Is Simone Biles adopted? Inside gymnast's family dynamics amid her spectacular gold win at Paris Olympics

PARIS, FRANCE: Simone Biles, one of the world's greatest gymnasts, has an amazing network of supporters who have encouraged her from her early training days in Houston to her global stage performances.

Some fans are curious as to whether Biles is adopted and what her relationship with her biological parents is like after witnessing the encouragement and support she received from Ronald and Nellie Biles during her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Is Simone Biles adopted?

From her early training days in Houston to her exploits in the international arena, Simone Biles has had an amazing support system behind her.

The five-time Olympic gold medalist was adopted by her maternal grandparents, Nellie and Ronald Biles. She refers to them as "mom and dad" even though they are not her biological parents.

They adopted Simone and her sister Adria after their mother Shanon battled addiction and placed the children in foster care. Simone and Adria were adopted by Nellie and Ron, who raised them as their own.

Nellie earlier reflected on the time she and Ronald adopted Biles and her sister, remarking, "I remember praying for that bonding … because telling them that you love them and you care for them; that's all words."

"But then you wake up one day, and you realize that you would do anything for these children. And that you would die for these children. And when that feeling comes, that's when you know you are truly a mother," she added, as per People.

Who are Simone Biles' biological parents?

In the 'Simone vs Herself' Facebook Watch series, Biles revealed that her biological mother Shannon battled alcohol and drug addiction. She was consequently put in foster care at the age of three together with her three siblings.

"I don't remember a lot about foster care, but I definitely knew that we had been taken from our biological mom, and then you just think you're going to go back to her," Biles recalled in 'Simone vs Herself.'

According to Daily Mail, Biles' biological father Kelvin Clemons met her mother Shannon as a teenager and also struggled with addiction. Biles remembered how her birth mother was in and out of jail and how they occasionally went without food.

Both parents struggled with alcohol and drug addiction. Shannon's troubles prevented her from being able to care for her children, and Kelvin was not a part of Simone's early upbringing and is not even now.

Shannon revealed in a 2016 interview with the Daily Mail that she interacts with Kelvin on occasion, but he is not in contact with their daughter.

Simone doesn't communicate with her biological parents, Kelvin and Shanon, much.

"When I talk to Simone, it’s a brief conversation, 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.’ It’s never anything personal," Shannon said in the 2016 interview.

She continued, "I don’t want to overstep my boundaries with my dad because I appreciate everything he has done," adding that she didn't want to interfere with Simone's relationship with Ron and Nellie as parents.

While Kelvin wasn't in touch with Simone, Shannon informed the outlet that he was keeping track of her achievements at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where she won four gold medals.

Ronald Biles stepped in when Simone and her siblings were placed in foster care

Simone and her siblings were placed in foster care when she was three years old as a result of Shannon's addiction problems. Her maternal grandfather Ronald came forward and brought Simone and her sister Adria to live with him and Nellie in Spring, Texas.

"The social worker called and said the kids were in foster care. I said, 'Send them to me,'" Ron stated in a 2016 Time feature about Simone.

Since Shannon was still able to exercise her parental rights, Ronald and Nellie were unable to adopt Simone and Adria for the next three years.

The girls were placed up for adoption after it was decided that Shannon was incompetent to raise them, and Simone was formally adopted by her grandparents, per Life and Style magazine (via Yahoo!).

In a July 2016 interview with Texas Monthly, the Olympic gold winner recounted the discussion she had with Nellie over her desire to officially become their daughter.

The siblings referred to Ronald and Nellie as "Grandpa" and "Grandma" at the time when they were living in Spring, Texas, with their grandparents. Nellie sat Adria and Simone down to discuss.

"I went upstairs and tried practicing it in the mirror — ‘Mom, Dad, Mom, Dad.’ Then I went downstairs, and she was in the kitchen. I looked up at her and I was like, ‘Mom?’ She said, ‘Yes!’" she said.

Ronald and Nellie are Simone Biles' biggest fans

Biles also mentioned how "fortunate" she felt to be able to live with her siblings rather than being divided up among several households. She also said how much she appreciated her grandparents' affection and assistance.

Biles's greatest admirers are Ronald and Nellie. She once remarked, "They mean the world to me."

Ronald and Nellie supported Biles when she experienced a case of the "twisties" and withdrew from several events to focus on her mental health, particularly during the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021.

"Twisties" was a condition where Simone lost her sense of body movement in midair, putting her in danger of harm upon landing.

Biles wrote on Instagram at the time, "Thanks for making sacrifices since day 1 so I can live out my dream. But most importantly thanks for always being there for me through all the highs and lows. You guys are the absolute best. I love y'all."