Simone Biles Reveals She Came Close to Death Earlier This Week
Simone Biles reveals that she came close to death earlier this week, and she decided to share this news with the world herself.
On Saturday, the most decorated gymnast in American history chose to break her own rule regarding privacy by sharing a pair of Instagram stories that left her followers in shock. Initially, she raised an arm adorned with hospital wristbands and expressed that she typically doesn’t share such things, but that nearly dying wasn’t something she anticipated earlier this week. She said it was one of the scariest times of her life, made worse by her husband, Jonathan Owens, being in Indianapolis for practices. Owens is an NFL safety who joined the Colts this offseason, leaving Biles to navigate the challenges at home without him.
She stated that she had been resting in bed all week and assured that she would eventually explain what happened. She expressed her gratitude to the close circle who reached out, checked in, visited, or sent flowers, and concluded with love for all those watching.
The second story felt more subdued and, in a way, more profound. A dim shot of her bedroom reveals her two French bulldogs curled up on the white bedding beside her, while tucked in the corner is a screenshot of her heart rate reading 126 beats per minute. The caption was brief, simply stating that she would be here. That was all. A woman who has captivated the entire world under the brightest lights, revealing a different perspective from her bed, accompanied by her dogs, a racing pulse, and a commitment to remain.
Here is what we will not be doing. We will not speculate on what occurred with her. Biles has not commented, and she is entirely entitled to take her time or remain silent. The instinctive response online is to speculate, to assess a stranger based on a wristband and a heart rate screenshot, and she is not obligated to provide any of us with that information. What she shared was intentional. The remainder is hers.
What we can express is that the letter is a genuine and alarming thing to read from someone whom the culture has regarded as invulnerable for a decade. Simone Biles is 29 years old and has earned eleven Olympic medals, including seven gold medals. She is the gymnast who stepped away from the team final in Tokyo to prioritize her well-being, who returned to triumph once more in Paris, and who transformed the term “twisties” into a national dialogue about the humanity of athletes. Throughout her entire career, she has consistently emphasized that even when the body performs extraordinary feats, it remains fundamentally just a body. This week served as yet another unsettling reminder.
Her most recent significant public appearance occurred in April at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid, where she discussed the possibility of competing in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, describing it as a genuine coin flip. The events of this week do not change the situation significantly, but they offer a new perspective. The choices regarding her future will be determined by someone who recently revealed that she nearly faced a future without one.
At this moment, the update remains unchanged. She is at home, resting, with her dogs by her side, and she assures me that she will be here. The only significant headline is that final detail she recounted from the previous week.
