Simone Biles has confirmed that a recent incident she described as a “health scare” was health-related, after responding directly to an X user who asked whether it involved health, an accident or violence.
The confirmation follows a wave of speculation after posts shared to her Instagram Stories on Saturday night drew significant attention online. In the posts, the U.S. Olympic gymnast appeared to show hospital wristbands and wrote that she had been “almost dying” earlier this week, describing the experience as “one of, if not the scariest experience in my life.”
She added that she had been resting in bed and recovering throughout the week, and expressed gratitude to her close circle for supporting her during what she described as a difficult period.
“S/o to my close circle who reached out, checked in, visited and or sent flowers,” she wrote, adding that she would “explain sooner or later” but did not provide further details at the time.
Newsweek contacted Biles’ agency via email on Sunday for further comment.
Instagram posts Sparked Widespread Concern
The posts quickly spread across social media platforms and were widely reshared, with many users expressing concern and seeking clarification over what had happened. Simone Biles health scare was one of the top trending stories on search overnight, with significant public interest focused on the limited information available.
Although several outlets initially described the situation as a health scare, details remained unclear for much of the night, prompting further discussion online. The ambiguity led to speculation across platforms, particularly after the posts were amplified by accounts including Yahoo Sports, which reposted the content to X.
In response to the growing attention, Biles later addressed a question from a user on X asked alongside Yahoo Sports’ post about whether the incident involved health, an accident or violence.
She replied simply, “health,” accompanied by a healing heart emoji, confirming the nature of the situation without offering additional medical detail.
Biles did not elaborate further on what caused the incident or whether it involved hospital treatment beyond the wristbands shown in her Instagram post. At the time of writing, she has not indicated when she plans to provide a fuller explanation.
Biles also posted other pictures to her Instagram story of flowers seemingly sent by concerned well-wishers.
The gymnast, one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history, has previously spoken about the importance of mental and physical health and maintaining boundaries around her private life, particularly during periods of intense public attention.