One Small Habit Saved Simone Biles’s Husband from a Milan Bag Snatcher

Traveling, whether internationally or just around town, comes with its fair share of safety habits. Sometimes it’s as simple as leaving valuables in the hotel safe. Other times, it’s just staying aware of your surroundings and trusting your instincts. For Jonathan Owens, husband of Simone Biles, it was one tiny habit that ended up saving him from a potentially chaotic moment.

Owens, 30, was in Milan cheering on Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics alongside Biles, 28, when he shared a story on X about getting caught in a theft attempt.

"Not somebody just tried to snatch my shopping bag in Milan," the Chicago Bears player wrote on Sunday, February 15. "Force of habit I had it tied around my hand so he couldn’t get it and took off running immediately….but still crazy."

Good thing Owens had a habit of keeping his bag tied to his hand.

The couple had been spotted at the men’s free skate figure skating competition, cheering on Ilia Malinin, famously known as the "Quad God," who was hoping to add another gold medal to his collection. Unfortunately, Malinin suffered two falls and finished eighth in the free skate.

"Totally devastated for Ilia," Biles wrote on Threads.

Even though he didn’t land the top spot in the free skate, Malinin still made history by becoming the first skater in 50 years to legally land a backflip in Olympic competition.

That historic moment came during the team event, which included Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, Ellie Kim, Daniel O’Shea, Madison Chock, and Evan Bates competing across men’s singles, women’s singles, pair skating, and ice dance. Their collective effort still brought home a gold medal for Team USA.

Between near-misses in the streets of Milan and historic moments on the ice, it's been a memorable 2026 Winter Olympics for Biles, Owens and Team USA.

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