Body Language Expert Tells Us How Simone Biles' Husband Feels When He Talks About Her

Simone Biles is one of the most famous Olympians of the moment. Her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, has received backlash over the years for how he speaks about his famous wife. In a 2023 interview, Owens said, "I always say that the men are the catch," which left folks upset that he doesn't consider his Olympian wife to be as much of "a catch" as he is, per Page Six. Now, he's receiving hate again for posting a photo to Instagram wearing Biles' gold medal around his neck. These isolated incidents paint Owens in a less-than-flattering light. But, what's really going on in Owens' head? We're looking at his body language to figure it out.

We talked to Body Language and Behavior Expert, Greg Hartley, about Owens' recent "Good Morning Football" interview. According to Hartley, the football star's love for his wife is clear. Hartley explained, "Most body language is the brain trying to communicate its thoughts." For this reason, watching someone's body language can reveal whether their words match up with what they may be thinking. "When there is a second narrative going on, the body may try to tell a different story from the mouth," Hartley told us. In Owens' case, Hartley believes that his body language feels aligned with what he is expressing. And, there was one clear indicator that Owens' feelings changed when the conversation turned to talk of Biles competing at the Olympics. Hartley noticed "amusement as he talks about going to see Simone."

Jonathan Owens is clearly happy when talking about Simone Biles. Seeing how talking about his wife changed his demeanor also clued Greg Hartley in to Owens' feelings about other areas of his life: specifically his work. 29-year-old Owens is a safety for the Chicago Bears. Being a professional athlete is surely far from easy and requires a lot of dedication. And, Owens' body language shows just how seriously he takes his career. According to Hartley, Owens "smiles when amused –" like when he is talking about Biles — but he becomes "straight faced when discussing football." In Hartley's opinion, "ready for business is what I read there." He notes, "Watch every time he talks about football or practice; his face looks like all business."

The difference in his demeanor when talking about football is obvious — even when compared to other, more banal topics. "Even when talking about folks shooting B reel for publicity, he shows amusement and a slight smile," Hartley notes. Ultimately, though, Hartley sees "congruency between mouth and body language and a guy who takes his job seriously." Based on what Hartley can glean, he doesn't think that this is indicative of anything worrisome about Owens or about his feelings for his wife. "Generally... he seems light hearted about most things and serious about work. That doesn't imply anything negative to me," he explained.

Jonathan Owens' interview took place just ahead of his trip to Paris to watch Simone Biles compete with the U.S. gymnastics team. When asked about skipping out on football practice to fly to Paris, his face lit up. He mentioned that he would "maybe sneak and see her and make sure her mind's right and everything." He also noted that he was "super excited to be there, so — can't wait." And, Biles did more than just take home an Olympic gold medal with her husband in the audience. She became the oldest person to win a gold medal for Olympic gymnastics since 1964 — even though she is only 27. 

Obviously a win like this is cause for major celebration. And, while the photo Owens posted after Biles' big win raised a few eyebrows, his caption seemed like that of a proud hubby. "Witnessing history every time you step on the mat," Owens wrote, adding, "Congrats baby on becoming the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history!!!! Just wow!!!! 8 of them!!!!! So thankful i was there to see it." So, while Owens' behavior may not always have the best optics, it's clear that he's proud to be supporting his record-breaking wife.