Entertainment
Simone Biles’ birth mother criticized for refusing to call gymnast despite claiming she wanted to reconcile with her
Simone Biles’ biological mother says she hosted a celebration in her Ohio backyard where her family and friends could join her as she cheered on the daughter she allegedly abandoned throughout the Paris Olympics.
The 143 cm tall athlete didn’t disappoint – she won three gold medals and one silver in international competitions, thus retaining the title of essentially the most decorated American gymnast of all time.
In an exclusive interview Speaking to DailyMail.com, her mother, Shannon Biles, said she was left with the difficult reality that she would have to have a good time in Columbus and never with her daughter, Olympian, son-in-law, Jonathan Owens, or Simone’s adoptive parents.
Shannon has been estranged from Simone for years, ever since she was adopted as a baby by Ronald Biles, their biological grandfather, and his wife Nellie. But the bad blood between Shannon and her talented daughter goes back to the difficult years when she suffered from addiction and when her children were taken away from her.
“It was hard for me to abandon my kids, but I had to do what I had to do,” Shannon said, before admitting, “I wasn’t able to take care of them. I was still using, and (my father) didn’t want me coming in and out of their lives when I wasn’t OK.”
While Simone and her younger sister Adria went with their father and stepmother Shannon, her other two older children, son Tevin, 29, and daughter Ashley, 34, stayed in Cleveland with their aunt, Ron’s sister.
Now sober, Shannon is being slowly and thoroughly welcomed back into the family. She says she now speaks often to her father and youngest daughter Adria. But not to Simone. The gymnast has not provided her mother with any way back into her life, much to her mother’s disappointment.
“I would personally like to repair things with Simone,” said Shannon, who can be patiently waiting for her younger daughter. “I talk to Adria more than I do to Simone. I would just ask her to forgive me. Can we move forward? Don’t judge me by my past. Let’s move forward.”
However, Simone, who spoke openly about it, struggles with anxiety and mental health, he seems to still be nursing scars from his past.
This time of 12 months we remember what we’re thankful for and I’m most thankful for my parents. There are not any words to express my gratitude to them. All children deserve a loving family. Let’s have a good time together and be thankful during #NationalAdoptionMonth photo:twitter.com/O1KYYaToQW
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) November 22, 2017
In her Facebook Watch series titled “Simone vs. Herself,” she didn’t shrink back from reminiscing about her difficult childhood years before her grandparents got here along.
“Growing up, my siblings and I were so focused on food because we didn’t have a lot of it,” she recalled. “I remember there was a cat in the house and I was so hungry. They were feeding the cat and I was like, ‘Where the hell is my food?’”
To make matters worse, Simone recalls that her mother seemed to favor the cat greater than her own children, stating that she “always fed the cat, but never us.”
Things got so bad that at age 3, Simone and her siblings were placed in foster care until Ron and Nellie adopted Simone and Adria when Simone was just 6. That decision paved the best way for Simone’s storied profession, but memories of her neglect proceed to haunt her, appearing in nearly every interview about her life.
“Her mother had a lot of issues — whether it was drugs or alcohol,” Ron told NBC in 2016. “The kids were eventually taken away from her. We took them in like family because they were family.”
Ron reportedly not only took the ladies away from their mother, but additionally cut off contact with her because he didn’t want Shannon to disrupt the brand new life he and his wife had created for her children.
However, the only mother had mixed feelings concerning the way her past was portrayed, especially by her father and stepmother.
In 2016, she told TMZ Sports, “I feel like they’re defaming my character. Because I know what happened.” Shannon said, “I had problems then, but I’m better now. Life goes on and it’s my past, it should stay in the past.”
Shannon feels her father might have been way more gentle when talking about her addiction or sharing her struggles with the press.
“I feel like he didn’t have to be so harsh about it. I’m his firstborn and he could have been a little more elegant,” she told TMZ. “He didn’t have to beat me up like that. I mean, I’ve been through my struggles and everything, but you didn’t have to go through it the way you did.”
Now 52, Shannon is more understanding and admits that her father’s strict love was obligatory.
“I was stubborn. I didn’t care, I was screaming, I want to see my children, why are you doing this to me?” I didn’t understand on the time, but years later I understood why. I had to deal with myself first,” she said.
Shannon’s best hope is that after greater than 20 years of separation, Simone will finally forgive her.
“I’m waiting for an opportunity, but I’m waiting until it can come to me. Let’s sit down. I have to be patient,” she said.
Ma’am, please be serious. photo:twitter.com/uABG0pVkSI
— Certified Hood Thief 🏁 (@KryssyLaReina) August 14, 2024
Shannon told the Daily Mail that as well as to repairing her relationship with Simone, she hopes Simone will reconnect with her biological father, Kevin Clemons.
“We both want to see her. I talk to him all the time. He says, ‘If you talk to Simone, give her my number. I’d love to talk to her,'” but the fact is she cannot do it herself and can have little opportunity in a broken relationship to bring them together.
“I want her to reach out to me,” Shannon said of Simone. “She’s 27 now. She’s married. I’d love to be a part of it, but I have to wait for her. You can’t push anyone.”
Shannon said she hopes at some point she can “talk” to Simone and answer questions Simone might need about her childhood and the sordid details of her drug- and alcohol-addicted mother’s parenting decisions.
“I am addicted, I will always be addicted,” Shannon exclaimed.
The day after Shannon’s interview was published, Spiritual Word quoted fasting from Biles, hitting back at people for buying her an expensive Hermes Birking bag. She said: “My parents bought me an Hermes bag. Don’t be mad at me, be mad at your parents.”
However, many took it as a rather snide comment to her biological mother. One person said: “It wasn’t for us, it was for her biological mother,” while one other added: “She’s basically telling the woman who birthed her, ‘She’s the good one here.’”
Entertainment
An attempt to save the image of Jeff Bezos’ future wife backfired after weeks of outrage and ridicule over her skimpy outfit
Lauren Sánchez has apparently gained a popularity for her fashion hits and misses as social media users began following her every move.
Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ current fiancée stepped into the highlight long before she met the Amazon co-founder, after years spent as co-host of “Good Day LA,” a reporter for “Extra” and host of “So You Think You Can Dance,” and he even starred in a number of movies like “Ted 2.”
She faced criticism for posting a sultry selfie in November in a negligee-inspired gown by designer Laura Basca. In October, the 54-year-old again faced backlash when she showed off her latex Halloween costume as Catwoman.
Now, weeks after being deemed “cheap” and tasteless, the founder of Black Ops Aviation has turn out to be a subject of discussion.
On December 5, Sánchez and the business mogul attended The New York Times’ DealBook event in New York City. For the occasion, she wore a white Alexander McQueen suit and a white lace corset. The beaming bride-to-be sent two mirror selfies of her outfit, which she signed: “winter white.”
One follower particularly was stunned by the whole look he ejaculated that she was “very attractive and beautiful, gorgeous and stunning, charming and fantastic young lady, sexy, charming, charming and elegant” in the photos that Sánchez took.
Two other people swooned over the photos and wrote: “So chic and elegant!” and “You look great.” But as you would possibly expect from online viewers, not everyone was impressed.
Jeff Bezos’ fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, cropped a photograph of him in a jumpsuit and then set Instagram on fire with her look.https://t.co/n7YNGctQFE pic.twitter.com/DNKP2i9o9C
— Sean Joseph (@sjoseph_sports) December 2, 2024
When Page six published paparazzi photos from the trip, the critic commented: “It’s 30 degrees in New York and she gets out of the limo in a white Miami smock, her bra visible to everyone. No taste. Nothing. A cashmere turtleneck, flannel trousers and a wool jacket can be classy.
Someone else sharply asked: “Who can be the first to tell her that she looks tacky and not elegant and refined? Does she even know what sophistication means? A 3rd person noted: “She looks more like she’s wearing a bathrobe.”
Lauren Sanchez 2003 vs. Lauren Sanchez 2024
Nothing to see here, people, move on#LaurenSanchez pic.twitter.com/mgr4vj6mFq
— Occam was right (@OccamWasRight) November 21, 2024
Another person wrote in a comment from a licensed pilot: “White means…” possibly referring to rumors that Sánchez and Bezos are scheduled to exchange vows over Christmas. At least one person doubted the couple would have the opportunity to say “I do.” This person said: “This will be the longest engagement ever. They will NEVER get married and we all know why!!!!”
Sánchez told the “Today” show hosts that she was in the process of planning the big day last month. She didn’t comment on speculation about exchanging Christmas vows.
Renewed interest and scrutiny of Sánchez has increased as the pair have been spotted in various locations in recent months. The couple reportedly began dating in 2018. Their engagement was announced five years later, in May 2023. Their upcoming wedding can be a second journey for each of them.
Sánchez was previously married to celebrity agent Patric Whitesell, with whom she has two children. She can be the mother of a son, whom she shares with Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. Bezos was married to the mother of his three children, Mackenzie Scott, for 25 years once they divorced in 2019.
Entertainment
Apart from the song with singer-songwriter India Shawn – Andscape
India Shawn is a contemporary muse with a chilled nature, crafting love stories and heartfelt tales in smooth, charming songs. With over a decade of experience in the music industry as a singer-songwriter, Shawn has incredible strength. She was born in Los Angeles, and her musical roots reach throughout the country. Beginning her profession in her hometown, Shawn eventually found herself in Atlanta, where she immersed herself in the city’s deep-rooted R&B scene, further shaping her artistry.
“I transferred to ATL, I was in 10th grade, and that’s when my music journey really started,” Shawn told Andscape. “I met people who were trying to get by, so I ended up recording and learned what songwriting was really early on.”
Before releasing her debut EP in 2012, Shawn wrote songs and collaborated with artists similar to Chris Brown, El DeBarge, Keri Hilson and Monica. In 2013, she gained much more notoriety when Solange Knowles published her song “I’m Alive” on the Saint Heron compilationmarking her as an artist value watching.
Following the release of the single “There Must Be a God” from the Andscape soundtrack, she caught up with Shawn to learn more about the muse behind the vibes.
Name:
India Shawn
Hometown:
Los Angeles
Artistic soundscape
Airy, soft, telling a story, multidimensional, soft, mysterious, atmospheric
The oldest musical memory
Shawn’s soulful sound is deeply rooted in her upbringing, with influences drawn from her childhood memories and the musical culture of her church. “I sing with my sister all the time, and I also grew up singing behind my mom in church. She was the leader of praise and worship. So I feel like most of us R&B kids have that experience,” Shawn said. “I had these little solos in church, and I believe what made me consider in it was that after the service people got here as much as me with tears of their eyes and said, ‘You really moved me while you sang.’ “These early moments of connection with music and audiences laid the foundation for conveying depth and sensitivity through her music.
Influences
For Shawn, music, especially R&B, has all the time held a special place in her life. “Me and my sister are harmonizing in the living room, just picking some of our favorite songs, including for me Mariah Carey, Babyface, Boyz II Men and (and) Brandy,” she said of her early music memories.
Creative process
Shawn often draws inspiration from real-life experiences and relationships that influence her music. She weaves this into the authenticity and atmosphere of her songs, but she didn’t immediately recognize where her inspiration got here from. “It’s funny that it took me so long to make that connection, but I realized that I was telling my whole story and presenting my business through my music,” she said. “It took me two albums to realize, wait a minute, I’m giving people a lot to understand here… these aren’t just songs. This is truly the life I live.”
Challenges and development
As Shawn’s profession grows, so do his moments of appreciation and reflection. “I literally just thought about a very gradual progression of my career. It’s like step by step, but there are more breakthrough moments. My first tour, which was so beautiful, I just knew I could pack a room and people knew my lyrics and sang my songs to me. Those moments that make the waiting not in vain.”
Shawn has plenty of recommendation for up-and-coming singer-songwriters. Her biggest sacrifice? Collaboration is essential. “I think (cooperation) is really why I’m still here. So find your people… you’ll know when it feels right, you’ll have that freedom and fluidity, and you’ll be able to really create things and create without having to think too much.” He also shares the importance of patience. “Just be patient during the journey. This has been a theme throughout my profession. Let it develop. I feel like more things come from being in that flow and being present reasonably than forcing all of it.
Current project
“There should be a God”, the lead single from Andscape , now streaming on Hulu, also serves as a teaser for Shawn’s solo album. “(This song) is such a manifestation of God’s love,” she said. “I think when you find yourself in a place of waiting, you can feel very hopeless. So when you see glimpses of God’s love again, or the fact that you know there is a higher power, there is a source that is thinking about you, has you in mind, has a perfect plan for you, it’s just like the clouds parting. And this is the moment, I understand. I understand that I had to go through all this to get here. And that’s exactly what I felt in the studio that day.”
Entertainment
ICYMI: Tessa Thompson’s Mocha Lip, Danielle Brooks’ Updo and More – Essence
With just a number of weeks left until the tip of 2024, the celebrities are setting the tone for the brand new 12 months this week. And although mocha mousse is anticipated to be fashionable in 2025, neutral shades in darker tones have gotten more and more popular. Paired with an array of beauty eras – from elegant Twenties updos to 2000s-style round pink, the brand new Hollywood showcases its best 12 months-end beauty moments.
Tessa Thompson and Issa Rae are the newest to debut mocha lips holiday shade near the season, and Coco Jones’ lipstick was cranberry red. Doechii’s perforated suggestions and signature face-lift tape made it probably the most avant-garde look of the week, and within the sweetest moment, Chloe and Halle Bailey’s round pink cheeks made pink cheeks a winter styling staple.
From makeup to hairstyles, Sabrina Elba and Alva Claire opted for light, coffee colours, and Jourdan Dunn’s short hairstyle proved relevant at any time of the 12 months. Meanwhile, Lupita N’yongo, Danielle Brooks and Venus Williams’ braided buns showed just how classic this style may be.
In case you missed it, take a take a look at 17 of the very best celebrity beauty moments from the week below.
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