It’s funny how things can backfire, isn’t it? You try to share a sweet, supportive moment with your spouse, and suddenly, the internet decides it’s a red flag. That’s the spot Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens found themselves in recently. It all happened on a typical game day. Biles was there on the sidelines, ready to cheer on her husband as his team, the Chicago Bears, prepared to face the Detroit Lions.
She was the picture of support, honestly. She even had on these custom black pants with “Jonathan” printed down one leg and “Owens” down the other. She carried a little football-shaped purse. It was cute! Before the game started, she ran up to him on the field. They shared a couple of quick kisses and paused for what looked like a spontaneous photo. The NFL’s social media team posted the clip online with a heart-hands emoji, probably thinking it was a wholesome moment for the fans.
But the reaction… well, it wasn’t exactly what they might have hoped for.
Instead of seeing a loving couple, a lot of people online saw something else entirely. They called it performative. They said it felt staged, like the couple was a little too aware of the cameras rolling. The comments sections filled up with skepticism. One person wrote, “Is the relationship strictly for the cameras?” Another joked, “‘Wait, are we on camera yet?’” It seemed like a lot of folks were just tired of seeing them play out their relationship in public. One comment put it bluntly: “It’s cool the first few times, this is getting cringe now.”
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And then, of course, some took it a step further, diving into old drama to explain the new awkwardness.
The Podcast Heard ‘Round the World
To really understand why people are so quick to criticize this couple, you have to rewind a bit. The whole thing seems to stem from an interview Jonathan Owens did a while back, on a podcast called “The Pivot.” This was back in late 2023. He was talking about how he and Simone got together, and he made a comment that really rubbed people the wrong way.
He said, “I always say that the men are the catch.” Now, he was talking about how he wasn’t initially starstruck by Simone’s fame and that he was confident in his own worth. But taken out of context, it sounded… not great. Clips of him saying this spread all over social media, and fans of Simone Biles were not having it. Many felt it was incredibly dismissive of her historic accomplishments and legendary status as a gymnast.
The reaction was pretty intense. People were genuinely worried for her. Comments poured in like, “If he says this about her in public, imagine what he says to her in private.” It sparked a whole wave of concern, with some fans even declaring that the marriage was doomed from that moment forward.
Damage Control and Standing Together
Naturally, Owens caught wind of the backlash. He responded in a way a lot of celebrities do these days—by posting on Instagram. He shared a series of photos of him and Simone, including several from their wedding. His caption read, “Unbothered 😂🤷♂️💗 Just know we locked in over here.” It was his way of saying the critics weren’t getting to them, that their relationship was solid.
But the story didn’t end there. The comments from that podcast had long legs, and the topic came up again months later when Simone herself appeared on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast in mid-2025. She addressed the controversy directly, coming to her husband’s defense. She explained that she was completely blindsided by the online outrage. She thought everything was fine, then went on Twitter and saw everyone telling her to divorce him.
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Her take was much simpler. She said, “He never said I wasn’t a catch. He said he was a catch because he is.” From her perspective, it was never a comparison or a put-down; it was just her husband expressing his own self-confidence. She went on to praise him, making it clear she was happy and that they were on the same team.
So Why Won’t the Rumors Go Away?
This brings us back to that pre-game kiss. If Simone has defended him and they’ve publicly stated they’re “locked in,” why did a simple peck cause such a stir? Perhaps it’s a case of once a narrative is set, it’s hard to break. In the world of celebrity gossip, first impressions—especially negative ones—stick around.
Maybe people had already decided that their relationship was for show, so every public display of affection is now viewed through that cynical lens. A gesture that would be seen as normal for any other couple is instantly dissected and labeled as “cringe” or “performative” for them. It’s like the audience decided they were playing characters, and now they can’t step out of that role in the public eye.
It’s also a reminder of how brutal online commentary can be. A private relationship becomes public property the second you achieve a certain level of fame. Every moment is analyzed, every word is scrutinized, and a simple, loving gesture can be turned into evidence for a conspiracy theory. It must be exhausting.
In the end, we’re all just watching from the outside. We see a few seconds of a video, a few lines from an interview. We don’t know what their marriage is like behind closed doors. Maybe the kiss was a bit for the cameras. Or maybe it was just a woman kissing her husband good luck before his game. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, as it usually does. But one thing’s for sure: in the age of social media, even love comes with a comment section.
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