Jonathan Owens spoke about the huge backlash he received after making an off-topic remark.
The 28-year-old NFL star found himself in hot water in December 2023 after he called himself a “gotcha” in his marriage to seven-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles.
“I always say guys are the prey,” he said at the time, drawing backlash for suggesting he was a better prey than the 27-year-old Biles, who was also present for the interview.
The comments drew criticism online, but the player insists he was unfazed by the negative attention.
“I didn’t notice for a while because I had all my social media notifications turned off,” Owens said. She told Us Weekly.
“I was actually with my mom and Simone when this photo came out so I just let them read the comments and everything. I try not to speak out too much but obviously if you feel like things are getting out of hand you should step in and say something.”
The Green Bay Packers player, who married Biles last April, said there’s no point in trying to silence his critics.
“I don’t mean to be sweary, but it doesn’t matter if you say something or not,” he told media. “If you say something, the other person will say something, and if you don’t say anything, the other person will say something.”
“So just live your life. People are going to talk about you anyway so just live it how you want to,” he added.
In addition to his controversial comments, Owens also caused a stir by claiming he didn’t know who Biles, one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time, was before they started dating.
Biles admitted last week that while she initially found the situation amusing, it gradually began to take a toll on her mental health.
“I thought everything was going well, and then I looked on Twitter and people were like, ‘Divorce this guy. He’s mean!'” Biles said on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
“I think, ‘He’s the sweetest guy. He compliments me every step of the way.’ I’ve never met a man like him, seriously… He would do anything for me.”
Biles also showed her support for her husband, saying, “He never [she] That wasn’t the catch.”
“He said I was attractive,” she explained. “And he is! I’ve never met anyone like him.”
