Simone Biles has had her boyfriend, NFL football player Jonathan Owens, cheering her on as she competes in the Tokyo Olympics. The gymnast recently opened up about how their relationship blossomed very quickly after they met in March 2020.
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Shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, the pair reportedly met online and Jonathan confessed he "didn’t know who she was" but that the lockdown "created our bond."
"He would say I slid into his DMs," Simone told The Wall Street Journal. "I saw that he was in the Houston area, so we started chatting a little bit, and then we went to hang out a week or two later."
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Jonathan also said during an interview with Texas Monthly that the pair would normally both have very busy schedules with their sporting careers, but the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics and training for the 2020 NFL season meant they could spend more time in Texas.
"We ended up hanging out right before the pandemic. It was one of the few times in her life where everything was just shut off and she couldn’t do anything," he said.
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Simone and Jonathan on Valentine's Day
"So we used it to get to know each other—really get to know each other. It created our bond and made it stronger. Now I’m so thankful."
Jonathan added: "This was a match made in heaven. There’s no better person for me. She loves me, she’s so affectionate. I just love that. And it’s just intoxicating seeing how much work she puts into everything."
The couple met shortly before the pandemic
After being awarded a bronze medal for the women's beam final on Tuesday, Simone shared a post on Instagram that was quickly met by praise and adoration from Jonathan.
He commented: "That smiles my favorite, congrats baby so proud of you." How sweet!
Simone lives in Houston in an ultra-modern home complete with an outdoor swimming pool that she purchased back in 2019.
The Olympic gold medallist has shared several glimpses inside as she posed with her partner, including for Valentine's Day back in February. The couple were pictured in front of a balloon and light display that spelt out 'Love' which was positioned in front of glass doors leading to the garden.
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