Simone Biles Says She Is ‘Finally Learning to Love’ Her Hair After Facing Harsh Criticism Online

Simone Biles is opening up about her hair journey.

In an interview with Elle published on Wednesday, July 17, the 27-year-old Olympic gymnast revealed that while she now “loves” her hair, that wasn’t always the case.

“I used to worry about [my hair being considered] not professional,” she said. “But I’m not embarrassed about it anymore.”

After getting married to husband Jonathan Owens in 2023, Biles shared a series of photos of their wedding day to Instagram. Immediately, she was faced with a barrage of hateful comments claiming that her hair looked disheveled.

Simone Biles Through the Years: From Junior Champ to Gymnastics GOAT

“Most of the backlash we get is from our own community, which is unfortunate,” Biles told the publication. “I don’t really care if my edges aren’t smooth.”

Biles added that while her grueling schedule as an Olympic athlete makes it difficult to maintain her hair, she has turned to social media for guidance. “We’ve been able to take care of our hair better and take care of our beauty routines better, because it’s self-taught,” she told Elle. “It’s really special that we have access to those platforms.”

Now, Biles says that keeping up with her hair care routine gives her a boost of confidence.

“I understand and realize I have to take care of my physical appearance as well as my mental,” she continued, adding, “I’m finally learning to love my hair and the texture that I have and the styles that I can do.”

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens’ Relationship Timeline

Biles’ interview with Elle comes just one week before she is set to compete in the Olympics , which take place in Paris between Friday, July 26 and Sunday, August 11.

During a separate interview with Today on Wednesday, Biles said that maintaining a clear head is vital to her performance, which means keeping a healthy distance from her phone.

"Limiting social media and stuff like that is going to be (important)," she said.