Simone Biles' Grandparents Became Her Parents after Mom Starved Her Now Proud Dad Walks Her Down

June 2024 · 10 minute read

Before Simone Biles became a world-famous gymnast, she had to endure so much in her younger years. She and her siblings were left in foster care after their biological mother was deemed unfit to raise them.

Memories of her time in foster care remain vivid in Biles' mind even two decades later. She'd play in the backyard, diligently do her schoolwork, and talk to her older siblings through the vents as they slept in separate rooms.

She'd also sneak into her brother's room at night to check on him. She feared waking up in the morning to find her brother gone and transferred to another foster home.

Nowadays, Biles volunteers to provide children in the foster system with clothes and school supplies. While people might see this as a publicity stunt, it's way deeper than that for the gymnast, who knows what it's like to be one of them. She once said:

"I know exactly how it is, and I know exactly how you feel being a foster kid. I can be a voice for them. I can help them, and I can tell them that they're not alone and that it's going to be okay."

She is involved with Mattress Firm Foster Kids, which is a program that provides six annual drives to collect items that foster children and families can benefit from. The program is affiliated with 115 nonprofit organizations across 40 US states.

Biles, now 26 years old, has a whopping 32 Olympic and world medals, matching Russian Larisa Latynina's record. Biles has seven Olympic medals, tying Shannon Miller as America's most successful gymnast in the prestigious Games.

When being compared to other athletes, Biles is firm in saying she's not the "next" anything. "I'm not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps – I'm the first Simone Biles," she'd tell people.

And at 26, Biles has earned that spot as one of the world's greatest athletes. She's one of the greatest gymnasts the world has seen, with no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Biles first gained worldwide recognition when she won two World Championship golds in 2013 when she was only 16. She then followed that up with four golds in 2014 and another four golds in 2015.

Simone Biles' Dream Wedding

Since stunning the world with her outstanding professional career, Biles has put gymnastics on hold for now. She recently got married to her boyfriend Jonathan Owens in a simple court wedding.

The lovely couple initially met on the dating app Raya and began dating. They got engaged on Valentine's Day 2022 when Owens got down on one knee with a 3-carat ring in his hands.

Rather than spending a fortune on her wedding gown, she opted for a tiered white dress that retails for only $120. The heels she wore to the court wedding were also only $35, on sale from its retail price of $58.

The champion gymnast styled her look with a high ponytail, drop earrings, and a matching pendant necklace. Her simple look was because their court wedding was so they were legally married in the United States.

The Owens were preparing for a much bigger wedding in Cabo, which took place on May 6. While their US wedding was something they didn't prepare for much, the planning process for their destination wedding took months.

For her grand wedding, Biles opted to work with a wedding planner to make sure everything was all set. She had Galia Lahav make her gown, which wasn't what she initially envisioned.

The designer made her a gown with a corseted bodice, a ballgown skirt, and a high slit, which Biles slowly fell in love with. "I think this is exactly how brides are supposed to feel: luxurious, beautiful, kind of on top of the world," she said of the gown.

On the day itself, 144 family and friends of the beloved couple watched as they exchanged vows. Greenery and classic white flowers filled the altar, as Biles made her walk with her father Ronald by her side.

To make things more special, the wedding was officiated by one of Biles' uncles, Paul. Biles' grandmother-turned-mom was also in attendance.

Before the grand wedding took place, a rehearsal dinner happened on Friday night. Biles wore a gorgeous bedazzled mini dress, while Owens wore a white suit with a pair of shorts.

In the same way that Biles was walked down the aisle by her dad, Owens' mom, Arthurine Cannon, walked him down the aisle at the rehearsal dinner.

After everything that's happened, Biles' biological mother was not in any of the festivities. In fact, she was barred from her children's lives ever since the adoption papers were signed.

In an exclusive interview, Biles' mother, Shanon, revealed that her father, Ronald, did not allow her to communicate or even visit her children. At the time, Simone was only six when she and her younger sister Adria.

Shanon was suffering from substance abuse and could no longer take care of her children, so they were placed in foster care before ultimately being adopted. "It was hard to give up my kids but I had to do what I had to, I wasn't able to care for them," she admitted.

At the time, it was only Shanon raising her four children, as Biles' biological father left the family while his children were still very young. The kids were often hungry, with Shanon prioritizing the stray cat that roamed around their house when it came to food.

"She always fed it but she never fed us," Biles recalled. That's where the gymnast's dislike for cats came from – because her mom chose to feed a stray cat rather than her children.

When things were too much to bear, neighbors started to grow concerned over the children's welfare. They contacted social services, and the four Biles children were taken from their mom's custody.

It was her difficult childhood that motivated Biles to do well in life so she never needed to experience anything like it ever again. While Biles doesn't remember much about foster care, she does remember being taken from her biological mom, and then thinking they were going to go back to such a difficult situation.

She spent three years in the system, always waiting for her grandfather to come visit. "Whenever we had visits with my grandpa, I was so excited. He was the person I always wanted to see walk in the foster home.

However, her fate changed when her maternal grandparents took her and her younger sister in. Right after her adoption, at the age of six, Biles was introduced to gymnastics.

Robert and Nellie Taught Her Everything

Biles was on a daycare field trip to a gymnasium when she got introduced to the sport that would change her life. She came home with a note from the coaches, who instantly saw something in Biles when she visited.

They encouraged Biles to enroll in gymnastics classes, and Robert and Nellie were happy to oblige. The Olympian credits her parents' dedication, which allowed her to fulfill her dreams. She'd often write about her parents on social media for everyone to see.

"Thanks for making sacrifices since day 1 so I can live out my dream. But most importantly, thanks for being there for me through all the highs and lows," Biles said of her parents.

It took a while for Nellie to fully embrace her grandchildren as her own kids. While she did her best to raise them and provide for them, she knew it was different to emotionally embrace them as her own.

When the time came that she realized she'd do anything for Simone and Adria, she knew she was truly a mother. Nellie isn't related to the Biles sisters by blood, because Shanon was Ronald's daughter from a previous relationship.

Despite this, Nellie wholeheartedly embraced her grandchildren, who eventually became her own daughters. "I don't know the exact date, but my heart just made room," she said.

Nellie wholeheartedly supported Biles' career as a gymnast. When she was in the 9th grade, she was given an ultimatum: to remain in school and not reach an elite level of gymnastics, or to start home-schooling while leveling up to the elite level.

Being homeschooled meant not experiencing things girls her age would. Nellie told her she wouldn't be going to prom, no extra-curricular activities, and no hangouts with classmates.

It was a decision that Nellie and Ronald did not force Biles to make. They wanted her to make the decision herself, and after a few days of crying, she said she would do it.

Biles never missed a day of gymnastics practice, even when she was sick. She had her parents by her side, and they stuck by her throughout her career.

During one of her competitions near Chicago in 2013, Nellie invited Shanon to watch Simone compete. Nellie said her decision was because Shanon was so close, and she felt it was important for her to see how Simone was doing.

Unfortunately, Shanon's presence was confusing for both the audience and Biles. During the competition, she ended up distracted and fell during her turn.

She also introduced herself as "Simone's mom" to those in attendance, despite Nellie being around. Three months after the incident, Biles won her first world title.

The following year, Ronald and Nellie opened the World Champions Centre in Spring, Texas. As Biles' longtime coach, Aimee Boorman, hopped from gym to gym based on her employment, they decided to put up their own gym so Biles could continue to train with her.

Aside from Biles herself, the gym is home to many aspiring gymnasts. Even those from Houston travel 40 miles to get to the World Champions Centre, in hopes of their daughter someday becoming the next Simone Biles.

Through the years, Ronald and Nellie were told by friends that they had changed the course of history – particularly that of gymnastics. "Your choice years ago literally impacted the history of gymnastics," a friend wrote on his Facebook.

Biles was on her way to making history yet again at the Tokyo Olympics when she pulled out of multiple events. Her decision to walk away was criticized by many, but the gymnast argued it was the biggest win because for once, she finally prioritized her mental health.

Without her parents in the stands for the first time, Biles was disoriented. It was the very first time her parents missed a competition, and she said the situation at the Olympics was unlike any other.

Simone Biles' sister and grandmother attend the Artistic Gymnastics at the Olympic Arena during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 14, 2016. | Source: Getty Images

"We're quarantined in our rooms and can only come out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Everyone expected us to perform in a certain manner," she recalled. When she made the decision to pull out, the first thing she did when she returned home to Houston was see her parents.

"They mean the world to me," she said of her parents on Instagram amidst the Tokyo Olympics. The post was made shortly before she pulled out of the competition.

Biles finds comfort in her parents. She looks up to both of them as role models in many ways, from love, to support, to parenting. She takes their advice to heart and says her mom, Nellie, gives her advice on things all the time.

Simone Biles' grand parents attend the women's vault event final of the Artistic Gymnastics at the Olympic Arena during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 14, 2016. | Source: Getty Images

Now that she is married, she'll be able to take her learnings and apply them to her relationship with Owens. As for her relationship with her parents, fans can expect it to keep growing despite this new journey she's on as a wife.

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