Fresh off taking on the world’s best gymnasts at the Paris Olympics, Simone Biles was taking on her own fans — and sticking up for her husband.
The woman widely considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time is no stranger to the spotlight, and sometimes courts controversy with conservatives.
But after her husband became the target of her supporters for a picture of him wearing Biles’ gold medals, the gymnast struck back against her own supporters.
The social media storm started after Biles’ husband, Jonathan Owens, posted a photo on Instagram that shows him with Biles, except Owens has his wife’s medals around his own neck.
Criticism exploded, as Biles’ fans — and probably a good many social media users who just like to jump into fights — accused Owens of taking credit for his wife’s victories.
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Most criticisms took the line that Owens — a safety for the NFL’s Chicago Bears when he’s not being Mr. Simone Biles — had no business wearing the medals.
Social media influencer Kiera Breaugh, who boasts more than 426,000 followers, posted a video hammering Owens that drew almost a half-million “likes” and almost 7,700 comments.
One of those commenting, though, was Biles herself.
And she definitely did not “like” what was being said.
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“Crazy thing is, I put my medal on every single one of my family members and took pictures. So don’t ever make assumptions,” Biles wrote in a comment, as the New York Post reported.
“Like y’all are so f****ing miserable. Leave us alone.”
That changed the tone for critics — if Breaugh’s response is any indication.
In a follow-up video, Breaugh backpedaled more than Owens does on the playing field defending against a pass. (The video is available here, but be warned, Biles’ comment is posted prominently on the screen, and she didn’t use asterisks with the f-word.)
“She put the medal on him,” Breaugh said. “I can’t really be mad if she told him to. You know what I mean?
“You know what? Maybe I am really miserable,” she said, noting Biles’ undeniable accomplishments. “I’ll be called ‘miserable’ by the most decorated gymnast of all time. I don’t really care. I think that’s fine …
“Naturally, I’m not just miserable, I’m lazy, untalented and all the other things in the caption. I am undeniably that, in comparison….”
Then she tried again to explain what she said in her first video.
“I think a lot of us saw that and were, like … ‘whoa, whoa, whoa.’”
“False alarm, OK.”
One commenter wrote in response:
“I’m glad she was able to clear everything up & you took the criticism very well.”
