Simone Biles’ NFL husband inadvertently opened a can of worms with a rather strange admission. Jonathan Owens and Simone Biles found each other on the ‘Raya’ dating app during the pandemic. By 2020, when they met, Biles had already joined the ranks of Michael Phelps as one of the most successful Olympians. Surprisingly, Owens had no inkling of her achievements and was pleasantly intrigued by the number of followers on Biles’ social media. He swiped right on the dating app, only to find they had matched.

With four gold medals in the 2016 Olympics and subsequent victories at the World Championships, Simone Biles solidified her status as a dominant force in the sport. Fans found it astonishing that the Green Bay Packers safety had never heard of her. Here’s what followed.

Social media rages over Jonathan Owens’ comment about Simone Biles’ success

Jonathan Owens and Simone Biles are pretty much in their honeymoon period still after tying the knot in April. The newlyweds addressed questions about their first encounter on ‘The Pivot Podcast’. Amidst giggles from everyone within the small recording studio, Owens said, “So literally, had been on the app for a couple of days, man, and it’s like she pops up and I’m like, ‘Let me see who this is’ … I had never really paid attention to gymnastics, so it piqued my curiosity”.

He checked Biles’ social media handles and left for the gym. When he picked his phone up again, Biles had already slipped into his DMs. Even then he “didn’t know who she was” until he saw her millions of followers. The fans became even more vicious when the NFL legend described himself as a “catch”. Some went as far as to accuse him of sexism, complaining that he would know about Simone Biles if she were a celebrated male athlete like Michael Phelps.

Jonathan Owens faces fans’ fury

One fan wrote, “Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Flo-Jo, Jackie-Joyner Kersee, Carl Lewis, Mark Spitz, Mary Lou Retton, Nadia Comaneci, & others all became household names after the Olympics. I refuse to believe a pro athlete who followed gymnastics didn’t know the biggest star in history”. Simone Biles, who once said, “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps – I’m the first Simone Biles” has downplayed the tirade directed at Jonathan Owens and clarified that the relationship was indeed her idea.

Read More: Boasting a $16 Million Net Worth, Is Simone Biles Richer Than Her Husband Jonathan Owens?

Interestingly, some fans have even stuck up for Owens, citing the example of Serena Williams’ entrepreneur husband, Alexis Ohanian, who did not recognize the tennis legend on their first meeting. Jonathan Owens is still in the eye of the storm, and his public image is dwindling fast.

Watch this story: Months After Simone Biles’ Wedding, the Gymnastic Queen’s Love for Flowers ‘Blooms’ Once Again on Instagram