NFL player Jonathan Owens recently received flak online for sharing how he met Simone Biles. Fans criticized the Green Bay Packers safety for claiming he was the ‘catch’ in their relationship and that he did not know the Olympic gymnast initially.
Fan-favorite couple Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens made headlines ever since they began dating in 2020. The couple’s frequent social media posts and display of affection instilled in fans the desire to more about them.
Recently, however, Biles-Owens fans were disappointed with the 27-year-old NFL player when he shared how he met Simone Biles. In a podcast interview with The Pivot, Owens said that he did not know about Biles and her Olympic achievements before meeting her.
Jonathan Owens also revealed that the gymnast initiated their conversation. He said:
"The first thing that I saw was that she just had a bunch of followers, so in my mind, I was like okay she gotta be good."
Furthermore, Owens shared that the gymnast drove 45 minutes to spend time with him. On this, the NFL player was questioned if he was the real ‘catch.’ He admitted that he was, with a smirk. Biles, who accompanied him at the interview, was also seen laughing.
However, Owens’s statement did not go down well with fans online. One fan wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter):
"Simone Biles is not only regarded as one of the best gymnasts ever, she’s in GOAT conversations across every sport. They’re calling her one of if not the greatest athletes of all time, I didn’t even know who this nigga was till she married him lmfao."
Another fan wrote:
“It’s less about him not knowing who she was but reiterating how she 'chased him down'."
Here are more reactions from fans:
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens’s relationship timeline
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens connected during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. At a time when everything was shut down, the two athletes had ample time to get to know each other. According to Daily Mail, it was Biles’s sister Adria who encouraged her to talk to Owens.
Eventually, the couple met along with their pet dogs. By August 2020, they became Instagram official. After dating for two years, Owens proposed to the gymnast on February 15, 2022.
Recently, in May, the couple tied the knot in Cabo, Mexico, amid the presence of their friends and family.
The newly married couple soon entered into a long-distance relationship due to Jonathan Owens’s new NFL contract. He changed his team to the Green Bay Packers from Houston Texans. As a result, Owens has to live in Green Bay to train with his team.
However, the couple manages the distance by frequently visiting each other on the weekends as well as match days.