who is simone biles husband?

and why can’t we stop talking about him?

It seems like the entire internet is upset with Simone Biles’ husband, except for Simone Biles.

If like most of us, you had not heard of this man before, Biles’ husband is Green Bay Packers safety Jonathan Owens. But apparently, while the whole world knows who Biles is, her husband went on a podcast and confessed that he did not know who she was when they first matched on a dating app. In this interview, he also claimed that he was the “catch,” not her. As you can predict, this did not sit well with a lot of her fans, or anyone with a pulse.

But one part of the interview struck me as even more telling, where Biles, who was off-camera but in the room, seems to play down her achievements in order to make his seem bigger. “In a couple years nobody is gonna call him Simone Biles’ husband,” she said. They will call me Jonathan Owens’ wife.”

This sentence *fascinates* me because the assumption is that while she would be honored to be called his wife, he feels degraded being referred to as her husband. It’s why this whole kerfuffle doesn’t make me feel bad for Simone Biles (she can do whatever she wants and marry whoever she wants), it makes me feel sad for him. Men lose so much from being raised in a patriarchy, and one of the biggest joys they miss out on, is the pride and pleasure that so many women enjoy being associated with a successful partner. It doesn’t take away from us as women, to be with a powerful man, but somehow, in the code of patriarchy, it’s a faux pas for men. And we all play our parts. This sexist expectation is what makes the most decorated gymnast in history downplay her achievements, and a football player feel insecure despite accomplishing multiple feats. When I say the patriarchy hurts everybody, this is what I mean!

I think this also explains the excitement and giddiness over men like Travis Kelce, who publicly support and seem to revere their female partners, even if they’re more famous or make more money than them. Women love to see other women (especially the ones they look up to) being treated with dignity and respect from men in their lives because they’ve watched the opposite happen far too often. We love to see modern husbands act like the supportive wives we’ve grown up with. Women know how pivotal female partners have been for men throughout history so when a man plays that part with pride, it hits different.

So let this be a lesson for us. Times are changing. The men who get it, get it. And then men who don’t, will get dragged on the internet. It’s a tale as old as time.

What do you think about all of this mess? How did you feel about this interview? Let me know in the comments!

-Liz