Simone Biles Was ‘Mothering’ & Trying to ‘Protect’ Her Sister Who Is Also a Gymnast with a Loving Girlfriend

• America's most decorated gymnast, Simone Biles, endured a challenging upbringing with her three other siblings.
• They were not properly cared for by their mother and ended up in foster care after neighbors raised concerns.
• Simone was forced to step up and become a nurturer for her little sister Adria while fearing they might get separated from their other siblings. However, the kids' grandparents took them in.

History-making gymnast Simone Biles and her sister Adria Biles, with whom she used to fight "all the time," had a rough childhood growing up because of their mom.

In the sports star's Facebook documentary, "Simone vs. Herself," her family shared her childhood memories and discussed her love for gymnastics. They also talked about her difficult upbringing.

Simone and her sibling, Adria, were in foster care as kids. In the doccie, she said she could barely remember much about that experience but was aware that she and her little sister were taken away from their biological mother, Shannon Biles.

The athlete believed they would eventually reunite. Thankfully, she and Adria were never separated during that time but admitted they both were "scared" about getting regrouped. Simone further divulged:

"I wanted to take care of Adria obviously because she was the baby. And I just felt like I need to look out for her because if family doesn't look out for you, who's going to?"

Nellie Biles, Simone's biological grandmother who became her mom, delved more into the seven-time Olympic medalist and her younger sister Adria's relationship growing up, saying:

"She really was nurturing and mothering to Adria. They had a very close bond, and to this day, that bond is still there."

Adria admitted that at first, she thought that her big sister was "bossy," but as they grew up, she realized that Simone was only trying to "protect" her.

The siblings' biological mother was said to be "doing a lot of drinking and drugs" when they were kids. Growing up, Simone revealed that food was her and her siblings' main focus because they did not have much of it.

The Ohio native disclosed that her mother used to feed a street cat instead of her and her brother and sisters. Hence, that is why she does not like cats to date.

A social worker intervened following neighbors' concerns regarding the living situation of Simone and her siblings, including Ashley and Tevin Biles, with their mother. She revealed:

"Adria and I were adopted by my grandparents, who then became mom and dad, and so, our two older siblings, Ashley and Tevin, got adopted by my aunt Hariett, who is my dad's sister."

The older kids remained in Ohio while Simone and Adria relocated to Texas with their maternal grandparents, Nellie and Ronald Biles, who are now their parents.

For the artistic gymnast, whose little sister considers her "best friend," there is a silver lining when looking back on her journey. The sportswoman said something good came from being separated from her biological mom and placed in foster before being officially adopted by her grandparents. She expressed:

"I feel like I wouldn't be where I am unless that turning point happened. […] I also believe everything happens for a reason, and I'm forever grateful for that. Because definitely, I got a second shot at life."

Adria Is Also a Gymnast and Is Often Mistaken for Her Sister

Much like her world-famous big sister, Adria is also a gymnast who started practicing the sport at age nine and competed at the junior elite level.

Adria competed for a decade in the sport until she retired in 2016. She participated under Bannon's Gymnastix Inc. from 2008 to 2014 and joined the World Champions Centre from 2015 to 2016.

Not only does she share the same love for gymnastics with her sister Simone, but she has also been mistaken for her. Adria admitted she has enjoyed watching her sibling, from being an ordinary individual to being worldly recognized.

When she accompanied the now-26-year-old to the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil, people believed she was Simone. The Texas native recalled in a December 2016 interview:

"Even in Brazil, people came up to me every day thinking I was her. They'd ask for autographs and take pictures."

However, there was a language barrier as the fans could not speak English, and Adria could not explain that she was not her older sister. She said they would say, "Simone! Simone!" and she ended up taking photos with them.

Moreover, Adria has been hailed as a beauty on social media. The 24-year-old shared several pictures on her Instagram in May 2023 featuring her family and friends.

One image was a selfie shot of her in braids and wearing beige pajamas. She captioned it, "Cabo through my lens," and her followers commented on the post raving about her appearance.

"Beautiful, wow!!" wrote one Instagram user. Someone else wrote, "Stunningggggg," while the third individual penned, "So, so beautiful, miss you guys."

Adria Was Her Sister’s Bridesmaid & Is Dating a Fellow Athlete

Adria served as a bridesmaid at Simone's wedding to Green Bay Packers football player Jonathan Owens in May 2023. She posted snapshots from the destination ceremony showing her beaming with her sibling as they shared an embrace for the camera.

Adria penned a heartfelt message for the lovebirds on her Instagram: "[…] Can not express how proud I am of you guys. I just love you all so much! Congrats to the newlyweds.'"

Adria was joined by her girlfriend, Janae Jefferson, at her sister's wedding. Jefferson is a professional softball player for The Texas Smoke, which competed at the 2022 World Games and is a gold medalist.

Jefferson and Adira have reportedly been dating since June 2022 and often pack up on the PDA online. Jefferson also shares pictures of her and her girlfriend on her Instagram page, which has over 19,000 followers.

In October 2022, the athlete posted a selfie featuring her and Adria widely smiling while leaning together to pose for a snapshot which she captioned, "Looovveeeyyyy," alongside a sparrow heart emoji.