Simone Biles is in Tokyo, Japan, for the 2020 Olympics, and she has the full support of her boyfriend, NFL player Jonathan Owens. Although Owens wasn’t able to make the trip with Biles, he’s been cheering her on from home.
Biles and Owens, a safety for the Houston Texans, have been dating since early 2020, and have been nearly inseparable ever since they met. So, how did these two meet? On social media, of course! According to Today, the two ended up matching on celebrity dating app, Raya.
“He would say I slid into his DMs. I saw him and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s pretty cute,’ so I said hi … and 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,” Biles told the Wall Street Journal Magazine last month.
And while things were casual for quite some time — just FaceTime calls and texting — Biles’ sister Adria “grabbed her phone while she and Owens were FaceTiming and asked if he was going to join a planned trip to a lake house. He came with his dog, an English bulldog, Zeus, who got on with Biles’s French bulldog, Lilo.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Owens Admits He Didn’t Know Who Biles Was at First
When they first started chatting, Owens had no idea who Biles was. “I didn’t know who she was. I just hadn’t heard of her, and when I told her that, that’s one of the things she liked,” he told Texas Monthly in an interview that was published in July 2021.
Owens admits that he was first intrigued by Biles’ four million Instagram followers, but, ultimately, it was her dogs that totally won him over! “I’ll show up at her house, and her dogs will peek around her looking for my dog. They’ve become best friends,” he told the outlet.
“We ended up hanging out right before the pandemic. 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. Her energy is something. 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…” he added.
“This was a match made in heaven. 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,” Owens explained.
Of course, Biles feels the exact same way! “He’s a real man. I just, I love him. We have a great time together,” she told Hoda Kotb back in January. “Our personalities match right up. We have the same sense of humor. And he’s just great. He’s an athlete, too, so we really understand each other and I think that’s why our relationship has been seamless,” she added.
Owens Has Been Showing His Support for Biles From Afar
After making the decision to sit out of several of the events in the Olympics due to her mental health, Biles competed in the balance beam final on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, and took home the bronze medal. Shortly after her win, Owens took to social media to celebrate his leading lady.
“Words can’t explain how proud I am of you right now!!” Owens wrote on his Instagram Story, according to Page Six. He also shared a post that highlighted all of Biles achievements throughout her career as a gymnast. Her medal on August 3 has her tied as the most decorated U.S. gymnast of all time, according to UPI.
Before Tuesday’s competition, Owens took to Instagram to post his support for Biles as she navigated some uncharted waters. “Imma ride with you through whatever baby. 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,” he captioned a pic of Biles on July 29.
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How Simone Biles Met Boyfriend Jonathan Owens