From the foster care system to Olympic glory, Simone Biles has walked one heck of a road — and her biological mother has something to say about it all...
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00:00From the foster care system to Olympic glory, Simone Biles has walked one heck of a road,
00:06and her biological mother has something to say about it all.
00:10Simone Biles' parents, Ronald and Nellie Biles, were actually once her grandparents.
00:15Simone's adoption journey started when she and her three siblings were put into foster
00:19care as children.
00:21Their mother, Shannon Biles, struggled to take care of them due to her drug and alcohol
00:25addiction that repeatedly landed her in jail.
00:28Simone said on Dancing with the Stars in 2017,
00:30"...I never had mom to run to.
00:33I do remember always being hungry and afraid.
00:36At three years old, I was placed in foster care."
00:38"...There's a part of you that you compartmentalize to almost keep yourself safe."
00:46Simone and her sister, Adria Biles, were adopted by Ronald and Nellie three years after being
00:51placed in the system.
00:53Simone and Adria's older siblings, Ashley Biles-Thomas and Tevin Biles-Thomas, were
00:59adopted by Ronald's sister.
01:00Nell, following Simone's successful run at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Shannon has gone
01:05public about wanting to have a relationship with the Olympian.
01:09In an August 2024 interview with the Daily Mail, Shannon said she wished to reconnect
01:14and reconcile with Simone.
01:16She explained how Ronald gives updates on what's going on with Simone during phone calls,
01:20but Shannon would like to communicate with Simone directly.
01:23She said,
01:24"...I'd like to make amends with Simone personally.
01:26I'm just waiting for her and Adria.
01:29I speak to Adria more than I speak to Simone.
01:31I would just ask her to forgive me.
01:33Can we move forward?
01:35Don't judge me on my past.
01:37Let's move forward."
01:38Talking with the Daily Mail, Shannon Biles reflected on the difficulty of giving her
01:42children up.
01:43After Ronald and Nellie adopted Simone and Adria, Shannon was not able to see them for
01:47six years.
01:49She explained,
01:50"...I was respecting my dad to let the kids transition.
01:53He felt that was the best thing for them.
01:55It was hard to give up my kids, but I had to do what I had to do.
01:59I wasn't able to care for them.
02:00I was still using and my father didn't want me coming in and out of their lives when I
02:04wasn't right."
02:06Although Shannon was angry about this at first, she realized later on,
02:09"...I had to deal with me first."
02:12Shannon said Kevin Clemens, Simone's biological father, also wants to be involved in Simone's
02:17life.
02:18She went on to explain that, although she has Simone's contact information, she is waiting
02:23for Simone to make the first move.
02:25She added,
02:26"...you can't push anybody."
02:28It doesn't seem like Simone has made any public comments about Shannon's attempt to strengthen
02:32a relationship between them.
02:34However, after Shannon's interview was published, Simone gave a shout-out to Ronald and Nellie
02:39on Threads for a glamorous gift they gave her.
02:42Simone wrote,
02:43"...my parents bought me my Hermes bag.
02:45Don't be mad at me.
02:46Be mad at your parents."
02:49In a 2018 essay for CNN, Simone Biles spoke about her experience as a foster kid.
02:54She wrote,
02:55"...my road to success began the day my grandfather and his wife officially adopted my sister
02:59and me."
03:00The gold medalist discussed the difficulties of foster care and how it affected her self-esteem.
03:05She continued,
03:06"...finding a family made me feel like I mattered.
03:09Finding a passion, something I loved and was really good at, made me feel like I mattered."
03:14If family doesn't look out for you, who's going to?
03:17Simone also advocated for better higher education opportunities for those who grew up in foster
03:21care.
03:22During her time on Dancing with the Stars, Simone expressed how important it was that
03:26Ronald and Nellie adopted her.
03:29She said,
03:30"...my parents saved me.
03:31They've set huge examples of how to treat other people, and they've been there to support
03:35me since day one.
03:36There's nothing I could say to them to thank them enough."
03:39Ronald and Nellie have certainly been very supportive of Simone, and she often gives
03:43them sweet shout-outs on social media.
03:46In 2021, for example, she wrote on Instagram,
03:49"...thanks for making sacrifices since day one so I can live out my dream.
03:53But most importantly, thanks for always being there for me through all the highs and lows.
03:58You guys are the absolute best.
04:00I love y'all."