It takes a village. Simone Biles “counts her lucky stars that she has such a strong, loving relationship” with her parents, Ron and Nellie, a source exclusively tells Life & Style.
Ron, who is Simone’s maternal grandfather, and his wife, Nellie, legally adopted Simone, 24, from mom Shanon in 2003 and have “been there supporting her from the beginning,” says the insider. “What’s so nice about Simone, is that even though she’s worked hard to get to where she is today, she’s so appreciative of everything that she’s achieved and those who love her.”
According to the source, Simone’s “number one confidant” is her sister Adria. “She tells her everything.”
Simone has two other siblings, a sister named Ashley and a brother named Tevin, who was recently acquitted of triple murder following a 2018 shooting in Ohio. Ashley and Tevin were adopted by Ronald’s sister. Moreover, Simone considers her parents’ sons, Ron Jr. and Adam, her brothers.
Outside of her family, Simone’s boyfriend, Jonathan Owens, “absolutely adores her,” the insider assures. “They have a great relationship and are in love!” Jonathan, 26, and Simone made their romance Instagram official in August 2020.
The NFL athlete has been especially supportive of Simone amid her time at the Tokyo Olympics. Days after the gold medalist pulled out of vault, uneven bars, floor exercise and all-around, Jonathan showed his solidarity.
“Imma ride with you through whatever, baby. Your strength and courage are unmatched, and you inspire me more and more everyday SB,” the Missouri Western State University alum wrote via Instagram on July 29. “You always gone be my champ baby and don’t you ever forget that. I love you so much and I can’t wait till you come home and I get to see that beautiful smile again. You know I’m always here for you, baby.”
For her part, Simone made it clear that her decision was a difficult one. “It wasn’t easy pulling out of all those competitions,” she began a lengthy message via Instagram on July 26.
“People just thought it was easy, but I physically and mentally was not in the right head space, and I didn’t want to jeopardize my health and my safety because at the end of the day, it’s not worth it,” Simone continued. “My mental and physical health is above all medals that I could ever win. So, to be clear, to do beam, which I didn’t think I was going to be, just meant the world to be back out there. And I wasn’t expecting to walk away with the medal. I was just going out there doing this for me.”
On Tuesday, August 3, Simone returned for the final day of the gymnastics competition where she earned a bronze medal on the balance beam.