Simone Biles shares scary health scare, says she almost died

Simone Biles disclosed a private health scare that she said included “almost dying,” offering only a glimpse of what she described as one of the most frightening experiences of her life. The 29-year-old gymnast shared the update on Instagram Stories and thanked the people around her for checking in, sending flowers and visiting as she recovered.

Biles did not publicly identify the medical issue. She posted images that included hospital-style wristbands, a heart-rate monitor and two dogs on a bed with the words, “i’ll be here,” signaling that she had been resting in bed through the week. She said she normally avoids sharing personal matters because she values privacy, but added that she would explain “sooner or later.”

The timing drew attention because Biles has remained one of the most visible athletes in the United States, and one whose health has been watched closely since her withdrawal from multiple events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics amid the “twisties” and mental-health concerns. That decision made her a central figure in broader debates over athlete safety, performance pressure and the expectations placed on elite women to compete through pain or silence.

Biles returned to the top of her sport in Paris last summer, winning four medals at the 2024 Olympics, including three gold and one silver. Since then, she has spoken publicly about her body and recovery, including remarks in April 2025 that her body “literally collapsed” after Paris and that she was sick for 10 days after the Games. She has also been weighing whether to continue toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a question that now sits alongside renewed concern about her health.

Her husband, Jonathan Owens, was in Indianapolis for practice sessions with the Colts when the scare happened, according to the update. The couple lives in Spring, Texas, and Biles’s brief note suggested that her immediate focus is on recovery, not on explanation. For an athlete whose career has already reshaped how the public talks about pressure and mental health, the latest disclosure again leaves the most important question unanswered: what happened, and how long will it take for her to be well again?