"I was afraid to commit, I'm like it's only my third year" - When Simone Biles' husband Jonathan Owens opened up on his hesitance to date the gymnast

By Zahid Rashid Dar

Modified Oct 10, 2024 16:02 GMT

Simone Biles' husband Jonathan Owens once recalled that he was hesitant to start a romantic relationship with the gymnast. The NFL defensive back claimed he felt it was too early in his career to commit to a relationship but the couple eventually ended up dating and later tied the knot in 2023.

Owens met Biles through an online dating platform, Raya, usually used by celebrities. He matched with the gymnast on the app and received a text from her. The former Green Bay Packers player didn't know who Biles was but it was a thing the gymnast liked.

It was Biles who had messaged first and she liked Owens from the start, once claiming that she felt he was cute. The Olympic champion was also the one who drove to his house for their first offline meet. However, Owens on the other hand, was 'fighting' off the relationship as he was not ready to commit.

Speaking on The Pivot Podcast in 2023, Owens reflected on the start of their relationship and shed some light on why he was afraid to commit.

"She did (book me) cuz I was fighting it, I was fighting it", he said. [11:45]

The NFL safety was asked whether he meant that he didn't want Biles, to which he replied:

"I'm not going to say that. I was afraid to commit. I'm like ah man, this is my third year (in NFL), it's kind of early but you know, it happens when you least expect it and we hung out and we hit it instantly." [12:05]

Owens was with the Houston Texans in 2020 and in addition to being fairly new to the league, he hadn't achieved any breakthroughs yet. The 29-year-old gradually built his image in Houston and later signed with the Green Bay Packers for a year before landing a multi-million contract with the Chicago Bears in 2024.

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"We kind of were just like magnets" - Simone Biles on the early days of her relationship with Jonathan Owens

MLB: APR 13 Reds at White Sox - Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens (Source: Getty)

Contrary to Jonathan Owens' initial hesitancy, Simone Biles thought he was "pretty cute" after she saw the NFL safety on Raya.

"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 told the Wall Street Journal in 2021.

With COVID-19 restrictions imposed, the couple first met when Biles traveled to Owens' house in Houston. They then alternated going to each other's houses and the bond eventually grew between the two.

"We kind of had that time to ourselves, see if we like each other... and it kinda worked. We kind of were just like magnets," Simone Biles told Access Hollywood in 2021.

However, the couple has largely spent their time in a long-distance setting following their marriage with both athletes busy with their respective careers.