Simone Biles slams haters who criticized her hair during Paris Olympics performance: ‘Just don’t’
Simone Biles isn’t having it.
The legendary Olympic gymnast clapped back at critics who have been discussing her hair on social media Tuesday, taking to her Instagram Story to explain what happened to her style during Sunday’s women’s gymnastics event.
“don’t come for me about my hair. IT WAS DONE but bus has NO AC & it’s like 9,0000 degrees,” she captioned a video showing herself using a battery-operated fan on a bus.
“oh & a 45 min ride,” Biles added.
The athlete — who wore a black sports bra and a nameplate necklace with husband Jonathan Owens’ last name on it — posted a second Story reading, “gonna hold your hand when I say this 💋 next time you wanna comment on a black girls hair. JUST DON’T.”
Biles was referring to a barrage of comments talking about her hairstyle during Sunday’s artistic gymnastics women’s qualification event, with a number of social media users slamming her loosely knotted updo.
“I’m just trying to figure out why Simone Biles hair never done ? Like girllll come on,” one X user wrote on Sunday, adding, “STILL LOVE HER AND HOPE SHE DOES GREAT !”
“Simone Biles hair never being done properly be pissing me off. Everybody else on the team is put together, then she looks like she just rolled out of bed,” a second person posted.
“I’m confused did Simone biles purposely not do her hair?? Every single gymnast CLEARLY has their hair gel/sprayed down and in a tight beat appearance…. Her bun is literally flopping around with pieces sloppy everywhere. It almost seems… on purpose…???? Wtf” a third X user added.
Others came to Biles’ defense, like a fan who tweeted, “Imagine being the kind of person who watches Simone Biles perform moves that no one else can do, twirl in the air multiple times and land on her two feet…only to comment on her hair! Imagine having that mentality?”
“If one more person asks why Simone Biles’ hair is messy… she is quite literally flying and flipping in the damn air,” another posted on X, with a third fan adding, “Simone Biles is out here making history and people are worried about her body type and hair. We really are cooked as a people.”
This isn’t the first time the Olympian has spoken up about hair; she told critics to “keep complaining” after she received backlash for her wedding hairstyle in 2023.
And earlier this month, Biles told Elle that she used to be “embarrassed” about her hair but has now embraced it, sharing, “I’m finally learning to love my hair and the texture that I have and the styles that I can do.”
The gymnast also revealed to the mag that athletes “don’t get to bring a makeup artist or a hairstylist” so the team would be relying on teammate Jordan Chiles’ expertise. “We can all go to her for braids,” she shared.
Hair aside, Biles is currently leading the U.S. women’s team into the finals on Tuesday afternoon — and we have a feeling she’ll be hitting the podium in style.
