Simone Biles has pleaded with fans to respect her privacy after she raised concerns in a recent social media post.
The USA hero, 29, has become a household name across the nation and the globe thanks to her seven gold medals on the Olympic stage.
However, the spotlight appears to be too bright for Biles at times as she admitted that her fans sometimes make her anxious.
The gymnast, who traveled to Madrid at the weekend for the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards, raised privacy concerns on Instagram.
‘okay I realllilly (sic) love how passionate and dedicated y’all are, BUT I have to be honest. It really makes me anxious when you stand outside of the hotel all day. Can we please please please love from afar & respect privacy xx,’ she wrote on Sunday.
‘i would love to take pics while I’m out & about though,’ she added, over a photo of a cocktail at a restaurant.
Simone Biles raised privacy concerns ahead of the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid
Biles pleaded with fans to respect her privacy after she raised concerns in a social media post
Biles’s social media request was followed by a series of snaps of the gymnastics legend on the go in Spain, including behind-the-scenes of her getting glammed up for the Laureus Awards.
Team USA’s golden girl dazzled as she stepped onto the carpet at Cibeles Palace in the Spanish capital.
Biles wowed in an ethereal gown from Vietnamese designer, Cong Tri. She oozed glamour in a gold, taffeta, one-shoulder minidress embellished with feathered fringing and a striking train.
The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual event that honors individuals and teams while also celebrating major sporting achievements.
The American gymnast is a four-time winner of the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year. She clinched her fourth award following her Olympics triumph at the 2024 Paris Games.
However, this year, Biles attended the event as an ambassador rather than a recipient.
Biles dazzles in a gold fringe minidress on the red carpet in Madrid on Monday evening
The USA hero presented the Lifetime Award to Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci
She was tasked with the honor of presenting the Lifetime Award to Romanian gymnast and face of the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics Nadia Comaneci, who etched the first perfect 10.0 in Olympic gymnastics history.
Biles’s ambassadorial role with Laureus was first announced back in February.
After she was named as an ambassador, Biles shared, ‘Laureus has played a meaningful role in my journey for many years, and I am incredibly proud to have been honored four times as Laureus Sportswoman of the Year, including at last year’s Awards in Madrid, which was an unforgettable night for me.
‘I’ve seen that power in action – how sport can open doors, build confidence and help young people feel seen and supported,’ she continued. ‘The opportunity to visit the girls in Milan was a reminder of why this work matters so much: their energy, their determination, their joy.’
