As well as being America’s sweetheart, Simone Biles is also the golden child of her family; when she’s the most decorated gymnast in history, who can blame her?
The 27-year-old revealed in a Threads post last week that her parents even bought her a Hermès bag to celebrate her huge success at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, which wrapped up over the weekend.
“Don’t be mad at me, be mad at your parents”, she quipped in the social media post.
Simone won a whopping four gold medals at the Games and a silver to sweeten the deal, so it’s no wonder her parents wanted to congratulate her with the gorgeous gift.
The gymnast let fans in on her shopping spree on Friday, posting photos of cream and tan Birkin bags and an orange gift box that housed her very own Birkin. The famed bag can cost anywhere from $12,000 to $200,000, depending on how rare it is.
Simone has been open about how her parents, Ronald and Nellie, turned her life around when they adopted her and her sister, Adria.
Ronald and Nellie are actually Simone’s grandparents; sadly, Simone’s mother struggled with addiction, and after witnessing their daughter’s decline, they stepped in to adopt their grandchildren.
“Being separated from my biological mom, being placed in foster care before I officially got adopted by my grandparents, it just set me up for a better route at life,” she explained in her Facebook series, Simone vs. Herself.
“I feel like I wouldn’t be where I am unless that turning point happened. I would still be Simone Biles, [but] probably not Simone Biles that everybody else knows, the world knows.”
Simone’s parents couldn’t be prouder of her stellar performance at this year’s Olympics; on top of their extravagant gift, Nellie gushed to People, “I know we came here with our own expectations, but the expectation was whatever, we do want her to medal, but not putting any stipulations on what medals that she will get. And I mean, three golds– we’re just elated.”
Simone returned to her sport after she shockingly pulled out of events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealing that her declining mental health led to performance anxiety. Sadly, her parents, who had never missed a competition, could not attend the Games that year due to Covid-19 restrictions.
© Getty ImagesShe told Elle this year that she was more than ready for Paris after working hard on herself. “I am doing therapy weekly to keep everything in tune so that I feel comfortable and confident enough to be competing,” she said. “It’s been a crucial part of my training regimen.”
With her parents in the stands this time, Simone was a must-watch at the Games this year. Ahead of her events, Nellie spoke to Today about showing up for her daughter.
© Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspap“The important thing is to be there for Simone and making sure that she understands that her family is there giving her her full support,” she said. “And I am going to be really happy and probably shedding a few tears just because I’m going to be so emotional.”
“The Simone that I know is a young adult that I admire,” Nellie added. “She knows what she wants.”
