The shocking truth about Simone Biles and her seven siblings after they were torn apart by foster care and drug addiction

Without a doubt, Simone Biles is one of the most recognizable faces in the world. The US gymnast is also one of the country's most decorated athletes, with a skill level that only comes from natural talent and hard work.

However, she did not have an easy life: her early years were marked by poverty, addiction, neglect and abandonment.

Shanon Biles, Simone's biological mother, struggled with a severe drug addiction that spiraled out of control when the future star was a toddler.

The Biles siblings: A sad journey through foster care and adoption

In 1999 or 2000, concerned neighbors contacted social services, and Simone and her three siblings were removed from their mother's care in a run-down house in Ohio. Simone once said she believed her mother cared more for the family cat and fed it before feeding the four children in her care. Fortunately, the siblings stayed together in the foster home.

In 2003, Simone and her younger sister Adria were adopted by their grandfather Ronald Biles and his wife Nellie and moved to Texas. Simone describes them as “the only real parents I've ever known” and calls them mom and dad.

Her other two siblings were sent to live with relatives, and Shanon was left on her own to have more children who had similar experiences of neglect.

Learn more about the seven-time gold medalist's siblings, including two rising stars of the sport.

Ashley Biles Thomas, 34

Ashley Biles-Thomas, the eldest of Simone's biological siblings, has had a very different life than her star sister. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, Ashley's life was overshadowed by criminal activity and the aftermath of her mother's addiction.

Ashley was with Simone and two other siblings when they were placed in foster care. Unlike Simone, she was adopted by her great aunt Harriet, Ronald's sister.

Unfortunately, Ashley struggled to escape the cycle of addiction and crime that plagued her at a young age. In 2014, she was arrested for drug trafficking and driving under the influence. The incident, which involved discovering oxycodone and oxymorphone pills during a routine traffic stop, ended with her pleading guilty and serving a short prison sentence, RadarOnline reported.

In 2015, Ashley was arrested again for driving under the influence despite having her license suspended, which caused her further legal troubles. Her fight continued, and just before the start of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Ashley was arrested for violating her probation from 2019.

It was around this time that Simone canceled her participation in several competitions at the Tokyo Olympics to prioritize her mental health.

Despite these challenges, Ashley is a mother to a 15-year-old daughter named Nacari, according to an interview her mother Shanon gave to the Daily Mail in 2016, and Ashley continues to navigate the difficult path shaped by her early life experiences.

Ronald Biles Jr., age unknown, and Adam Biles, 30

Technically, Ronald Jr. and Adam are Simone Biles' uncles. After Simone was adopted by her grandparents, the two men became her big brothers.

Ronald II, the eldest, works as a regional sales manager in Houston, Texas, according to his LinkedIn profile. Family seems to be his greatest passion, as evidenced by several posts with his wife of four years, Samantha. He posted a picture of his young daughter, Ronni Louise Biles, dressed like her famous aunt during the Paris Olympics, proving how much his family was looking forward to the competition.

Adam, the younger of the two, works as an implementation consultant at a staffing firm in Tempe, Arizona, he shares on LinkedIn. Before that, he ran the family business, Simone's training facility, the World Champions Centre in Texas. The Safe Haven gym was also Jordan Chiles' training facility.

Tevin Biles-Thomas, 29

Like Ashley, Tevin Biles-Thomas was placed in foster care and later adopted by his great-aunt Harriet. Tevin shares the same father as Simone and Adria, a man named Kelvin Clemons, who was also a drug addict at a young age.

Tevin joined the Army in 2014 and has now advanced to the rank of specialist. He was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division as a cannon crew member and deployed to South Korea. He and his sister Simone had always been very close until then.

Tevin's life took a dark turn on January 1, 2018, when he was involved in a shooting at a New Year's Eve party in Cleveland that left three people dead. Tevin was initially charged with multiple counts of murder, manslaughter and aggravated assault, but he pleaded not guilty.

my brother Tevin | Everyone says we look like twins, but we don't see it pic.twitter.com/WnljD48rMQ

– Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) 11 September 2017

His lawyer, Joe Patituce, oAccording to Cleveland.com, Nce said Cuyahoga County District Attorney Michael O'Malley has pursued the case against his client because of Tevin's famous sister.

His legal battle was fraught with complications, including two miscarriages of justice after false evidence was presented to the jury during the trial.

still having trouble processing last week's news pic.twitter.com/GU0nQt2PZY

– Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) 3 September 2019

In June 2021, Tevin was finally acquitted of the triple murder charge after the judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to convict him. The trial and its aftermath weighed heavily on Simone, who took to social media to express her grief for the victims and their families.

Adriana Biles, 25

Adria Biles, two years younger than Simone, is one of her closest siblings and was a bridesmaid at Simone's wedding. Adria followed her sister into gymnastics, competing for ten years and reaching Level 9, just one step below the professional stage.

Outside of gymnastics, Adria gained some notoriety through the reality TV show “Claim to Fame,” in which relatives of celebrities competed to keep their identities secret. She was also a dancer for the Houston Astro Shooting Stars.

Adira and Simone are both talented in their own ways, but Adira admires her big sister's passion to succeed.

“Sometimes I think she's an alien,” joked Adira. “I think given the circumstances we grew up in, I think about that sometimes. I think to myself, 'She had the talent, but if she hadn't been given the resources, I don't think she would be where she is now.'”

“When you put someone where they belong, they just blossom, and I think that’s what happened,” Adira said of Simone

Micah Biles Walker, 24

Micah, like her younger siblings, has the same mother as Simone, but not the same father.

Micah recently defended her mother against criticism on TikTok after she gave an interview about her estranged relationship with the history-making gymnast.

She spoke openly about her complicated relationship with her mother and with Simone, admitting that her mother's addiction affected her ability to care for her consistently.

She stressed that although Shanon was not the ideal mother, she was not a bad person and, as an immature child, deserved mercy. Micah revealed that her relationship with her mother did not really begin to develop until she was 17.

According to Micah, due to her drug addiction, Shanon was unable to provide consistent care for Micah and her siblings since the age of about nine and did not care for the three groups of children.

Ashley has a different father than Tevin, Simone and Adria. Micah, Mariah, Taron Biles-Walker and Shania Biles-Walker all have their own father.

There is no public information about Mariah.

Taron Biles-Walker, sophomore

Taron Biles-Walker is Simone's second youngest brother and follows in her athletic footsteps. He is a sophomore at Norfolk State University studying business administration and plays wide receiver and kick returner for the NSU Spartans. Simone's half-brother made a notable impression in his freshman year, playing in ten games and receiving recognition for his performance on the field.

According to the school's website, he was on the honor roll as an athletic scholarship student throughout his freshman year. In an interview with Virginian-Pilot.com, he said it was inspiring to see his sister win dozens of awards and medals. He explained, “I'm not going to lie, it's too many to count. Way too many. It's a lot.”

Taron, who was keen to draw attention to himself, tweeted as a high school graduate: “My name will soon be remembered.”

My name will soon be a name to remember 🙏🏾

— Taron Biles-Walker ☔️ (@_biles5) January 19, 2023

Shania Biles-Walker, 12th grader

Shania Biles-Walker, the youngest of Simone's siblings, is a senior in high school competing in shot put and discus at Whitehall-Yearling High School in Whitehall, Ohio. Shania has already begun to develop her own identity as an athlete.

Her team's strong performance in the girls' shot put relay during her penultimate year demonstrated Shania's potential, and she continues to train and compete with the same determination that has shaped her family's legacy.

While Simone's journey to becoming a world-class athlete is well known, the lives of her siblings remind us of the effects of addiction. They also show what true resilience looks like and how children who weren't supposed to make it made it.