Gymnast Simone Biles has hit back at online critics who questioned her decision to jet off on a luxury vacation to Belize just days after suffering a “serious medical emergency” at her home—insisting that her travel is allowing her to properly “heal” from the undisclosed health issue.
Biles, 29, revealed on her Instagram account on June 14 that she and her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, had headed off on a vacation to Belize—where the Olympian holds citizenship through her mother, Nellie Biles, who was born and raised there.
However, the athlete’s fun-filled trip was met with harsh criticism from some followers, who appeared to question why Biles had felt it was safe to leave her Texas home and travel abroad so soon after “almost dying” from an unspecified medical issue.
After the gymnast shared several images of herself enjoying her vacation, mocking comments began to appear from users, with one writing: “Lmfao weren’t you just on death’s door?”
Another wrote: “Almost died but look at these traveling selfies,” before adding multiple cry-laugh emojis.
In a statement posted in response to the second comment, Biles defended her trip—while expressing her dismay that people would be so quick to judge her when they know so little about what she has been through.
“Ugh these comments make me sad,” she began. “A little over two weeks ago, I experienced a serious medical emergency that could have ended very differently, and this trip has been part of allowing myself to heal and appreciate being here.
“I hope you understand that life changing experiences can shift your perspective and that you’re able to extend a little more grace to others moving forward. Have a nice day!”
Others were also quick to defend the sports star, with one person hitting back at Biles’ critics on her behalf, writing: “What’s funny about almost dying then taking time for yourself and your husband? Maybe find some compassion, or something else to do besides throw shade.”
“Imagine looking this good after a life threatening emergency,” another person commented.
Biles and Owens appear to have spent just over a week in Belize, where they enjoyed meals by the beach, pool days, boat rides, and several nights out—with the gymnast first revealing that they were making their way to the Central American country in a post shared on June 14.
In a video shared to her Instagram account, the sporting sensation filmed herself inside her Spring, TX, mansion getting ready for her travel day, going through her morning skincare, feeding her beloved dogs, and finishing up her packing.
“We are going to my favorite vacation spot in the whole entire world today, which is Belize,” Biles said while standing in her opulent bathroom.
The athlete then revealed her family’s long-standing ties to the country.
“My mom and her whole entire family were born and raised in Belize, so me and my siblings actually have dual citizenship. Growing up we used to go to Caye Caulker all the time and it was so long ago that the island didn’t even have fresh water for the sink or the shower,” Biles shared. “We showered with the salt water.”
Things do appear to have changed significantly for Biles since then—with the seven-time Olympic gold medalist revealing in her subsequent Instagram posts that she and her husband were staying in very luxurious accommodations during their trip.
The duo appear to have spent at least some of their time at the Alaia Belize, where a one-bedroom suite starts at $415 per night, with larger rooms going up to $500 per night.
Biles shared several posts from their trip, including images of the duo hanging by the pool in a private cabana, heading off on a fishing trip, and spending evenings dining at various restaurants. They also made multiple trips to the local beaches.
But the trip did not stop there, with the gymnast later revealing that her travels had continued on from Belize to Hong Kong and then Malaysia. However, it appears her husband did not join her for that leg of the journey.
Further posts shared to her Instagram Stories documented her extensive travel, revealing that Biles and her female travel companion were treated to a private karaoke session by their driver during their two-hour trip to their Malaysian hotel.
Biles’ round-the-world adventure kicked off around one week after she revealed on her social media that she had suffered a terrifying emergency at her home in Texas, while her husband was away training with the Indianapolis Colts.
She detailed the mysterious health scare in a post on her Instagram Stories, where she posted an image of her wrist with several hospital bands on it.
“Almost dying wasn’t on my bingo card earlier this week,” she wrote. “This was one of, if not the scariest experience of my life. Especially since Jonathan was in Indy for practices.”
The three-time Olympian went on to explain that she had been “in bed resting,” adding that she will “explain sooner or later” the events that led to her apparent hospitalization, before paying tribute to her “close circle,” who have supported her through such a difficult time.
“[Shout out] to my close circle who reached out, checked in, visited and/or sent flowers,” she wrote. “Love ya’ll.”
Biles, who moved into a custom-built mansion on a lakefront parcel in Spring, TX, with her husband earlier this year, then shared some images of just a few of the incredible flowers she had been sent—before posting another photo of herself lying in bed with two of her dogs, alongside a screenshot from her Oura Ring’s heart rate monitor.
The Oura Ring data showed that Biles had a heart rate of 126 bpm, which is considered high if someone is resting. It indicated that the sporting superstar’s heart rate had been fluctuating significantly throughout the night and into the morning.
“I’ll be here,” she wrote by way of an explanation.
It’s unclear exactly when Biles suffered her medical issue. Images show that she and Owens traveled to his hometown of St. Louis to attend a Cardinals game on May 29, after the NFL star hosted a youth training camp in the local Missouri neighborhood.
On June 3, she shared a video of herself and a friend spending the evening together at her Spring, TX, home.
Biles and her pal—LSU gymnast Zoe Miller—went head to head in a flipping contest on the custom in-ground trampoline on the property.
The clip showed the two women taking turns performing different aerial moves—from back fulls to front pikes—and trying to land the skills without moving their feet.
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