Who Is Jonathan Owens, Simone Biles's Fiancé and NFL Player?
"The easiest yes!" Simone wrote about the couple's engagement.
Simone Biles defines goals in so many aspects of her life (as an athlete, a leader, a mental health advocate, should we go on?), so it's no surprise that her relationship also embodies couple goals. The 24-year-old gymnast has been dating NFL star Jonathan Owens since March 2020 and the pair can often be spotted on social media looking blissfully in love. Here's what we know about Owens and his sweet relationship with Biles, from how they met to how they keep their relationship alive despite demanding schedules to how Owens was there (virtually) for his girlfriend during the Tokyo Olympics.
Update, 2/15: On February 15, 2022, Biles shared that Owens had proposed! "THE EASIEST YES," she penned on social media, under a carousel of very sweet and romantic pics of Owens down on one knee. She continued in the caption, "I can’t wait to spend forever & ever with you, you’re everything I dreamed of and more! Let’s get married FIANCÉ." The athlete also shared close up shots of the unbelievably beautiful oval-cut engagement ring Owens gave her. The football star commented on the post, "Ready for forever with you." He also shared several snaps from the happy occasion to his Instagram page, revealing that Biles "really had no clue what was coming."
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Congratulations to the happy couple!
They met on Raya.
Yes, dating apps do work! Biles revealed to Glamour that she connected with Owens on the celebrity dating app Raya in early 2020. And, shockingly, Owens didn't know who the gold medalist was at the time.
"He would say I slid into his DMs," Biles told Wall Street Journal Magazine. "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."
She added that her sister, Adria, helped push the relationship along—after seeing Simone and Jonathan hit it off via FaceTime, Adria invited the NFL star to a family vacation on her sister's behalf. Soon after, Owens began joining weekly Biles family dinners.
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Owens plays football for the Houston Texans.
The 25-year-old grew up in St. Louis, MO, and played football at Missouri Western State University. He joined the NFL in 2018 as a safety for the Arizona Cardinals. He signed with the Houston Texans in 2020 and currently lives in Texas (as does Biles, who was raised in the state).
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The couple also connected over their love of dogs. Owens is a proud dog dad to a bulldog named Zeus, while Biles has two French bulldogs named Lilo and Rambo (who you can follow over at @thebilesfrenchies). Owens says all their pups have since become best friends.
They aren't shy about sharing their love with the world.
Since going Instagram official in August 2020, Biles and Owens have kept their fans up-to-date on their relationship with a steady flow of couple pics, from their sweet selfies to vacation pics to their anniversary and birthday tributes.
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Both have spoken extensively about each other to the press as well. In an interview with Texas Monthly, Owens explained why the timing of their meeting was so meaningful. "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."
He continued, "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."
Biles most recently wished Owens a happy 26th birthday on Instagram, saying that he was "an ear to vent [to], someone to share fun times with and make the best of memories," adding, "not sure how I got so lucky & what I’d do without you!" Awwwwwww.
They support each other as athletes.
The couple is super supportive of each other's careers. During an interview with Hoda Kotb, Biles said of Owens, "He’s a real man. I just, I love him. We have a great time together ... 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."
Biles has cheered on Owens during several of his games while Owens makes sure to keep Biles focused on her goals. Speaking to People, Biles revealed, "Even if I wake up in the morning and I'm like, 'I'm tired, do I have to go?' jokingly, [Owen's] like 'Don't say that! You can do it, this is your dream!'"
She added, "He's always, always so helpful and making sure I stay on top of my therapy and all of that. He's the best because he also goes through it [as an athlete], so he knows exactly how it is in the process." Owens watched Biles compete in person for the first time in June and wrote glowingly about the experience: "I’m so proud of you my lil champ 🥰❤️ Trials up next and you already know I’m there!! Love you baby ❤️❤️."
They do, however, have a healthy competitive spirit. This hilarious clip is all the proof you need.
Owens was supportive after Simone withdrew from events at the Olympics.
After Biles decided to pull out of the team finals and some of the individual events at the Tokyo Olympics because she was experiencing "the twisties" as well as mental health challenges, Owens made sure to publicly support his girlfriend, commenting on her Instagram after the U.S. team won silver: "I’m so proud of y’all." He later made an ever sweeter statement (the sweetest of all time?) saying:
"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 ❤️❤️"
In the comments, Biles wrote back, "I love you so much 🤎🤞🏾."
When Biles took home a bronze medal on balance beam, Owens celebrated on his Instagram stories, saying "words can't explain" how proud he was. So, it's just adorable.
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