Join Alex in Houston for an exclusive interview with gold medalist, Simone Biles. Simone is here to share her side of the story and what really happened at the infamous Tokyo Olympics when she withdrew from the team competition and shocked the world. She opens up about the trauma that led to that decision, what nobody knew was happening behind the scenes, and how she thought her gymnastics career was over. Simone gets real about how the nation’s backlash affected her mentally and what it’s taken to get back into the gym. She also discusses her decision to come forward about the abuse she endured under the former USA Gymnastics physician and how she’s working to heal. Simone talks about her early years in foster care and how being adopted completely changed the trajectory of her life. Then, Alex asks the question we’re all dying to know… Is Simone going to Paris? Finally, Simone gushes about her marriage, responds to Jonathan Owens’ controversial viral interview, and talks about how she’s leaning into WAG life. Get ready to know Simone Biles like never before. Enjoy!
Chapter 1: How did Simone Biles and Alex Cooper connect for this interview?
Yes, go, go. Good seeing you. This is insane. Simone Biles, welcome to Call Her Daddy. I feel like we've been waiting for this for so long. Okay, we need to tell the daddy gang the story. So I would say like, I don't know, maybe like a couple years ago, I don't remember who DM'd who. No, I remember. You tagged me in a story that you were watching Call Her Daddy and I...
lost my mind because I was like wait she listens like and then I started pressuring I'm like oh my god I need to like do better like I need to impress Simone like but it was such a cool full circle moment that we started DMing and we had this like DMing relationship here and there and then when NBC and I started working together for the Olympics I remember we sat down
And they were like, okay, like what person do you want to interview? And immediately I was like, Simone. And like, of course, they're like, LOL. Like, that's so cute. Like, of course, everyone wants to interview Simone. I'm like, no, like I need to interview her. And they're like, do you know her? And I'm like- Kind of. Yeah. We're pen pals like that. And now we're finally here. Thank God.
It's perfect. Yes. Okay. So we were just at your parents' gym. Watching from previous documentaries that you've done to watching it all get built to you now, like having your own gym and how supportive your parents have been. Like, what does that support mean to you?
Chapter 2: What role did Simone Biles' adoption play in her life?
For me, it means the world because being adopted since I was six years old to now, it's been a long road and journey like career wise and just like who Simone is instead of Simone Biles. So it's been a long journey, but their support means the world to me. They've never really missed a competition, anything besides 2020 Olympics, 2021, whatever we want to call it.
That's the only thing they missed because they weren't allowed to go because of COVID. But other than that, they've supported everything that I've ever wanted to do, all of that stuff since I was a young girl.
When you say the word Simone Biles to the world, I think everyone immediately thinks Olympian, the GOAT. And I think there's like a lot of people that probably don't know where you came from and the backstory of like, your life hasn't always just been this picture perfect situation. When you were three, you went into foster care. Yes.
Can you share just a little bit like what was going on at home that led to that?
I was only three years old, so I learned that a little bit whenever I was older, but drug and alcohol abuse And so I just don't think that she was around too much and people, you know, would call CPS or see us out and about. So that's kind of what happened. That's when foster care came and got us and placed us into a foster home.
And so the only thing that I remember was just being anxious when we would go to sleep because my brother was in the room next door. And I think... We were just always used to sleeping together or close or whatever because he's not that much older. And mind you, we were three. And so I just had anxiety problems. So we were in a girls' room. They had girls' rooms and boys' rooms.
And from my knowledge that sometimes during the night or during the day, they would take kids out and replace them into a different home. And that's usually how siblings were separated. So I was just so terrified that if I woke up, my brother wouldn't be there. Even though I was with my sister, I was like, oh, we all have to stay together, kind of that thing. even from a young age.
So I'd always sneak in and go sleep with him because I'm like, oh, this is my brother. You know, because I didn't understand the separation whenever at nighttime. Fast forward a couple years later, I was at gym and I knew I was adopted. From the moment we were adopted, my family told us, you guys are adopted. And I was like, cool, okay.
Great.
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Chapter 3: How did Simone Biles get started in gymnastics?
Like you weren't in a house and then you were- You were adopted.
So like that was shocking to me.
Did your parents ever talk to you about your biological parents?
Kind of funny because, no, because I just, I'm not sure the relationship, maybe because we didn't ask either, but we knew who it was as we got older, Shannon, and that's kind of what we just addressed her as. But I knew once I got older that that's my dad's daughter. And then that's also crazy explaining to people because I'm like, my biological mom is also my dad's daughter and I call him dad.
So it's just like, everybody's, Hella confused.
It's a whole family tree that you're like, don't make me explain it. My parents are my parents. I got chosen. Feeling blessed. Let's move on. Literally. I'm like, if you think too hard, it just gets jumbled. So your grandparents adopted you at six. Yes. Now they're your parents. Yes. Boom. How do you think that did change though, like the trajectory of your life?
Everything, I have no idea where I would be without being adopted. Unfortunately, I might end up the same statistic that other foster kids unfortunately end up. And you know, at 18 years old, you get kicked out of a foster home. So then you're homeless. If you don't get into college and stuff, which most people don't graduate high school, you're on the street.
So I fear for what my life would have looked like.
Wow. I mean, it's incredible to see what you have all built together as a family. I love how in the beginning you just quickly are like, and then when I'm at the gym, back up. Okay. You are the greatest of all time.
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Chapter 4: What challenges did Simone face balancing gymnastics and school?
My mom saw it and she was like, okay, do you want to do the one with the four events or do you want to do tumbling and then maybe you'll go to cheerleading? And I was like, I want to do the one with the four events.
And that's how I started. It is...
Truly fascinating that like some people you hear that are so great, like Tom Brady, for example. You think of Tom and they're like, oh, he was a little awkward and it's like kind of crazy that like Tom can even like run the way he can. For you, it's the complete opposite where like you walked into the gym and people were like, who is that girl?
And you had never done any of this before because I was going to ask you like, was there ever once you started an aha moment that you were like, holy shit, I'm actually really good at this? Yeah.
never for me everybody else always saw it and since I was always the smallest in my class the shortest I thought they would always be like oh my god she's so good she's so cute she has so much talent I just thought it was like what your grandmother does when she comes around every year like oh you look so good like I thought really that's what it was and I'm like you're just saying that because I'm so short so it took a while for me to really like lean into my talent and to
to realize, oh my gosh, I could do something or be someone. Because once I started, I did it for fun. Nobody in my family has ever done gymnastics, so they have no idea where the talent came from. My siblings were really good at track, but that's kind of it.
Were you in school? Did people make comments about how short you were?
Short, yes, because you could always grow. So they were like, we're just waiting for her growth spurt, which I'm still waiting. I tell God, finish it when I'm done with gymnastics. So maybe we're not done yet. The doctor probably thinks my growth plates are closed, but that's a different story. I love it. You're like, it's going to happen. But other than that...
They all saw it, they would say, like, they gave me this nickname, Soldier, because my muscles and all of this stuff. And so, like, one time I beat this kid up on the playground because he said, oh, I bet you can't beat me up. And I was always the kid that, if you said I couldn't do something, I'm doing it. And I think I'm still that way, like, I'm doing it.
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Chapter 5: How did Simone Biles deal with the pressure of early success?
confident enough in my body to show my muscles. Cause at that time I wore a lot of hoodies and I didn't want my muscles to show because then at that point I'm stronger than all the boys because they haven't, they haven't bulked up yet. And I'm just like, Hey, nobody really understood. So it was okay.
Right. I get what you're saying. It's almost like it was okay for you to escape to the gym because you felt more confident there.
And everybody had muscles and we all looked the same. I do remember one of my friends snuck me into high school one day and I got to go around with her to each class and I thought that was the best day ever. I was like, I'm in a high school. And her teachers just played along with it. They were like, if the principal catches us, who knows what we'll do.
But I did a whole entire day with her and that was so cool.
Well, it's incredible to look back and as much as you sacrificed, the sacrifice has clearly paid off because when you were 16 is when your winning streak just really began. You won three consecutive world championships and then you went on to dominate, dominate the Rio Olympics. When you look back at that time of your life, like what does that success mean to you?
Well, to me, I thought that's, kind of where it ended. And I was like, oh my gosh, how have I reached my greatest achievement in life at 19? I was scared for the rest of my life. Like, how can I beat this? How can I top this? What the heck am I going to do? I won the Olympics at 19. It's gonna be a shithole from here on out.
So we're going downhill?
No, literally, because most people don't get to go to more than one Olympics or do those things. So at one point I was like, I did it! This is my greatest, like, this is the greatest thing that I wanted to achieve in my life. And then I was like,
I did it at 19. You almost like were excited for two seconds to then be like, can I even actually enjoy this? Cause this, does this mean it's over?
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Chapter 6: Why did Simone Biles speak out about abuse in gymnastics?
Maybe try this. And it was just like, it was the weirdest experience. And whenever I look back at it, it doesn't seem real life. Which maybe is a good thing. Right. You're like, it's kind of like. It's a good thing till everybody reminds me.
As I'm sitting here being like, so let's talk about the team final in Tokyo. I'm curious. We know what happened. You get lost in the air during your vault and everyone was shocked. But I'm curious, like take me to the moment literally when you land on the mat. What is going through your mind? Take me to the moment, literally, when you land on the mat. What is going through your mind?
Okay, I'll start from the back of the runway when we're standing there.
Let's go back to the runway.
So in the back, like, we already knew my gymnastics was kind of janky, like... In training, I was having twisties already. But I'm trying to push past that. And I would literally tell my teammates, I'm fighting demons. I'm fighting demons right now, but I'm going to do it for you guys. Because the cords were not connected.
So I literally felt like I was fighting my body and my mind to do these tricks. So we're trying to do some different things in the back. And I'm like, OK, I can't do a full and off beam.
Can I please go back to my double double which is way harder, but I know if I twist more it's better for me So then we go to vault vault is feeling a little bit weird in the air and you can see it like the girls We ended on floor because we started on vault out there So we end on floor I go to do my first pass and you can see in the air like you can ask the girls it's not like my first pass is a triple double and usually when you do it you see my regular videos and
You see one, you see two, you see three. This one, it looks like I'm going like this in the air and it doesn't feel comfortable. I have no idea where I am, but I'm twisting, like praying land on my feet. And they're like, that looks jacked up. You can tell all of the gymnasts in there from all of the countries are like, that's jacked up. That looks jacked up.
It looks like she's never done this day in her life, but they know it's a twisty. So people were kind of trying not to watch. We get out there and ball it. And I was like, okay, it's fine. I warmed up everything. Like it wasn't good, but I did it. And so we get out there on vol and we have a one touch warm up. Go over to the table, do a one and a half. And I'm like, what the fuck? What was that?
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Chapter 7: What happened during the Tokyo Olympics that led Simone to withdraw?
Should they wake her up? No. She heard the phone ring because I called the home phone. And she said she was sleeping and she felt something was wrong. She ran to the kitchen and said, I'll answer it. And saw my name on it.
Oh, that's freaky.
Freaky. And she answered and she said, hello. And as soon as I heard her voice, I just, I lost it.
You're crying.
I was like, I'm out. I'm done. And she was like, are you okay? And I was like, what? Yeah, can you hand the phone to mom? I'm like.
You're like, mom.
Yeah, I'm like, come pick me up. I'm scared.
Literally, mom, come pick me up. I'm scared. I'm in Tokyo, and you're back in the United States. What did your mom say?
She was like, are you okay? Because that was her main concern. She thought I got hurt.
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