NFL star and husband of Simone Biles, Jonathan Owens, has been criticized by fans for wearing her Olympic gold medal in a loved-up photo on Instagram.
Biles helped the U.S. win its first gold medal of the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, defeating Italy and Brazil in the team final with an impressive winning score of 171.296.
It is the first American victory in this event since 2008. Sunisa Lee and Jordan Chiles were also the driving force behind the historic victory in the French capital.
For Biles, however, the gold medal marks a return to the pinnacle of the sport for a gymnast considered by many to be the greatest of all time. And there is much more to come on the all-around, vault, balance beam and floor exercise.
Still, fans are furious on social media after Owens, Biles’ husband for the past two years, proudly wore her medal on Tuesday night following her first success in Paris.
Simone Biles’ NFL star husband Jonathan Owens has been criticized by fans for wearing her Olympic gold medal
In a post honoring his wife, the Chicago Bears safety posed next to her with the gold around his neck and wrote, “Every time you step onto the mat you witness history. Congratulations honey, you have become the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history!!!! Wow!!!! There were 8!!!!! I’m so thankful I was there.”
Owens is in Paris Biles this summer after taking time off from training with the Bears to watch Biles in action.
She showed her appreciation for him by saying, “It means a lot to you that you’re here.”
But despite his heartwarming words, Owens is being criticized by fans online for his “odd” behavior with the medal.
Someone wrote: ‘You do realize that this is not your medal?’
Another said: ‘But why are you wearing it? How strange.’
“I knew he was gone and would wear her medal like he won it,” said a third user.
A fourth commented: ‘That’s Simone’s gold medal you’re holding, not yours, mate.’
Biles led the U.S. to its first gold medal of the Paris Games in the team final on Tuesday
Owens, who is in Paris to watch Biles in action, celebrated his wife while wearing her medal in a heartwarming post on Instagram
But fans were quick to criticize the Chicago Bears safety’s “odd” behavior in the comments
While someone simply told him: ‘Give back the medal, it’s not yours’.
However, Owens wasn’t just criticized for his medal antics.
Fans were also quick to point out an infamous 2023 interview in which he claimed not to know who Biles was when they first met on a dating app.
Owens, who stressed that he was the “catch” in the relationship, said of their first meeting: ‘I didn’t know who she was at the time, but the first thing I saw was that she was just a whole lot [Instagram] followers. So in my mind I’m like, “Okay, she must be good.”
And the footballer was reminded of those comments as he wore his wife’s Olympic gold this week.
A user said: ‘But you didn’t know who she was?’
Another wrote: ‘Do you know who she is now? Lmao’.
While a third posted: ‘Now he knows everything about gymnastics’.