Forget about Simone Biles being the most decorated woman gymnast in history. Too often, the conversation shifts away from her extraordinary skills to focus on her tightly coiled hair.
From the moment the gymnast stepped onto the national stage in 2016 to her wedding photos in April 2023, she faced criticism from many other Black women for her untamed edges, reinforcing the critique that her kinky hair didn’t conform to European beauty standards.
The reality is the critique of her Afro-textured hair often overshadows the athlete’s talent. Once Biles posted a picture of herself in a cheerleading uniform, and instead of people celebrating her exploring her newfound love of cheering with the Houston Texans (an honorary team slot), people zoned in on her textured hair, which sweated out from hours of practice.
But at 27, as the oldest American woman gymnast to compete in the Olympics in the past 72 years and one of just four American women in gymnastics history to go to the Olympics three times, Biles is no longer “embarrassed” about it.
In a recent interview with Elle, she said she’s accepted her hair and has learned to manage it, gaining confidence in her appearance as she discovered the right hair care for herself.
“Nobody taught me [how to do my hair],” she says. “I always went to the professionals.”
She revealed that while she now “loves” her hair, in the past, it has been the source of great pain.
From a young age, Biles has been training rigorously, leaving little time for haircare. While other Black girls were learning to braid and style their hair, Biles was perfecting somersaults.
Adopted by her grandparents, Ronald and Nellie Biles, the latter of whom often took on the task of managing her hair — a detail highlighted in the Netflix documentary “Simone Biles: Rising.”
Nellie recounted the significance of this routine, particularly the poignant moment at the Tokyo Olympics when Biles withdrew from several events, possibly influenced by the absence of this familiar ritual.
“Tokyo was the one time I did not braid Simone’s hair,” Nellie said in the documentary. “She is an adult. I mean this girl can braid her hair but it’s not about her braiding her hair, it’s that bonding. It’s that not saying much. It’s the touch.”
Biles faced external criticism regarding her appearance similar to that faced by other Black gymnasts like Gabby Douglas.
Social media users have voiced their understanding of this pressure.
One person tweeted, “Watching the Simone Biles: Rising doc, so good! Betty and Dominique tell it straight up how their black, kinky hair wasn’t accepted. The 2012 clips are on and Gabby is there killing it and I immediately get emotional. I’ll never forget how the world treated her.”
Watching the Simone Biles: Rising doc, so good! Betty and Dominique tell it straight up how their black, kinky hair wasn’t accepted. The 2012 clips are on and Gabby is there killing it and I immediately get emotional. I’ll never forget how the world treated her ☹️
— Mel (@Fearfullyy_made) July 18, 2024
Another added, “Watching Simone Biles’s documentary and I’m crying!!! When her mom is braiding her hair before World’s she says ‘I’ve braided her before every meet except Tokyo! She’s 26 years old she doesn’t need me to do her hair it’s about the silent bonding.’”
Outside the gymnastics arena, Biles has also faced backlash from her own community. She says “I don’t really care if my edges aren’t smooth.” Her wedding photos, released in April 2023, drew vitriolic comments about her hair.
“Simone Biles wild af for taking her wedding pictures with her hair like that. Y’all can fight me down ion care. I stand on wtf I said,” one naysayer tweeted.
Explain to me exactly what’s wrong with Simone Biles edges in her wedding pics ? LMFAO y’all are unhinged fr. She suppose to have Europe edges coming out her AFRICA scalp ??? stfu. Y’all the reason Gabby Douglas started wearing them big wigs with no parting space ❗️ pic.twitter.com/ooRlDEV9CM
— Rica Blanco (@BIGRica_) April 25, 2023
In a now deleted tweet, another wrote, “idc Simone biles hair was a mess for her wedding day y’all not convincing me that is a bride look.”
Many came to her defense, emphasizing her achievements and resilience.
“Simone Biles is one of THEE top gymnasts we’ve ever seen, has overcome situations of abuse and other obstacles in her childhood, has defined her own success and found love and is now happily married… And y’all worried about her hair…..?!” one person tweeted.
Biles herself responded, highlighting the challenges of maintaining her hairstyle in Texas’ humidity, “I think they also forget I live in HOUSTON TEXAS & I sweat those out!! soon as we stepped outside for pics but they can keep complaining idc idc idc.”
i think they also forget i live in HOUSTON TEXAS & I sweat those out!! soon as we stepped outside for pics
but they can keep complaining idc idc idc
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) April 23, 2023
Media critic Michaela Angela Davis broke down the energy surrounding Black girls and their hair in the community.
“Wherever there’s a black girl, there’s a hair conversation,” she said, according to Andscape. “To a conservative black audience, this is the point where respectability politics kicks in. It triggers something in them that says, ‘If you’re not really pulled together, or if you are a little black girl with messy hair, that means you aren’t loved or something just isn’t right.’”
Today, Biles utilizes social media to learn about hair care, accessing tutorials and products that suit her hair type.
“We’ve been able to take care of our hair better and take care of our beauty routines better, because it’s self-taught,” she told Elle. “It’s really special that we have access to those platforms.”
Understanding hair, a topic she previously faced criticism for, has provided profound benefits that have been challenging to express, particularly as a Black female athlete who spent most of her career thrust into a public discourse that scrutinizes her beauty and, indirectly, her person and background.
“I’m finally learning to love my hair and the texture that I have and the styles that I can do,” Biles said. She added, “I never thought about my hair like the way other people see it.”
In the gymnastics world, uniformity in appearance is the norm. Female gymnasts typically sport sleek ponytails, a look that can be challenging for Black girls to achieve without extensions. According to the USA Gymnastics Women’s Program: 2020-2021 Rules and Policies, hair is “secured away from the face so as to not obscure her vision of the apparatus.”
Biles says she is lucky to have Jordan Chiles, an Afro-Latina, as a teammate who can help her with her braids.
“I used to worry about [my hair being considered] not professional,” she says. “But I’m not embarrassed about it anymore.”
With newfound confidence, a solid hair care routine, and the camaraderie of a predominantly women of color team offering emotional and hair care support, Paris promises to be a great experience for Biles.
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