote the message alongside a screenshot from their video chat, per People, adding, "I love you so much. & so so so proud of you."
This post will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Condé Nast
