Simone Biles’ Birth Mother Seeks Forgiveness Amid Mixed Reactions from Public.

Simone Biles, an icon of the Olympic gymnastics world and a celebrated member of Team USA, is now at the center of a personal drama involving her biological mother, Shanon.

Following Biles’ outstanding performance at the Paris Games, where she secured gold medals in the team, all-around, and vault finals and a silver in the floor routine, her mother has stepped into the public eye to ask for forgiveness and to explain the circumstances that led her to give up her daughter.

Shanon, 52, has opened up about her past struggles with drug addiction, which she says forced her to make the painful decision to give up Biles and her siblings. “It was hard to give up my kids, but I had to do what I had to do,” Shanon explained in a recent interview.

“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.” Reflecting on her past decisions, she added, “I was hard-headed.

I didn’t care, screaming, ‘I want to see my kids, why you doing this to me?’ I didn’t understand at the time, but years later, I understood why. I had to deal with me first.”

Biles’ upbringing was subsequently taken over by her maternal grandparents, Ronald and Nellie, who took Biles and her sister Adria to their home in Texas. Meanwhile, Shanon’s two eldest children, Tevin and Ashley, were cared for by Ronald’s sister Harriet in Cleveland.

Despite the physical and emotional distance, Shanon has kept in touch with Biles’ biological father, Kevin Clemons, who also struggled with addiction. “We both want to see her. I talk to him all the time.

He says, ‘If you talk to Simone, give her my number. I’d love to talk to her.’ But I can’t even talk to her. I have to go through my dad,” Shanon shared.

Simone Biles’ extraordinary achievements, including her impressive medal tally that ties her with Czechoslovakia’s Vera Caslavska for the second-most Olympic medals by a female gymnast, have done little to bridge the gap between her and her biological mother.

While Shanon has Biles’ phone number, she has chosen not to initiate contact, believing it’s up to Biles to reach out first. “I want to let her know I love her and I’m very proud of her. But I’m still waiting,” Shanon said.

The strained relationship was highlighted during Biles’ wedding to NFL player Jonathan Owens, an event Shanon was not invited to. Despite this, she celebrated Biles’ Olympic successes by throwing a backyard party at her home in Columbus, Ohio.

Shanon also maintains a relationship with Biles’ sister Adria, showing that while some family ties remain strong, the path to reconciling with Biles herself remains uncertain.

Public reaction to Shanon’s plea has been mixed, with some netizens expressing harsh criticism of her actions and others showing empathy for her difficult journey.

As Biles continues to inspire millions with her athletic prowess and resilience, her personal story serves as a reminder of the complex and often painful realities that can lie beneath the surface of even the most successful lives.