Simone Biles broke her silence with a short, concise message on social media on Sunday, a day after drawing the ire of NFL fans.
Still basking in the glory of her three Olympic gold medals in Paris, the gymnast sparked a backlash with a controversial attack Saturday at Soldier Field.
The 27-year-old appeared in support of her husband, Jonathan Owens, at the Chicago Bears’ preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, wearing a custom jacket with black-and-white images of Owens printed on it.
The Olympic legend made a rookie mistake in the NFL, however, as several plays showed Owens in action for the Green Bay Packers, the Bears’ longtime rivals and his former team.
Despite flirting with soccer controversy, Biles, an Olympic champion at the Paris Games, ignored the backlash by making clear where her loyalties lie.
Simone Biles broke her silence with a brief message after drawing the ire of NFL fans
With just over two weeks until the 2024 NFL season begins, Biles pledged her support for Owens and Chicago by posting “bear down” on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The gymnastics icon shared two photos of herself at the iconic stadium, but made sure to keep any 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 on his shoulder pad was prominently featured in certain snapshots and videos.
As she walked the runway, Biles also sported a protective boot on her left foot due to a calf injury she sustained at the Olympics. She completed her look with a pair of reflective silver sunglasses, a black Prada bucket hat and a Balenciaga bag.
Her attempts to make a touching, supportive gesture toward Owens landed Biles in the middle of one of the league’s fiercest rivalries and fans were not impressed – one even claimed she should be “stripped of all her medals” for her fashion gaffe.
And some eagle-eyed social media users still managed to catch a glimpse of the Packers’ presence on his attire, despite his best attempts to conceal it.
“Saying this while wearing a Packers jacket,” one wrote in the replies, adding sidelong glance emojis.
“We know what you really mean. #GoPackGo,” another posted, while another added, “Is that a Packers jacket?”
The Olympic gymnast made it clear where her loyalties lie ahead of the new season
The 27-year-old made a fashion and football mistake by wearing a jacket with images of her husband in action for the Green Bay Packers, the Bears’ fiercest rivals.
Owens played one season in Green Bay last year before moving across Lake Michigan to Chicago earlier this year.
As his other half prepared for his quest for gold in Paris, the safety agreed in March to a two-year contract with the Bears worth an estimated $4.5 million.
The gymnast seemed elated with her partner’s move and celebrated the arrangement in a series of tweets.
“CHICAGO HERE IT COMES,” she posted before appearing to reveal that she has no plans to make a permanent move on her man.
“I’m so excited to not have a connecting flight to go see my husband lol,” she wrote in a follow-up message.