Simone Biles’ mother wants to reconcile: ‘Let’s move forward’
simonebiles/Instagram
American Olympic multi-gold medalist Simone Biles’ birth mother, Shanon Biles, is earnestly seeking reconciliation with the gymnast after years of separation.
In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, Shanon opened up about her struggles with addiction, which led to her losing custody of Simone and her sister, Adria. Shanon revealed how her past has kept her from being part of her daughters’ lives, a reality that has deeply affected her until now.
Both Shanon and Simone’s biological father, Kevin Clemons, have tried to reconnect with Simone. Shanon shared, “He says, ‘If you talk to Simone, give her my number. I’d love to talk to her.’ But I can’t even talk to her.”
Reflecting on her decision to give up her children, Shanon explained, “It took me six years before I saw my children again. I was respecting my dad to let the kids transition. He felt that was the best thing for them.”
She added, “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 he didn’t want me coming in and out of their lives when I wasn’t right.”
Her addiction made it impossible to care for her children, leading to their placement in foster care and eventual adoption by their grandparents.
Simone, often celebrated as the greatest of all time (GOAT), views her grandparents as her primary support system, sharing that her adoptive mother even sold her businesses to support her training.
Now, Shanon is pleading for a chance to make amends. She told the Daily Mail, “I want to see my kids. I would like to make amends with Simone personally — I’m just waiting for her and [her younger sister] Adria.”
She added, “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.”
As Shanon continues to wait for the chance to reconcile, she is focused on making amends and hopes that one day, her daughters will judge her not by her past, but by the progress she has made.
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