Simone Biles’ Husband, Mr. Simone Biles, Catches Heat for Calling Himself ‘the Catch’ in Their Marriage

Simone Biles and her husband, Green Bay Packers player Jonathan Owens, seem very happy together, and so, naturally, I am happy for them. Truly! But on Thursday, I couldn’t help but join the rest of the internet in raising my eyebrows at Owens’ comments on a recent, joint appearance the two made on The Pivot podcast, in which Owens claims he’s the catch in their marriage, and that he didn’t even know who Biles was when they started dating. Look, he has a right to his, umm, opinion about who “the catch” is, but I just have to say, it’s pretty bold talk from a man better known to the world as “Simone Biles’ husband.”

When host Channing Crowder asked Owens “How in the hell did you pull Simone Biles,” Owens said he “didn’t know who she was” when they matched on Raya in 2020. Biles, to be clear—and I feel insane for even needing to include this???—is the most decorated gymnast in history.

Owens explained that he hadn’t followed the Olympics in 2016, and “never really paid attention to gymnastics” (his loss, truly!), but Biles piqued his interest, and he figured “she’s gotta be good” when he saw how many Instagram followers she had. So, they started talking, one thing led to another, and the rest is history. But apparently, even knowing who Biles is—a trailblazer and perhaps the most decorated and influential athlete of a generation—Owens maintains that he’s the more coveted one in their relationship. Asked if he believes he’s “the catch” between them, he told Crowder, “I always say that the men are the catch,” and that he was the one who was initially “afraid to commit” to Biles: “I’m like, ‘It’s kinda early.’ But you know, it happens when you least expect it. When we hung out, we just hit it off instantly. Laughed the whole night.”

I cannot emphasize enough that I just want Biles to be happy, and since she seems to be, I will resist the overwhelming urge to scream “DUMP HIM!” But, my god, this is all just so cringe. I can respect that perhaps he genuinely may not have known who she was at the start of this. Sure! But I can’t wrap my head around bragging about that ignorance as if it’s some sort of flex when it just comes across as condescending, and like he’s minimizing her accomplishments to put her down. As for his insistence that “men are the catch,” what are any of us supposed to say to that in 2023, my dude? Let’s forget, for a minute, that 99% of heterosexual couples comprise the most cool and beautiful woman you’ve ever encountered in your life and Some Guy™, and just focus on your relationship: We are talking about a woman who holds seven Olympic gold medals, who’s had numerous gymnastics moves named after her because no one else on Earth could do them, and you, a football man better known as Mr. Simone Biles.

As one Twitter user pointed out, “Simone Biles is trending because even as her husband is getting dragged, nobody knows his name.” Others juxtaposed Biles’ accomplishments with Owens’ athletic resume and concluded, “dude is empirically Just Some Guy.” What more needs to be said??

I—and the rest of the internet—personally, could rant and rave about this for the rest of the afternoon. But Biles and Owens, who have seemingly seen the backlash, are, in their own words, “unbothered.” On Thursday evening, Owens shared an Instagram post of their wedding photos with the caption, “Unbothered 😂❤️ Just know we locked in over here 🤞🏽,” and Biles reshared the post on her Instagram story. So, good for them, I guess!!! But I’ll just leave it at this: The first thing I saw when I opened the comment section of Owens’ post was a comment that reads, “who tf are you,” and… yeah, great question!