Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in Olympic history, told millions of followers on June 6, 2026, that she had survived a life-threatening medical emergency earlier that week — and confirmed the following day on X that the crisis was health-related, not the result of an accident or violence. The 29-year-old, who holds a combined total of 41 Olympic and world championship medals, has not disclosed a diagnosis. She is recovering at home in Spring, Texas.
What Biles Disclosed on Instagram
Biles broke her characteristic silence on personal medical matters with a series of Instagram Stories posts on Saturday, June 6. In the first, she shared a photograph of her arm bearing three hospital patient wristbands. "I'm not one to normally share things like this because I value privacy in today's age," she wrote, "but almost dying wasn't on my bingo card earlier this week." She described the ordeal as "one of, if not the scariest experience of my life," and noted that the situation was made harder by the absence of her husband, Indianapolis Colts safety Jonathan Owens, who was in Indiana at the time for the team's offseason practices. Owens signed a one-year contract with the Colts in March 2026.
In subsequent Stories, Biles shared photographs of flower arrangements sent by friends and family. A photograph of her resting in bed alongside her dogs also included a screenshot from her Oura Ring wearable fitness tracker, which showed a resting heart rate of 126 beats per minute — a figure considered elevated for someone at rest. She wrote simply, "I'll be here."
"S/o to my close circle who reached out, checked in, visited and or sent flowers," she added, promising to "explain sooner or later."
What Simone Biles Said on X
The following day, as public speculation about the nature of the emergency spread online, Biles responded directly to a user on X who asked whether the incident involved health, an accident, or violence. Her reply — "health," accompanied by a heart emoji — confirmed the emergency's nature while providing no additional clinical detail. No statement from USA Gymnastics or Biles's representatives had been issued in response to press inquiries as of the time of publication.
Where Was Jonathan Owens During the Simone Biles Health Scare?
When the medical emergency unfolded, Owens was approximately 900 miles away in Indianapolis, where the Colts' Organized Team Activity sessions — mandatory participation events for players under new contracts — were underway. The couple had last appeared publicly together at a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game on May 29, 2026, where Owens threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Biles posted photographs from the outing on Instagram that Friday — her final social media post before her health emergency became public.
Biles's History of Health Openness
The June 6 disclosure follows a pattern Biles has established of speaking publicly about physical and mental health on her own terms. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she withdrew from multiple events citing the "twisties" — a disorienting loss of spatial awareness mid-air that she described as a deeply unsettling physical and psychological crisis. After the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she won three gold medals and a silver, she described the physical cost of performing. "I went back to the village, took the elevator and my body literally collapsed," she told French sports outlet L'Equipe in an interview published in April 2025. "I was sick for 10 days."
In 2025, she also publicly discussed three cosmetic procedures she had undergone, explaining to People magazine that openness was core to who she is. "Seeing me win medals at the Olympics, that's not relatable," she told the publication. "But what is relatable is how we feel about ourselves, what we talk about, what we go through and how we share openly, honestly."
What the Emergency Means for Biles's Future Plans
The health scare comes at a pivotal moment for Biles's competitive future. At the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid in April 2026 — her last major public appearance before the emergency — she told CNN that a potential return to competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics remained a 50-50 decision with little time left to resolve. "I feel like we're still at a 50-50 and that we're still on a time crunch here now, it's almost half of 2026," she said at the time. "We're going to have to make these decisions pretty quickly."
The nature of the June emergency is not publicly known, and no medical professional or representative has commented on whether it has any bearing on that timeline. The undisclosed diagnosis introduces a variable that was not part of that calculation when Biles spoke in Madrid, and no updated statement on her athletic future has been issued.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Simone Biles?
Simone Biles disclosed on June 6, 2026, via Instagram Stories that she had experienced a near-death medical emergency earlier that week. She shared photographs of three hospital patient wristbands and described the event as "one of, if not the scariest experience of my life." She has not revealed the specific diagnosis.
What was Simone Biles' health scare?
Biles confirmed on X on June 7 that the emergency was health-related, not the result of an accident or violence, but provided no further clinical detail. A screenshot from her Oura Ring fitness tracker showed a resting heart rate of 126 beats per minute during her recovery. No physician or representative has commented publicly on the diagnosis.
Is Simone Biles okay now?
As of the time of publication, Biles is recovering at home in Spring, Texas. She has indicated she plans to share more details about the emergency, but has not provided a timeline for doing so or returned to public activity.
Will the health scare affect Simone Biles's plans for the 2028 Olympics?
Biles said in April 2026 that competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics remained a "50-50" decision requiring resolution soon. The undisclosed medical emergency introduces an unknown factor into that calculation, but no updated statement on her athletic plans has been issued. The nature of the emergency and its recovery timeline are not publicly known.
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