Simone Biles broke her silence on Sunday with a short and powerful message on social media, a day after she drew the ire of NFL fans.
The gymnast, still enjoying her three Olympic gold medals in Paris, caused outrage on Saturday with her controversial competition fit at Soldier Field.
The 27-year-old woman supported her husband, Jonathan Owens, during the Chicago Bears’ practice game against the Cincinnati Bengals, wearing a custom jacket featuring black-and-white images of Owens.
However, the Olympic legend made a rookie mistake in the NFL, as several photos showed Owens in action for the Green Bay Packers, the longtime rivals of the Bears and his former team.
Biles, the Paris Olympic all-around champion, may have flirted with controversy in soccer, but she has brushed aside the negative reactions by making it clear where her loyalties lie.
Simone Biles broke her silence with a short message after drawing the ire of NFL fans
With just over two weeks left until the start of the 2024 NFL season, Biles showed her support for Owens and Chicago by sending a “bear down” message to X, formerly known as Twitter.
The gymnastics icon shared two photos of herself inside the iconic stadium, but made sure to keep the Packers logos on her jacket out of sight.
On Saturday, in addition to photos of Owens in a Packers uniform, a large Green Bay logo was also seen on the shoulder pad in certain snapshots and videos.
As she walked the sidelines, Biles also wore a protective boot on her left foot due to a calf injury she sustained during the Olympics. She finished the look with a pair of reflective silver sunglasses, a black Prada bucket hat and a Balenciaga bag.
Her attempts to make a touching and encouraging gesture toward Owens landed Biles in the middle of one of the fiercest rivalries in the competition. Fans were far from impressed, with one even claiming she should lose “all her medals” over her fashion faux pas.
And despite her attempts to hide it, some social media users still managed to catch a glimpse of a Packers player in her outfit.
“Saying that while wearing the Packers jacket,” one person wrote in the comments, adding side-eye emojis.
“We know what you mean. #GoPackGo,” posted another, while another added, “Is that a Packers jacket?”
The Olympic gymnast made it clear where her loyalties lie for the new season
The 27-year-old made a fashion and football blunder by wearing a jacket featuring images of her husband in action for the Green Bay Packers, the Bears’ biggest rivals.
Owens played one season in Green Bay last year before transferring to Chicago earlier this year.
While her better half prepared for her quest for gold in Paris, the safety signed a two-year contract with the Bears in March worth a reported $4.5 million.
The gymnast appeared delighted with her partner’s move and celebrated the deal in a series of tweets.
“CHICAGO HERE HE COMES,” she posted before revealing that she has no plans to permanently relocate with her husband.
“I’m so glad I don’t have to make a transfer to visit my husband hahahaha,” she wrote in a follow-up post.