Photos from the ESPYS put the spotlight on the acclaimed gymnast’s appearance. Then a red-carpet video prompted viewers to focus on something entirely different.
Simone Biles’ arrival at the 2026 ESPYS on July 15 quickly caught attention as photos of the Olympic gymnast and husband, Indianapolis Colts safety Jonathan Owens, began circulating online.
Other commenters speculated about the couple’s chemistry, with some interpreting their red carpet expressions as a sign that they looked unhappy together. | Source: Instagram/people
Biles and the 30-year-old footballer posed for photographers as they arrived at New York City’s David H. Koch Theater for the annual awards show. A video shared by Us Weekly on Instagram captured moments from their red carpet appearance.
The ESPYS weren’t the first time the couple’s public appearances sparked discussion online. Their relationship has continued to draw attention whenever they appear together at major sporting events or red carpets. | Source: Getty Images
Biles briefly paused as someone adjusted the train of her gown before she resumed posing for photographers. Owens stood beside her throughout the moment. After the pair posed together for several photographs, he stepped aside while Biles continued with solo shots.
One Detail About Owens Quickly Became the Focus
Several social media users began reacting to Owens’ demeanor in the video. On Instagram, one user wrote, “That’s embarrassing.” Another commenter added, “They never look happy together.”
Not every reaction was critical. Under a separate post, another Instagram user shifted the conversation back to the couple’s coordinated style, writing, “It’s prom attire! I ❤️ it!”
Not every public appearance by the couple takes place on a red carpet. While attending a men’s ice hockey playoff quarterfinal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, they were photographed sharing a moment in the stands. | Source: Getty Images
The discussion continued under another Instagram post featuring the couple. One commenter joked that Owens looked “like a statue 😂,” while another asked, “Why doesn’t he smile?” Others focused on the couple’s fashion instead, with one user writing that they “really be the best dressed.”
The conversation soon spread to X, where opinions remained mixed. One user praised the couple, writing, “When you got someone who gets it, it shows. You can see it in the way they carry themselves.” Another joked, “He look better than she do 😭😭😭,” while a third called them “easily one of the best dressed couples on the carpet tonight, they cleared.”
The Photos Showed Why Biles’ Look Drew So Much Attention
Biles wore a champagne-gold gown featuring a structured bodice, a thigh-high slit, and a sweeping train that extended behind her as she posed for photographers. She paired the look with sparkling jewelry and metallic heels.
This close-up shows the details that were harder to notice in the viral video. Biles’ sparkling necklace, soft waves, and structured bodice became part of the fashion conversation that unfolded alongside the debate over the couple’s red carpet moment. | Source: Getty Images
From this angle, the sweeping train takes center stage as Biles poses alone on the carpet. The image captures the fashion moment that many social media users felt deserved as much attention as the viral discussion surrounding Owens. | Source: Getty Images
Owens complemented her outfit in a chocolate-brown suit with satin lapels, a matching shirt and tie, a silver waist chain, and a floral lapel pin. Their coordinated looks prompted some social media users to praise the couple’s style, even as others continued debating Owens’ reserved demeanor.
The full-length view reveals why Biles’ gown became one of the evening’s biggest talking points. The dramatic train and thigh-high slit gave the look movement and presence, drawing attention even before the video of the couple began circulating online. | Source: Getty Images
Standing side by side, Biles and Owens coordinated their looks with complementary champagne and chocolate-brown tones. While some viewers focused on Owens’ expression, others pointed to this photo as evidence that the pair arrived in one of the night’s most polished ensembles. | Source: Getty Images
The attention didn’t end once the couple left the red carpet. Photographers later captured Biles and Owens walking through the city, where Owens again appeared composed while Biles smiled beside him.
Away from the backdrop, the couple’s coordinated outfits remained just as striking as they walked through New York City hand in hand. The candid image offered a different perspective from the red carpet and showed the pair interacting beyond the brief viral clip. | Source: Getty Images
This candid moment captured the couple making their way through the city after the event. With Owens leading the way and Biles smiling beside him, the image adds context beyond the still expressions that fueled so much discussion online. | Source: Getty Images
The latest reactions are far from the first time Simone Biles and Owens have found themselves at the center of online discussion. During Biles’ historic run at the 2024 Paris Olympics, another post featuring the couple also sparked mixed reactions.
Owens, who was by Biles’ side in France, was over the moon about his wife’s stellar performance. He shared a photo of the couple on the streets of Paris, where he proudly wore Biles’ gold medal around his neck as they smiled for the camera.
Biles’ celebration in Paris came after one of the most successful Olympic performances of her career. The milestone also set the stage for the social media moments she and Owens continued to generate long after the Games ended. | Source: Getty Images
His caption read, “Witnessing history every time you step on the mat 😍🔥Congrats baby on becoming the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history!!!! Just wow!!!! 8 of them!!!!! So thankful I was there to see it.”
Biles responded with heartfelt gratitude, “Means the world you’re here” and added, “My whole heart. I love you ❤️❤️❤️❤️.” However, critics took to the comments, questioning Owens’ decision to wear Biles’ medal.
Nothing in this moment hinted that the conversation would soon move beyond gymnastics. The celebration that followed gave the public an entirely different glimpse into Biles’ Olympic journey. | Source: Getty Images
One user remarked, “Why he holding it like he won it?” Another chimed in, “Give the medal back bby, that’s not yours [sic].”
Some were particularly vocal, saying things like, “That’s Simone’s gold medal you’re holding, not yours, my guy. 😂😂” Meanwhile, another user, puzzled by the situation, asked, “Is he being problematic on purpose? Serious question.”
This isn’t the first time Owens has faced heat from fans.
Netizens Criticize Owens for Calling Himself “The Catch”
In December 2023, Jonathan Owens was interviewed on The Pivot Podcast, where he was asked how he attracted someone like Biles. The footballer revealed that the question they had to ask was “how she pulled me.” He then explained how it all happened, saying he was in Houston for a few months and was single at the time.
A friend of his advised him to try a dating application (app) called Raya. After having the app for a few days, Biles popped up. The fact that she is a gymnast piqued his curiosity, as he’d never paid any attention to the sport.
Jonathan Owens talking about his relationship with Simone Biles on The Pivot Podcast on December 20, 2023 | Source: TikTok/thepivot
After swiping positively to her, the pair matched, and after a workout, Owens checked the app and discovered he got some likes. He decided to take a shower, and when he checked his phone again, Biles had messaged him.
But the footballer thought the message was fake, and at the time, he didn’t know who the gymnast was. What also got his attention about Biles was that she had a lot of followers, so he figured she was good at her sport.
A Pivot Podcast co-host reacts as Jonathan Owens talks about his relationship with Simone Biles on The Pivot Podcast on December 20, 2023 | Source: TikTok/thepivot
Explaining why he didn’t know her, Owens revealed he was in college when she won the first Olympics. Being at a training camp, they didn’t have Olympic channel coverage. But since Biles’ message came in on a Tuesday, they messaged back and forth before hanging out that Friday.
Due to the pandemic hitting that year, the duo couldn’t do anything significant, and the gymnast drove 45 minutes to see the footballer. Owens said the rest was history before confirming that he was “the catch” in their relationship.
Jonathan Owens talks about his relationship with Simone Biles on The Pivot Podcast on December 20, 2023 | Source: TikTok/thepivot
The athlete also admitted that he was afraid to commit when he met his future wife. But when the pair hung out, they clicked instantly and laughed all night long. He confirmed that “it happened when you least expect it.”
TikTok users who watched the interview had harsh opinions about it, like one person who wrote, “Nah this is actually insane😭.” Someone who felt sorry for Biles because of her husband’s story said, “I don’t know. This kinda made me sad for her 🥺🥺.”
Simone Biles reacts as Jonathan Owens talks about how they met and fell in love on The Pivot Podcast on December 20, 2023 | Source: TikTok/thepivot
Responding to the clip on X, a netizen felt the interview was “cringe and embarrassing to be honest. He shouldn’t have disclosed all that.” Responding to the previous person, another X user believed, “He wants to humble her.”
Someone else thought the interview was going to lead to “Divorce in 3, 2, 1..” Agreeing with the previous poster, a netizen said, “They bouta break up soon. Same thing happened with Keke Palmer & her bd after their little interview.”
Despite people trying to come to Biles’ defense, when netizens continued attacking her husband, she turned on them by showing him support.
Simone Biles Clears the Air
In May 2024, Biles appeared on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast to address her husband’s viral Pivot interview. She explained that she never thought anything negative about the interview and clarified that Owens never said she wasn’t a catch, but that he was one.
Jonathan Owens at the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings on December 31, 2023, in Minneapolis, Minnesota | Source: Getty Images
The gymnast revealed that she agreed he was a catch, as she’d never met “a man like him.” She confessed that people who met the footballer said they wanted a man like him. Biles also noted that a lot of the women at the gym love him.
She said he is nice to them and gives them support. One of the gym girls, who was like a little sister to the gymnast, usually got driven to training camp by the star. The unnamed woman would drive over to Biles’ house and leave her car in the driveway.
Jonathan Owens and Anthony Johnson Jr. at a game between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings on December 31, 2023, in Minneapolis, Minnesota | Source: Getty Images
Showing what a nice man he is, Owens got the woman’s car windows tinted for her safety. The athlete felt that netizens took the wrong message from her husband’s interview and has been running with it since. Biles even explained that Owens’ Pivot interview had nothing to do with her.
The gymnast suspected that people got upset because he didn’t include her in the interview. But she didn’t agree and felt her husband deserved to have “his moments too,” which is what she wants. Biles even shared that whenever she went to his football games, she received field passes but never tried to draw attention or make it about her.
All she wanted at his games was to see him playing and to give him good luck kisses. She wondered if people wanted her to interrupt her husband’s Pivot interview to make it about herself. The star also said she loves supporting him.
Biles felt that although her husband did say he was a catch, one of his interviewers, Ryan Clark, said it many more times. She understood the incident as a “guys’ moment” where they were trying to hype up Owens. To her, it felt like a moment when the boys hung out together around a fire.
Alex Cooper interviewing Simone Biles who defended Jonathan Owens over his viral interview in a clip uploaded on May 2, 2024, on the Call Her Daddy podcast | Source: YouTube/Spotify
She insisted that “there was nothing foul about it.” The podcast interviewer curiously asked what the couple said to each other while the clip went viral. Biles shared that she initially thought what people were saying, like that she should divorce him, was hilarious.
But then her feelings got hurt, and one night she finally broke down and questioned netizens why they were speaking about her husband the way they were. She felt they had no basis to attack him because they didn’t know him personally.
Alex Cooper interviewing Simone Biles who defended Jonathan Owens over his viral interview in a clip uploaded on May 2, 2024, on the Call Her Daddy podcast | Source: YouTube/Spotify
The athlete shared that everyone who met Jonathan Owens knows he’s “the sweetest guy” and will do “anything for anybody.” Let’s look at the duo’s relationship timeline.
Simone Biles Stands by Her Man
Later that month, Biles won the U.S. Classic before posting a message about her husband on Instagram Stories. Owens attended the event in Hartford, Connecticut, where he cheered her on. The gymnast reportedly said, “I’m going to quickly address this, the joke was never a joke!”
She called her followers out, saying they were “blatantly being disrespectful” to her relationship and husband. The star continued, “So I’m gonna go ahead and say this one time. Respectfully, (expletive) off.”
Simone Biles explained that if netizens kept tweeting or commenting disrespectfully, she would block them. She added, “And no, I don’t need to touch grass…” The athlete was forced to say something because, although it had been months since that podcast interview, Owens was still getting backlash.
Simone Biles defends Jonathan Owens over his viral interview in a clip uploaded on May 2, 2024, on the Call Her Daddy podcast | Source: YouTube/Spotify
She concluded her post by saying, “we love y’all so much” to everyone who supports them. Sharing his wife’s Instagram Stories post on his page, Owens captioned the post, “If y’all gone support!!!”
Alex Cooper interviewing Simone Biles who defended Jonathan Owens over his viral interview in a clip uploaded on May 2, 2024, on the Call Her Daddy podcast | Source: YouTube/Spotify
She insisted that “there was nothing foul about it.” The podcast interviewer curiously asked what the couple said to each other while the clip went viral. Biles shared that she initially thought what people were saying, like that she should divorce him, was hilarious.
But then her feelings got hurt, and one night she finally broke down and questioned netizens why they were speaking about her husband the way they were. She felt they had no basis to attack him because they didn’t know him personally.
Alex Cooper interviewing Simone Biles who defended Jonathan Owens over his viral interview in a clip uploaded on May 2, 2024, on the Call Her Daddy podcast | Source: YouTube/Spotify
The athlete shared that everyone who met Jonathan Owens knows he’s “the sweetest guy” and will do “anything for anybody.” Let’s look at the duo’s relationship timeline.
Simone Biles Stands by Her Man
Later that month, Biles won the U.S. Classic before posting a message about her husband on Instagram Stories. Owens attended the event in Hartford, Connecticut, where he cheered her on. The gymnast reportedly said, “I’m going to quickly address this, the joke was never a joke!”
She called her followers out, saying they were “blatantly being disrespectful” to her relationship and husband. The star continued, “So I’m gonna go ahead and say this one time. Respectfully, (expletive) off.”
Simone Biles explained that if netizens kept tweeting or commenting disrespectfully, she would block them. She added, “And no, I don’t need to touch grass…” The athlete was forced to say something because, although it had been months since that podcast interview, Owens was still getting backlash.
Simone Biles defends Jonathan Owens over his viral interview in a clip uploaded on May 2, 2024, on the Call Her Daddy podcast | Source: YouTube/Spotify
She concluded her post by saying, “we love y’all so much” to everyone who supports them. Sharing his wife’s Instagram Stories post on his page, Owens captioned the post, “If y’all gone support!!!”
He urged people who refused to be respectful to “keep scrolling” because “being fake mad about people y’all don’t know from a can of paint is weirdo behavior.”
He urged people who refused to be respectful to “keep scrolling” because “being fake mad about people y’all don’t know from a can of paint is weirdo behavior.”
