Growing up with a mother struggling with substance abuse, Simone Biles’ life was far from easy. She and her siblings were placed in foster care around age 3 and there were moments when even basic food was not guaranteed. Fast forward to 2026, she now has an estimated $25 million net worth. But that does not change where she came from. That is why being charged a huge amount for a single red carpet appearance caught her off guard!

Recently, the Olympic champion opened up about what she spent on red carpet glam and styling. In a video, she broke it down, saying, “So I just recently had a red carpet event with the Stylist Fee hair and makeup team… My grand total… Yeah, $22,000. Actually, $23,000.” Well, she did not name the event but she is probably referring to the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid.

Simone Biles further questioned in the video, “She asked, “I just want to know. Is that f***ing normal?” and admitted that if this is the new standard, she would rather skip it entirely. She even joked, “ Y’all will never see me at another event. I’m gonna stay my ass right here.” She even captioned it, “I will be staying inside for the foreseeable future 🥴.”

This is not the first time she has spoken about high costs in public life. Even after the Paris Olympics in 2024, she shared a moment where pricing surprised her. While celebrating in a club, she said, “This club tried to charge me $26,000 for a bottle of champagne,” adding, “Like, are you insane? Obviously I didn’t buy it. But why would you even try to play me like that? Like, that’s wild.”

Across both moments, the pattern is simple. Even with global fame, success, and millions in net worth, Simone Biles still reacts strongly when prices feel extreme. But her latest red carpet appearance was not just about high costs, it also came with an unexpected behind-the-scenes problem that no one would notice from the photos.

Simone Biles faces a near wardrobe mishap before the Laureus Red carpet

On April 20, Simone Biles stepped onto the red carpet for the Laureus World Sports Awards 2026 in Madrid, where she also attended as a new ambassador for the organization. The event brought together top athletes and global sports stars, including Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Fabio Capello, and several other well-known figures from around the world.

Biles looked gorgeous as she walked in. She was dressed by Marc Desir in a one shoulder gold mini dress designed by Vietnamese fashion designer Cong Tri. It had a side train and feathers. She also accessorised in a gold and green Audemars Piguet watch with nude Manolo Blahnik heels and gold clutch and diamond Alexis Bittar earrings.

Everything looked perfect on the surface, but behind the scenes, there was a problem. Just before Simone Biles walked out, her dress actually busted, and her team had to quickly sew her into it so she could wear it safely. She later shared the moment on her Instagram Stories, saying, “Getting sewn into my dress because it busted.”

In the end, what looked like a perfect red carpet moment was actually saved in the final minutes behind the scenes.