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“I Butted Heads a Lot With Her”: Simone Biles’ Once Admitted Her Relationship With Mother Nellie Biles Was Not ‘Always Perfect’

Published 09/01/2022, 11:46 AM EDT

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Simone Biles is often regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts in the history of the sport. Simone’s unmatchable success is a product of her grit, perseverance, and relentless hard work. The Olympic gold medalist always credited her parents for the success that she achieved.

The star gymnast went through a lot of struggles as a young child. She revealed that she was placed in foster care at the age of 3. Simone’s biological mother had alcohol and drug problems and was frequently in and out of prison. Due to this reason Simone’s mother, Shanon could not take care of her kids.

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Simone Biles speaks about her relationship with her mom

Simone’s maternal grandparents adopted both Simone and her sister Adria from foster care in 2003. Since then, Ron and Nellie Biles have taken care of both Adria and Simone. In her interviews, she always acknowledged the sacrifices made by her parents to support her gymnastics career. Simone always regarded her mother, Nellie, as her best friend.

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However, her relationship with her mom was not that strong at a particular time in her life. Simone once admitted her relationship with her mother, Nellie Biles, was not ‘always perfect. “Our relationship is not always perfect, though – from 14 to 16 years old, I butted heads a lot with her,” she said. Simone said that as a teenager she always wanted to be right, which caused a lot of disagreements between them.

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However, their relationship got better with time. “Those years were difficult, but we fixed it with communication. I learned that I always have to say exactly how I’m feeling, so she knows how to handle it,” she said, speaking on the rough patch of their relationship. Nellie always stood by Simone’s side when the Olympian was struggling with her mental health. She always showed immense support by accompanying Biles to her therapy sessions as well.

Simone’s journey with her parents

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Simone’s first memory with her parents was when they adopted her from foster care. She recalled the time they would go to church together as a family. Simone and her sister would take Bible classes at the Church. The feeling of a family was very new to Simone, but she got accustomed to it very quickly.

Her parents made sure that they put all the resources to help Simone with her gymnastics career. Simone’s mother owned fourteen nursing homes, whereas her father worked in the FAA. Her mother, Nellie Biles, once sold her business to construct a gym for Simone and her sister, Adria. Simone has been training at that gym since 2014 and it is open to the public as well. 

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WATCH THIS STORY: Classy and Elegant: Simone Biles Drops Hints On Her Wedding With Jonathan Owens

As 2023 approaches, fans await her upcoming wedding with NFL star Jonathan Owens.

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Written by:

Adityan Pillai

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Adityan Pillai is a US Sports Author for EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor's Degree in Science. When it comes to track and field, Adityan is a national-level athlete, participating in the 400 and 800m events.
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Edited by:

Pritam Priyedarshi