Simone Biles Fights Back Against Criticism Over NFL Outfit Faux Pas
Simone Biles is biting her tongue and resisting the urge to respond to criticism over her wardrobe choice at an NFL preseason game earlier this month, as she continues to face backlash from fans.
The 27-year-old gymnast took to social media to express her frustration at the continuous criticism stemming from an August 17th preseason game between the Bengals and Bears in Chicago, where she wore a jacket featuring snaps of her husband Jonathan Owens in action for his new team’s rivals, the Green Bay Packers.
Despite making it clear where her loyalties lie ahead of the new NFL season, Biles is still fuming at her unintentional misstep at Soldier Field.
“The way I be wanting to clap back soooo bad but I gotta stay as classy as possible,” she shared on Threads.
It’s unclear if Biles’ post was aimed at overly critical Bears fans or faultfinding NFL fans as a whole.
Simone Biles is still fighting the haters slamming her outfit during Bears-Bengals on August 17
Biles’ 1.6 million Thread followers backed her, however.
“You have enough support either way; I have always appreciated your class when speaking up!” a fan said.
“Very demure Very mindful Very class,” another commented under Biles’ post.
“Ignore the negative, there are so many of us who love and support you…” someone else pointed out.
“They go low, you go high,” shared a different individual.
Owens, 29, played just one season in Green Bay before making the move down Lake Michigan to Chicago earlier this year.
The safety agreed to a two-year deal with the Bears, believed to be worth $4.5 million in March, prior to Biles’ three gold medal wins in Paris.
Biles is still under the cosh despite sharing her loyalty to her husband’s new team – the Bears
Biles also said she won’t be attending as many NFL games as she did last season because of her involvement in the Gold Over America Tour.
The tour, a traveling gymnastics exhibition which will feature a host of gymnastic stars including Biles and her gold-medal-winning USA teammates, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, and Hezly Rivera, will kick off on September 16 in Oceanside, California.
It will make 30 stops across the United States, finishing in Detroit on November 3, which coincides with Week 9 of the NFL schedule – the midpoint of the regular season.
Biles may be able to catch the Bears’ season opener against the Tennessee Titans on September 8 as well as the second half of the season and start of the postseason if Chicago secures a playoff spot.