6 June 2026
Simone Biles “almost died” this week.
Simone Biles had a medical emergency
The Olympic gymnast suffered a mystery health scare a few days ago and admitted it was one of the “scariest experiences” of her life, though she declined to share details of what happened to her.
Sharing a photo of her arm, in which she could be seen wearing multiple hospital bracelets, she wrote on her Instagram Story: “I’m not one to normally share things like this because I value privacy in today’s age, but almost dying wasn’t on my bingo card this week.
“This was one of, if not the, scariest experience of my life.”
The 29-year-old star found the week particularly tough because her husband Jonathan Owens was away with the Indianapolis Colts training for the NFL preseason, but she thanked her friends and family for their support.
She wrote: “Jonathan was in Indy for practices. I’ve been in bed resting this week.
“I’ll explain sooner or later, but [shout out] to my close circle who reached out, checked in, visited or sent flowers [white heart emojis], Love y’all.(sic)”
Simone later uploaded photos of various floral gifts she had received, and then shared another photo of her bed, as well as a screenshot featuring a monitor’s reading of her resting heart rate.
She noted of her bed: “I’ll be here.”
Simone has previously declared she was “saved” by therapy.
The gymnast has been in the spotlight since she was teenager after winning a gold medal at the 2013 World Gymnastics Championships in Belgium when she was just 16 and she went on to become the most decorated gymnast in history – but Simone is adamant her success became a burden and she needed professional help to cope.
She told Harper’s Bazaar Spain: “Yes [success became a burden]. Achieving success so young was very difficult.
“Suddenly everyone is watching you, telling you how to act, how to speak. I was afraid of disappointing them.
“That’s why I started going to therapy. I needed to learn how to handle the pressure, how to remain true to myself. It was a crucial decision: taking care of my mind saved me as an athlete and as a person …
“I still go to therapy every week. It keeps me grounded and helps me process everything that’s happening in my life and in the world. It’s my safe haven, the place where I learn to be kind to myself.”
Simone sensationally withdrew from the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics because she needed to prioritise her mental and physical health, and the gymnast is adamant she did the right thing by walking away from the competition.
She explained: “First and foremost, the main reason I decided to stop was for my physical health. I didn’t want to go out there and get injured, but also for my mental health.
“I knew it was the right thing to do, even if the world didn’t understand. It was difficult, but necessary. Standing up for myself in that arena was the bravest leap of my life.”
