Simone Biles is recovering from a brush with death, and she is not about to let internet trolls ruin her healing. The Texas-based Olympic icon clapped back hard this week after critics dragged her for daring to take a vacation.
The 29-year-old gymnastics legend, who lives in Texas with her NFL husband Jonathan Owens, revealed earlier this month that she had survived a serious medical emergency that nearly took her life. So when she began posting sun-soaked selfies from a trip to Belize, she expected support. Instead, a wave of commenters lined up to question why a woman who “almost died” was sipping drinks on a beach.
Biles decided to answer them directly, and she did not mince words.
Biles Refused To Let The Critics Slide
When one user sneered, “Almost died but on vacation drinking??” the most decorated gymnast in history shut it down in a single line. “I don’t owe you anything,” Biles fired back, “but have you ever heard of non-alcoholic drinks?” The clapback instantly went viral, with fans cheering her for refusing to shrink in the face of the pile-on.
She took a softer tone with another critic, but the message was just as pointed. “Ugh, these comments make me sad,” she wrote. “A little over two weeks ago, I experienced a serious medical emergency that could have ended very differently, and this trip has been part of allowing myself to heal and appreciate being here.” She added a plea for a little kindness: “I hope you understand that life-changing experiences can shift your perspective, and that you’re able to extend a little more grace to others moving forward.“
Not everyone was rooting for her, and that is exactly what turned the moment into a full-blown debate. One camp insisted the criticism was cruel and baseless, pointing out that rest and travel are part of recovery, not proof she was faking how serious things had been. Plenty defended her right to heal however she saw fit. The other side doubled down, with comments like “you look good for someone who almost died” suggesting the skeptics weren’t buying the severity of her scare.
Through it all, Biles has kept the actual details of the emergency private, telling one follower she is “not ready to talk about it just yet.” For a woman who has spent years being scrutinized over everything from her body to her mental health, the latest round of second-guessing was apparently one she was more than ready to meet head-on. And judging by the reaction, her fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
