It’s the second public misstep in as many days for an NBC announcer, after swimming commentator Dan Hicks was ripped online for referring to the husband and coach of a Hungarian swimmer as “the guy responsible” for her strong performance.
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On Aug. 7, she posted a near-perfect 16.050 score during her vault routine in the qualification rounds. “As a the mother of two children my husband (their father) husband and I are parents to, I am disgusted with you”.
In an August 9 interview with Us Weekly following her team’s gold medal win, Biles smoothly put an end to a debate that never should have happened in the first place.
It doesn’t matter if Ron and Nellie are Biles’s “adoptive” parents; to her, they are mom and dad, and that’s all that matters.
Biles was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1997 to drug-addicted parents who struggled to care for their children. Which is an odd way to phrase things, given that Ron and Nellie are her mom and dad. “Everything’s just been so normal”.
Simone and Adria, her sister, were adopted in 2001 by Nellie and Ron. But with Simone, 19, in the Olympic spotlight as she goes for Rio gold on Tuesday, Shanon wants the world to know that she’s not the person she once was.
Muhammad, a New Jersey native and three-time NCAA All-American from Duke, became an instant star when she qualified for her first Olympics earlier this year.
Those who haven’t been involved in adoption often don’t understand, she said.
“I feel like they’re defaming my character”, Simone said. My dad and his wife, they don’t let me talk about it.
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Carrie Goldman, who lives outside Chicago and writes a blog, “Portrait of an Adoption”, told The Associated Press she hopes NBC uses the opportunity to educate viewers about adoption, given the Olympics’ big audience and Biles’ high profile. “I regret that I wasn’t more clear in my wording on the air”, he stated. Shanon Biles was even arrested a number of times while she was pregnant with Simone. If Biles wins gold this week, no one will be happier than her parents. Simone’s luck turned around soon enough as she worked her way into becoming the champion gymnast that she is today. “It started in 2013 after a little bit before I made the world [championships] team”, Simone recalled.
