HOUSTON – The girls with the kinky curly curls know the struggle of dealing with heat and humidity, especially in Houston.
On your wedding day, one of the most special days in your life, I doubt you would feel the need to explain why your textured hair doesn’t look “sleek.” But Houston native and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles found herself explaining why her hair edges were not straightened after some complaints.
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What are edges? They are commonly known as “baby hairs” or the short hairs around the perimeter of your head. Many Black or Latino women use hair gel or water to help slick down their edges for a more sleek look, particularly for updos and ponytails.
There is a long and painful history for many Black girls and women over hair discrimination. For many Black girls, their mothers lather chemical hair relaxers on their coils to help “tame” their tresses to fit in with what many call society’s “European beauty standards.”
Biles posted photos of her and hubby, Houston Texans’ Jonathan Owens, after the couple tied the knot.
In photos shared on social media on Saturday, Biles, 26, wrote on Instagram “I do 🤍 officially Owens 🤍.” Photos also showed the couple exchanging vows in what appeared to be a courthouse wedding.
‘Officially Owens🤍’: Simone Biles officially ties the knot with Texans’ Jonathan Owens
Owens also shared images of the wedding on his social media page, respectively, giving fans a more behind-the-scenes look.
While many congratulated the couple, the photos also caught the attention of some social media critics. They questioned her choice to wear an updo for her wedding day.
According to TODAY, a few Twitter users nitpicked Biles’ wedding hair -- with one going so far as to suggest she should’ve worn a wig.
Biles responded to the complaints in a tweet, explaining that she lives in Houston and sweated her hair out. But, she did not let the humidity or the negative comments ruin her big day, adding “they can keep complaining (I don’t care).”
i think they also forget i live in HOUSTON TEXAS & I sweat those out!! soon as we stepped outside for pics
— Simone Biles Owens (@Simone_Biles) April 23, 2023
but they can keep complaining idc idc idc
Other fans also joined the conversation by defending the Olympian’s hair choice.
Tracey Randolph tweeted, “Your wedding pics are absolutely beautiful & you both look so happy! The one time I visited Houston my makeup melted off my face the 2nd I stepped out of the hotel.”
Kiki tweeted, “You looked beautiful! Don’t listen to any of that noise. Continue to be the amazing woman & amazing role model you are to the younger generation following in your footsteps. Congratulations, beautiful!”
Sharon Singletary tweeted, “As a native Houstonian, we do not suffer foolishness about hair. We love our natural hair and all that it brings. You are the greatest gymnast of all time. And now, you have married the love of your life. Congratulations.”
This has not been the first time a Black gymnast has been criticized for her hair.
While Olympian Gabby Douglas was making history, many commentators honed in on her edges and “hair damage.”
In 2020, Douglas opened up to TODAY about her emotional hair journey. She said she suffered from hair damage as a result of doing gymnastics.
She even talked about her hair struggles in an Instagram post, “From a very young age I always had to put my hair in a tight ponytail to do gymnastics and due to that my hair became completely damaged. I had bald spots on the back of my head. I was so embarrassed and self-conscious that I put a bunch of clips over the spots to try and cover them up, but it was still noticeable. My hair grew a little, but shortly after, I had to cut all of my hair off because it was so damaged.”
While many of her fellow teammates, with straighter hair texture, were probably wearing clips, buns and ponytails like Douglas, they were not criticized by the public.
Douglas said she “cried and cried and cried” when people criticized her hair during the 2012 Olympics, stating that her strands were “unkept” and “embarrassing.”
The gold medalist described how people focused on her hair struggles instead of her athletic abilities.
“Most days I didn’t even want to go to the gym because I felt so embarrassed that all my hair was gone,” Douglas wrote. “I used to think: Why can’t I have healthy hair? Despite yet another challenge, I kept going. Fast forward to the Olympics and my hair was the topic of conversation 🥺.”
She finished her post with a message about her now taking pride in her natural hair.
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