Simone Biles' Birth Mom Makes Gut-Wrenching Plea For Their Relationship

Simone Biles' parents, Ronald and Nellie Biles, were actually her grandparents first. Simone's adoption journey started when she and her three siblings were put into foster care as children. Their mother, Shanon Biles, struggled to take care of them due to her drug and alcohol addiction that repeatedly landed her in jail. Simone said on "Dancing With the Stars" in 2017 (via Today), "I never had mom to run to. I do remember always being hungry and afraid. At 3 years old, I was placed in foster care."

Simone and her sister Adria Biles were adopted by Ronald and Nellie three years after being placed in the system. Simone and Adria's older siblings Ashley Biles-Thomas and Tevin Biles-Thomas were adopted by Ronald's sister. Following Simone's successful run at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Shanon has gone public with wanting to have a relationship with the Olympian.

In an August 2024 interview with the Daily Mail, Shanon spoke about her wish to reconnect and reconcile with Simone. She explained how her father Ronald gives updates on what's going on with Simone during phone calls, but Shanon would like to communicate with Simone directly. "I would like to make amends with Simone personally — I'm just waiting for her and [her younger sister] Adria," Shanon said. "I speak to Adria more than I speak to Simone. I would just ask her to forgive me. Can we move forward? Don't judge me on my past. Let's move forward."

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Talking with the Daily Mail, Shanon Biles also reflected on the difficulty of giving her children up. After Ronald Biles and Nellie Biles adopted Simone Biles and Adria Biles, Shanon was not able to see them for six years. "I was respecting my Dad to let the kids transition, he felt that was the best thing for them," Shanon said. "It was hard to give up my kids, but I had to do what I had to do. I wasn't able to care for them. I was still using and [my father] didn't want me coming in and out of their lives when I wasn't right." Although Shanon was angry at first, she realized later on, "I had to deal with me first."

Shanon said Kevin Clemons, Simone's biological father, also wants to be involved in Simone's life. Shanon explained how although she has Simone's contact information, she is waiting for Simone to make the first move. "You can't push anybody," Shanon said.

It does not seem like Simone has made any public comments about Shanon's attempt to strengthen a relationship between them. However, after Shanon's interview was published, Simone gave a shoutout to Ronald and Nellie on Threads for a glamorous gift they gave her. Per People, Simone wrote, "my parents bought me my hermes bag." She quipped, "don't be mad at me, be mad at your parents."

In a 2018 essay for CNN, Simone Biles spoke about her experience as a foster kid. "My road to success began the day my grandfather and his wife officially adopted my sister and me," she wrote. The gold medalist discussed the difficulties of foster care and how it affected her self esteem. She continued, "Finding a family made me feel like I mattered. Finding a passion, something I loved and was really good at, made me feel like I mattered." Simone also advocated for better higher education opportunities for those who grew up in foster care.

During her time on "Dancing With the Stars," Simone expressed how important it was that Ronald and Nellie Biles adopted her. "My parents saved me," she said (via Today). "They've set huge examples of how to treat other people, and they've been there to support me since day one. There's nothing I could say to them to thank them enough."

Ronald and Nellie have been very supportive of Simone. In addition to the announcement of their Hermés bag purchase in August 2024, she has given them sweet shout-outs on social media. In June 2021, Simone took to Instagram to give them kudos. "thanks for making sacrifices since day 1 so I can live out my dream," Simone said. "but most importantly thanks for always being there for me through all the highs and lows. You guys are the absolute best. I love y'all."