Simone Biles says her new engagement ring “definitely beats a gold medal.”
The Olympic gymnast appeared alongside her NFL player fiancé, Jonathan Owens, on Friday’s Today show and discussed their Feb. 14 engagement.
The superstar gymnast, 24, said she thought Owens, 26, may pop the question “this year, but definitely not on Valentine’s Day, so that’s why it was such a shock” when he got down on one knee in Houston.
“She really had no clue,” Owens said. “She thought it was a normal date.”
Owens said the proposal took him two-and-a-half months to plan. He got in touch with a jeweler in December to secure the stunning oval diamond ring, and his cousin helped him arrange the venue, photographer and help make it seamless. He also sought the blessing of her dad before the proposal, admitting he was nervous, plus it was hard to get a moment because Biles was always around.
Biles was asked how her new ring matches the rest of her “hardware” — she’s a seven-time Olympic medalist who has four gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
“It’s definitely my most prized possession now,” she said of her ring, adding, “It definitely beats a gold medal.”
The couple also talked about how met — and it’s another case of modern love.
“It was like [an] Instagram relationship and stuff like that,” Biles said. “The DMs [and] whatever. He loves when I say that.”
She said they clicked because they are both athletes — he’s a safety for the Houston Texans — and have similar schedules and lifestyles. But it’s also a “COVID relationship,” and they were together “24/7,” giving them time to really bond. Now when “we’re not with each other, it’s almost weird. We’re always texting and calling each other. It’s kind of gross in a way,” she laughed.
Owens said he fell in love with her within the first month of spending time together. He also adorably talked about how his dog fell for her too, sprinting to the front door when they were going to see her.
As for wedding planning, they’ve started talking about what they want but haven’t set a date yet. For now, she’s just getting used to being a future bride. She said when she was going to wash her hair this week, she called her mom to ask about ring etiquette.
“When do you take it off? Do you ever take it off?” she adorably recalled asking.
Biles and Owens made their relationship Instagram official in August 2020. When she announced their engagement on Tuesday, she said it was “THE EASIEST YES” she had ever given.
