COLUMBUS, Ohio, USA – Shanon Biles, the biological mother of Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, has spoken out about the difficult decision she made years ago to put Simone and her siblings up for adoption.
Shanon, now 52, expressed her hope that one day her famous daughter might be able to forgive her for that decision, which was made during a tumultuous period in her life.
Shanon Biles struggled with drug and alcohol addiction at the time, challenges that ultimately led to her children being placed in foster care. “It was hard to give up my kids, but I had to do what I had to do. I wasn’t able to care for them.
I was still using and [my father] didn’t want me coming in and out of their lives when I wasn’t right,” Shanon explained in an interview with The Daily Mail.
Simone Biles was only six years old when she and her sister Adria were adopted by their grandparents, Ronald and Nellie Biles, in Houston, Texas. Meanwhile, Simone’s other siblings were placed with their aunt in Cleveland.
The separation marked a significant turning point in Simone’s life, one that has been widely discussed as she rose to become one of the greatest gymnasts in history.
Now sober and working as a grocery store cashier, Shanon Biles hopes to reconnect with her daughter. “I would like to make amends with Simone personally – I’m just waiting for her [younger sister] Adria,” Shanon shared in her interview.
“I speak to Adria more than I speak to Simone. I would just ask her to forgive me. Can we move forward? Don’t judge me on my past. Let’s move forward.”
Shanon has not been a part of Simone’s recent life events, including her wedding and her record-breaking performance at the Paris Olympics. However, she did host a viewing party in Columbus, Ohio, to watch her daughter compete in Paris, expressing pride in Simone’s accomplishments from afar.
Shanon Biles’ emotional plea comes as she waits for Simone to make contact, hoping that time and distance will eventually give way to healing and reconciliation.
Attempts to reach Simone Biles for comment by The Daily Mail were unsuccessful.
