Simone Biles has had another historic win at the Paris Olympics, and her family was there to cheer her on in the stands. Amongst them was her little sister Adria, who knows all about a life in gymnastics.
Simone has three siblings, but she was raised by her parents Ronald and Nellie Biles along with Adria. The children were placed in foster care at a young age, then officially adopted by their grandparents, who they simply call their parents. Their other siblings, Tevin and Ashley, were adopted by their great-aunt. Simone and Adria were raised in Houston while Tevin and Ashley headed to Cleveland, Ohio.
Here’s everything to know about Adria, her relationship to Simone, and her relationship to the family’s favorite sport.
Who is Adria Biles?
25-year-old Adria Biles was placed in foster care when she was only an infant, along with then three-year-old Simone. On her Facebook Watch series, Simone vs. Herself in the episode “Who Am I?”, Simone said, “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.”
The pair were not split up and were officially adopted three years later by Ronald and Nellie. Their parents placed Simone in gymnastics classes when she about six, and Adria followed soon after. She’s gone on to study dentistry, and plans to specialize in dental hygiene, according to Yahoo News.
Since her sister’s star has risen, Adria has had to become more of a media figure, and even participated in a season of Claim to Fame. She used her middle name Louise as a pseudonym, but got eliminated halfway through when someone guessed who her famous family member was. She told USA Today, “I played the game and I wasn’t mad about leaving because I did pretty good and stayed longer than most expected.”
The two girls do share a strong family resemblance as well. Adria told ESPN that after the 2016 Rio Olympics, she was mistaken for Simone all the time.
“It’s been funny to watch her go from normal Simone to famous Simone. Even in Brazil, people came up to me everyday thinking I was her. They’d ask for autographs and take pictures,” she said. “We do look alike, I’ll give them that. But I’m about 5-foot-2. Simone is 4-foot-8. I’m a good head taller than her. When we are side by side, people can definitely tell us apart.”
Adria is also a member of the LGBQT+ community. In a Q&A on Instagram, she replied to a question about her sexuality, saying she was “a hundred percent lesbian.”
When asked how her family reacted to her coming out, she said, “When I did, everyone said, ‘They knew.’”
Is Adria Biles still a gymnast?
Adria started practicing at nine-years-old and competed for a decade before ending her gymnastics career in 2016. She moved on to dancing, and was put on the Houston Astros dance team, the Shooting Stars, in 2022.
Simone and Adria have joked on social media about her potentially returning to the mat, but she doesn’t seem interested.
What else has Adria said about Simone?
Adria has always been very vocally supportive of her sister, especially after she had to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics. She shared a picture of her sister with a gold medal on Instagram and shouted her out for taking her health and safety into account.
“mood because you’re amazing:i don’t wanna get all sappy and emotional so i’ll just try to keep it short..Thank you for being an inspiration to me and to everyone around you, thank you for making people feel valid about their feelings, thank you for being you and thank you for being the best big sister in the world,” she wrote. “Okay gonna go cry now because you’re the best human i know i love you sister.”
This year, Adria is in Paris for the 2024 Olympics, where Simone has made a triumphant comeback.
What does Adria think of Simone’s husband, Jonathan Owens?
Adria was one of Simone’s bridesmaids when she married NFL player Jonathan Owens.
“Can not express how proud i am of you guys,” Adria wrote on Instagram, sharing pictures from the big day. “I just love y’all so much! congrats to the newlyweds.”
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.