American Olympic gymnastics legend Simone Biles has candidly shared the surprisingly tough and painful recovery she experienced following a breast augmentation procedure she underwent in June.
A More Difficult Recovery Than Anticipated
The 28-year-old, who boasts 11 Olympic gold medals, took to TikTok to explain the process to her followers. She confirmed the surgery took place on June 16 and expressed her shock at the level of post-operative pain. "You all lied, this s*** hurts so bad," Biles revealed. "Your girl could not move by herself. So I did take the full two weeks and I am glad I did because my recovery was rough."
Biles explained that she had chosen to have the implants placed under the muscle. Having heard from others that their recovery was straightforward, she became worried by her own significant early discomfort. Her husband, Jonathan Owens – a player for the NFL's Chicago Bears – had to provide extensive physical assistance in the immediate aftermath.
"The very first day, Jonathan had to lift me up out of bed, physically lift me out of bed and take me to the rest room," she recounted. Biles theorised that her unique physique as a world-class athlete may have contributed to the challenging experience. "I am assuming that I am a little bit more muscular than most girls who get them done and that under the muscle and kind of doing all of that work really hurt my body."
Initial Panic and Eventual Satisfaction
The gymnast also admitted to a moment of panic when she first saw the results, struggling to adjust to her new appearance. "They were up to my neck and I did freak out and I did talk to my doctor," Biles said. "I said take them out, they need to be smaller, they look like aliens." However, she was quick to reassure her 5.5 million TikTok followers that her feelings soon changed, adding, "But now they are perfect." She vowed to answer any questions about the procedure from her audience.
Speculation and Sporting Dominance
Rumours about the surgery had circulated earlier in the summer when Biles reappeared in public. She later appeared to hint at the procedure in a social media video where she performed a somersault on a trampoline, captioning it, "first flip - in a year - at the new house," and referencing "new [cherry emojis]."
This personal revelation comes fresh from her dominant performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she secured gold medals in the team, all-around, and vault competitions. In a potential hint at her future athletic ambitions, Biles stated "never say never" when asked at a recent conference about competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
In the months since her surgery and Olympic success, Biles has been a regular presence at Chicago Bears games, supporting her husband Jonathan Owens, whose team next plays against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
