I was an addict, and that’s something I’ll always carry with me. But what matters most to me now is letting her know how much I love her and how proud I am of her. Whenever she’s ready, I’ll be here, waiting. It’s wild to think that Simone Biles’ biological mom, Shannon Biles, is now hoping to reconnect as a parent.
I know I can’t keep looking back. When she’s ready, I’ll be here, and I want her to feel like she can come to me and say, “Okay, let’s sit down and talk because I’ve got some questions.” All I can do is be patient. My love for her hasn’t changed, and I’m incredibly proud of who she’s become. But right now, I’m just waiting, hoping for the day we can finally talk, and I can answer any questions she might have.
Yeah, you heard that right. Simone’s biological mom, Shannon Biles, is waiting for Simone to make the first move to reconnect. Shannon even said she has Simone’s number but won’t call because she wants it to come from Simone. “I do have her number, but I won’t use it. I want her to reach out to me. She’s 27 now, married, and I wish I could’ve been a part of that, but all I can do is wait.”
It’s easy to think Shannon’s trying to reconnect now that Simone’s successful, and maybe that’s true. But the real question is, is Simone ready to sit down and have that conversation? After being separated from her biological mom, going through foster care, and finally being adopted by her grandparents, maybe that path gave her a better life. But does that mean she’s ready to open up that part of her past again?
Alright, let’s get into what’s going on with Shannon and what she’s really looking for when it comes to Simone. You all know that Simone has always given a lot of credit to her grandparents, who she calls her parents—Ronald and Nellie Biles—for kickstarting her journey to the Olympics. Remember, she won three gold medals and a silver in Paris. Ron and Nellie have been there for her at every competition, except the Tokyo Olympics because of those COVID-19 restrictions. They even have this sweet tradition where they kiss each other every time Simone nails a routine.
Nellie once said in an interview with Today that she always knew Simone had her eyes on the Olympics, even if they didn’t talk about it much because Simone didn’t like to bring it up. Nellie said, “I knew that was Simone’s long-term goal, and I made sure I was there for her, doing whatever it took to support her dream. The most important thing was making sure Simone knew her family was right there with her. I’ll probably be shedding a few tears just seeing how far she’s come. The Simone I know is a young adult I admire so much; she knows exactly what she wants.”
But with all the buzz around Simone’s success, especially after winning three gold medals and a silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics, someone unexpected from her past has shown up—her biological mother, Shannon, who’s hoping to reconnect.
Simone has talked a bit about her early childhood, saying, “I don’t remember much about foster care, but I definitely knew we were taken from our biological mom. You just think you’re going to go back to her.”
Shannon and Simone have been estranged since 2000, when Shannon signed away her parental rights to Simone and her sister, Audrea. That’s when Ronald and Nellie stepped in to raise the girls in Texas, and Simone was just six at the time. The girls were in foster care before that, and then Shannon’s parents officially adopted them. Simone and Audrea also have two older siblings, Tevin and Ashley, who were taken in by Ronald’s sister.
And here’s the twist: after all these years, Shannon did a big interview with the Daily Mail, sharing her side of the story and saying she wants to reconnect with Simone.
“Look, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I want you to hear the real story from me. I was an addict, and that’s something that’s always going to be a part of who I am. But I’ve learned the hard way that you have to stay away from certain people, places, and things if you want to stay clean. You’ve got to change your routine and your life if you want to live your best life.”
But let’s be honest—some people were like, “Nope, we’re not interested. She’s been gone all this time; she should just stay in her lane.”
As for what Shannon talked about in her interview, she opened up about a really tough time in her life when she had to give up her kids. She was struggling with addiction and kept getting into trouble with the law—things like drinking and driving, possession, you name it. According to Franklin County Municipal Court records, Shannon has been in and out of legal trouble 36 times for various traffic violations and criminal charges. In January 2020, she was even convicted of a crime, got a 180-day suspended prison sentence, and was put on probation until January 2022.
On top of all that, Shannon was drowning in debt for years and lived in a small red brick row house in a rough part of Franklinton. In 2018, she filed for bankruptcy and had just $34 to her name. She owned two unusable cars—a 2008 Toyota Scion XB and a 2003 GMC Sierra—worth a total of $2,125. She also listed some home goods, electronics, clothes, shoes, and jewelry worth $965, and even her pets—a dog, a cat, and a guinea pig—along with her house, were valued at just $9,684. At that point, she owed $14,234 to 21 different companies, including medical bills, loans, and even a $3,834 student loan.
Shannon talked a lot about why she had to give up her kids, and she admitted it was one of the hardest things she’s ever done. But she had no choice because she wasn’t in a place to take care of them. She was still using, and her father didn’t want her coming in and out of their lives when she wasn’t stable. Shannon said, “I was stubborn. I didn’t care. I’d scream, ‘I want to see my kids! You’re doing this to me!’ I didn’t understand back then, but years later, I got it. I had to take care of myself first.”
Because she gave up her parental rights, Shannon hasn’t been a part of her kids’ big moments, like Simone’s wedding last year to NFL player Jonathan Owens or her countless wins. But that hasn’t stopped Shannon from celebrating Simone’s successes. She said she was so proud of Simone’s Olympic performance, which made her the GOAT, that she threw a party in her backyard in Columbus, Ohio.
Now, Shannon is holding on to the hope that one day Simone will reach out to her so she can ask for forgiveness for the past she can’t change. Her addiction made her abandon her children, and she deeply regrets it. In her words, “I just want to make things right with Simone. I’m waiting for her and her sister Audrea. I talk to Audrea more than I do to Simone. I’d ask her to forgive me. Can we move forward? Don’t judge me for my past; let’s look ahead. I’m waiting for the chance, but I know it has to come from her. I just need to be patient.”
Shannon shared that she’s now working as a cashier at Save-A-Lot and feels like she’s a different person from who she used to be. She believes she deserves a second chance. Despite all the changes she’s gone through, the distance between her and Simone hasn’t really improved. Their relationship isn’t about fights or arguments—it’s more about the lack of connection. They hardly communicate directly.
Shannon described her conversations with Simone as usually very short, with her saying things like, “I miss you. I love you. I can’t wait to see you. I’m proud of you. I’m watching you. Go, girl.” In an interview with the Daily Mail, Shannon said, “I hear about Simone mostly through my dad. I talk to him all the time, and we’re on good terms now. It was just his birthday, and I called to wish him a happy birthday. When I need to know anything about Simone, I call my dad. He keeps me in the loop.”
There are fans out there who think Shannon’s efforts to reconnect with Simone might be more about the money than anything else. They point out that she seems to focus mostly on Simone, the famous one, and not on her other children, who she also gave up. People are asking, “If reconnecting with your kids is really what you want, why aren’t you putting in the same effort with all of them? Why only the rich, famous one?”
On the other hand, some people think Shannon should be given some grace. They argue that she’s been trying to be part of Simone’s life for years. Shannon’s message to Simone has been consistent: “I just want to say I love you, Simone. I’m so proud of you. Go, Team USA, and I’ll talk to you and see you when I can.”
Let’s think about it from another angle. When this woman made the difficult decision to give up Simone and her sister, she knew deep down that she wasn’t in a good place to raise them due to her addiction. That level of self-awareness and responsibility has to mean something, right?
Shannon, Simone’s mom, even shared that after the adoption, she went through a phase where she felt a lot of resentment toward her father. She felt like he had betrayed her by cutting off all contact with her kids. In a 2016 interview with the Daily Mail, she said, “When we signed the adoption papers, it was like my dad flipped a switch on me. No communication. Don’t call, don’t visit. That’s how it was in the beginning. It took me six years before I saw my children again. I was respecting my dad to let the kids transition. He felt that that was the best thing for them.”
Shannon also opened up to TMZ that same year, saying she thought her dad didn’t need to be so harsh about it. She felt like he could have handled things with more compassion. “I feel like they’re defaming my character because I know what happened. You know, I was struggling back then, but I’ve gotten better. Life goes on, and that’s my past, and that’s where it should be left at—the past. I feel like he didn’t have to be so harsh about it. I am his firstborn, and he could have been a little bit more classy with it. You know, really, he didn’t have to throw me under the bus like that. But I mean, you know, I did go through my struggles and everything, but you didn’t have to go through it like the way you went through it.”
When she talks about being “thrown under the bus,” she’s referring to an interview Ron did with NBC in 2016, where he straight-up said that Simone’s mom had serious addiction problems, which led to her kids being taken away. But despite everything, Shannon has always been proud of Simone and never stopped loving her. “I’m so proud. I mean, I’m just proud. I mean, ecstatic. I mean, speechless. It’s priceless.”
Even though their conversations are brief, Shannon mentioned that she’s been invited to some of Simone’s big moments. “When we do talk, it’s briefly. I want to say maybe every three months, you know, when I call, when she calls. We have vacation together. I was invited when she won her first title, her champion at the P&G in 2014. I was invited there. That was in Pittsburgh. We went on the cruise together in 2009. That was like a family reunion. Before then, I was invited to the Expo Center here in Columbus. She was in a competition. That was way before the Olympics and the champion and stuff, and I’ve been invited in October when she goes on her signing tour. I speak with her when I can. You know, she’s very busy.”
Now, Shannon just wants to be more involved in Simone’s life as her biological mom. As for Simone’s biological father, Kelvin Clemons, he also hasn’t been in contact with her and has battled his own addiction issues. But Shannon stays in touch with him, and he, too, wants to reconnect with Simone. Shannon said, “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.”
This version is more conversational and relatable, focusing on Shannon’s feelings and experiences in a way that feels natural and human.
Simone Biles has expressed how grateful she is for the second chance at life that her grandparents gave her. While she hasn’t shared too many details about her family dynamics, it’s clear she appreciates the love and support she’s received from them. She once said, “I might not have become the Simone Biles that everyone knows today if things had been different. But I believe everything happens for a reason, and I’m forever grateful because it gave me a second shot at life.”
In an April 2024 interview with the Call Her Daddy podcast, Simone briefly talked about her family situation, highlighting how thankful she is for the relationships she has. She mentioned that she doesn’t feel the need to explain her family setup to anyone, saying, “It’s confusing for people when I say that my biological mom is also my dad’s daughter, and I call him dad. It’s a whole family tree that’s just complicated to explain. But at the end of the day, my parents are my parents. I feel chosen and blessed.”
Simone seems genuinely content with where she is in life right now. But what do you think about her biological mother trying to reconnect? Do you believe her intentions are sincere, or do you think it’s motivated by Simone’s success and fame? Should Simone consider giving her mother a chance to reconnect? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
