Jonathan Owens, NFL star and husband of Simone Biles, has come under fire from fans for donning her Olympic gold medal in a sweet Instagram photo.
Biles contributed significantly to the USA team’s first gymnastics gold at the Paris Games on Tuesday, triumphing against Italy and Brazil with a remarkable score of 171.296.
This marks the United States’ first victory in the competition since 2008, with contributions from athletes such as Sunisa Lee and Jordan Chiles leading to the momentous achievement in Paris.
For Biles, the gold signifies her return to the zenith of gymnastics, where she’s widely regarded as the finest of all time, and more successes may lie ahead in events like the all-around, vault, balance beam, and floor exercise.
However, following her initial win in Paris, fans expressed their anger online when Owens, her husband of two years, was seen proudly sporting her medal on Tuesday evening.
Fans criticize Jonathan Owens for wearing Simone Biles’ Olympic gold medal
In a post commemorating his wife’s achievement, the Chicago Bears safety posed beside her with the gold medal draped around his neck, writing: ‘Witnessing history every time you step on the mat – Congrats babe on becoming the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history!!!! Just wow!!!! 8 of them!!!!! So appreciative I was there to witness it.’
Owens is in Paris with Biles this summer after getting time off from Bears training to support his wife.
She expressed her gratitude by commenting: ‘Means the world you’re here.’
Despite his affectionate tribute, Owens faced backlash online for his ‘strange’ act of wearing the medal.
One critic remarked: ‘You do know that’s not your medal… right?’
Another added: ‘But what’s the point of wearing it? So odd.’
A third user commented, ‘I figured he’d act like he won it.’
A fourth noted: ‘That’s Simone’s gold medal you’re flaunting, not yours, dude.’
Biles helped the USA secure its first gold medal in the team final during the Paris Games on Tuesday
Owens commemorated Biles’ achievement while wearing her medal in an endearing Instagram post
Fans quickly criticized Owens’ ‘odd’ behavior regarding the medal
Some even urged him to simply return the medal, stating: ‘Give it back, that’s not yours.’
In addition to the backlash over his choice to wear the medal, fans also recalled a well-known 2023 interview where he admitted he didn’t initially know who Biles was when they connected on a dating app.
Claiming to be the ‘catch’ in their relationship, Owens remarked about their first interaction: ‘I didn’t know who she was at the time, but the first thing that caught my attention was the number of her [Instagram] followers. So I thought, “Okay, she must be good.”‘
His recent display of wearing her Olympic gold medal ignited reminders of these comments.
One user quipped: ‘But you didn’t know who she was, right?’
Another chimed in: ‘Do you know who she is now? Lmao.’
One more user remarked: ‘Now he’s got a clue about gymnastics.’
