Is Jonathan Owens a ‘Simone Biles Hater?’ Here’s What a Body Language Expert Noticed During the Olympics
Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast on the planet. And just in case there was any doubt, she cemented her legacy as the GOAT during the 2024 Paris Olympics when she added three more gold medals to her collection, surpassing Anton Heida’s record for the most Olympic gold medals by an American gymnast.
But Biles’ amazing floor exercise or performance on the vault weren’t the only stories making headlines. Her relationship with her husband, Jonathan Owens, was also in the spotlight. The NFL player was granted permission from the Chicago Bears to leave training camp and watch his wife play in person. But some have accused Owens of being a “Simone Biles hater.”
Here’s more on that and what a body language expert picked up on when Owens was seen at the Olympic Games cheering on his wife.
Biles was ‘hurt’ by the reaction Owens received when his comments went viral
Biles and Owens began dating in 2020 and tied the knot in April 2023. Seven months after they said “I do,” Owens appeared on The Pivot podcast and explained to host Ryan Clark that he “didn’t know” who Biles was before they first got together and thought he was “the catch” in their relationship.
Owens drew a ton of criticism for those remarks and Biles later discussed how the backlash made her feel.
“That really hurt that they were talking about my husband like that,” the Olympian said during an interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast. “Because for me, it’s like, talk about me all you want, but don’t come for my family, never. When he did that interview, I thought everything was OK. And then I go on Twitter [now X] and everybody’s like, ‘divorce this man. He’s mean.’
“First of all, that interview had nothing to do with me. It was all for him, so I think they were mad that he didn’t include me in the interview. But he has to have his moments, too, and I let him have it. They hurt my feelings. I broke down and I’m like, why are you guys talking about my husband like this? You don’t know him. You don’t know who he is and if anybody’s met him, they know he’s the sweetest guy and will do anything for anybody.”
What a body language expert saw from Owens when he watched his wife in Paris
No wonder the gymnast was so hurt as some people even went as far as to call Owens a “Simone Biles hater.” If that sounds absolutely ridiculous, it’s because it is as a body language just revealed that Owens’ demeanor watching his partner perform at the Olympics showed the exact opposite.
Darren Stanton is a body language and behavioral expert with a degree in psychology. He previously worked as a police officer and used his expertise to uncover the truth when interviewing hundreds of suspects. He later moved into media and TV as a consultant and has been dubbed the “Human Lie Detector.”
Stanton observed the Bears player going through many “emotional states” and being in awe as he watched his bride.
The expert told Showbiz Cheat Sheet: “Looking at [Owens] during different events he is nothing but proud of his wife’s achievements. We’ve seen him enter lots of emotional states — how looks around with his eyes, he bites his lip … When he attended the Games with her family we can see his eyes wide, his mouth open … I can say with a lot of certainty that he himself is so proud of Simone’s achievements.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
