Olympic gymnastics legend Simone Biles has opened up about her personal journey with cosmetic procedures, including breast augmentation surgery, in a candid interview that emphasizes self-love and personal choice.
Reasons Behind the Personal Decision
Speaking exclusively to People Magazine, the 28-year-old athlete revealed that her decision to undergo breast augmentation wasn't driven by insecurity or dissatisfaction with her body. Biles stressed that the choice was not over a lack of confidence in her physical appearance or that it was a part of herself she 'didn't like'.
'Okay, obviously you can notice the breasts,' Biles acknowledged during the interview. 'But other than that, it's just feeling good about yourself and loving yourself, and I've always been very vocal about that.'
The Olympic medalist explained that she wanted to be transparent about her experiences so others, particularly young girls, could relate to her journey. 'Not that I didn't like the way I looked or the way I felt. It's just something that I notice, obviously a little bit more because I live in this body,' she added.
Multiple Procedures for Personal Reasons
Last month, Biles took to her TikTok platform to disclose that she has undergone three plastic surgery procedures throughout her life, noting that 'two of them, you would never be able to tell.'
In addition to the breast augmentation, Biles underwent a lower blepharoplasty, a surgical procedure that reduces bagginess from under the eyes and eliminates excess skin in the upper eyelids. She affectionately referred to this hereditary trait as the 'Biles eye bags' that run in her family.
'We've just always had them, hereditary, and so that was just a big flaw,' Biles explained. 'Every time I would go to a shoot, they're like, "Oh, can we put some strips on her?" And I was like, "Oh, baby, I had 12 hours last night, these aren't going away. These are just hereditary." So it's something that I wanted to fix.'
The gymnastics icon also revealed she had a separate plastic surgery procedure on her ear after an earring was 'ripped out' during her childhood.
Message of Empowerment and Social Media Reality
Biles emphasized that her decision to share these personal details stems from a desire to connect with people on relatable issues beyond her athletic achievements. 'Seeing me win medals at the Olympics, that's not relatable,' Biles noted. 'But what is relatable is how we feel about ourselves, what we talk about, what we go through and how we share openly, honestly.'
The 11-time Olympic medalist also addressed the impact of social media on body image and self-perception. 'I also think it shows young girls that they have the right to their own choices, whatever they are, and that's no shame added as well,' she stated.
Biles expressed concern about the unrealistic standards often portrayed online, saying: 'I feel like nowadays with social media, you see everyone and you're like, "Oh my God, how does she look so good?" Social media is not real, so that's why I try to be as transparent as possible.'
She even shared a cautionary tale about her experience with Botox on her 27th birthday, which she revealed didn't go as planned. 'I didn't like it because I had a floating eyebrow and everyone was asking what that was,' Biles recalled. 'So I tried to share it. And it's like, you don't have to do these things to fall in line to seem whatever. As long as you love yourself, that's really all that matters.'
Through her openness about both successful and less successful cosmetic experiences, Biles continues to champion body positivity and informed personal choice for women of all ages.
