Jonathan Owens knew what it meant to play under a spotlight. Dating Simone Biles, however, showed him just how bright that spotlight could become.

The Indianapolis Colts safety was already chasing his NFL dream when he met Biles on a dating app in 2020. But once their relationship became public, Owens suddenly found himself receiving attention for something far beyond football. At first, he admitted, adjusting to it was anything but easy.

“It was tough at first because I’m a pretty quiet, private person,” Owens told The Athletic. “It almost makes you a shell of yourself, at first, because of all the criticism. They’ve got something to say about everything you do.”

For Owens, one moment in particular brought that reality crashing down. In 2023, comments he made during an appearance on The Pivot podcast sparked widespread backlash, including his claim that he had not known who Biles was before they met and his remark that “men are the catch.”

The reaction arrived quickly. Owens recalled not even realizing what was happening at first because he had his notifications turned off. Then Biles asked him a simple question: “Have you been on your Instagram?”

That was when he saw the storm.

“That was my first time of really, really being in the public eye and people trying to hate on you – ‘Oh, you’re Mr. Biles!’ – and stuff like that,” Owens recalled.

The label that once felt uncomfortable, though, eventually took on a different meaning. Rather than trying to escape the association with one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, Owens learned to embrace it.

“But that’s what comes with it. You take the good with the bad, and at the end of the day, I’m living my dream,” he said.

Now, he even views “Mr. Biles” as a compliment.

“You see who my wife is. Says a lot about me as well,” Owens explained, adding that he sees her choosing him as a reflection of his own confidence and character.

That shift did not happen overnight. Owens was still building his NFL career when Biles entered his life. After making his league debut in 2018, he gradually earned a bigger role, moving from special teams duties to defensive opportunities with the Houston Texans before becoming a full-time starter in 2022.

Biles watched that journey unfold, and Owens found something valuable in having her around. The relationship that initially brought unwanted attention also became a source of stability.

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens keep showing up for each other

Their connection began during the COVID-19 lockdown, when the lack of a normal schedule gave them an unusual opportunity to know each other away from the noise.

“It created our bond and made it stronger,” Owens told Texas Monthly in 2021. “Now, I’m so thankful.”

They got married in 2023. Since then, their support has become a familiar sight on both sides of their careers.

Biles has cheered from NFL sidelines, while Owens has supported her through gymnastics competitions. Owens previously explained that having Biles in his corner helped him stay focused.

“I’ve played a lot better since [meeting Simone],” he said in an interview in 2024. “I’ve just been focused and locked in.”

That support has followed them into Owens’ latest NFL chapter. After signing a one-year deal with the Colts in March, Biles made it clear she planned to spend the season supporting her husband in Indianapolis.

And she wasted little time making her presence felt.

Before Owens’ first regular-season game for Indianapolis on September 13, the couple shared their familiar sideline kiss and performed their now-signature handshake. Biles also arrived wearing a custom blue dress featuring Owens’ No. 38 and their last name.

It was a small moment, but it captured how different the spotlight feels now.
The attention that once made Owens feel like a “shell of yourself” has become part of the life he and Biles have built together. And through all the noise surrounding two highly visible careers, Owens appears to have found the simplest way to handle it.

As Biles’ husband, the world will always have something to say. Owens has simply learned to keep living his dream anyway.