Simone Biles may have claimed several gold medals at the just-ended Olympics in Paris, but her celebrations are far from the typical fanfare it should have been.
Biles revealed that after winning three gold medals and a silver at the Paris 2024 Games, her celebration plans hit a snag when a club in Paris tried to charge her a staggering five-figure fee for the night out.
“We had closing ceremonies at the Olympics and I went,” Simone explained in an August 20 TikTok video. “And after that, we went out. You guys, this club tried to charge me $26,000 for a bottle of champagne. Are you insane?”
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Though the Olympic star was ready to celebrate her victories, she wasn’t willing to splurge on an overpriced night out.
“Obviously, I didn’t buy it,” she clarified. “But why would you even try to play me like that? Like, that’s wild.”
Biles, 27, who led Team USA’s women’s gymnastics squad alongside Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, and Hezly Rivera, noted that being recognized as one of the greatest Olympians comes with challenges beyond just celebrations.
“I’d rather not have it,” she said of the attention. “I’d rather be as normal as possible. I don’t know.”
Biles has consistently spoken about the pressure of reaching the pinnacle of her sport. Recently, she pushed back against reporters after being repeatedly asked this question during her third Olympic Games.
“You guys really gotta stop asking athletes what’s next after they win a medal at the Olympics,” she said on X, formerly Twitter, on August 4. “Let us soak up the moment we’ve worked our whole lives for.”
Will Biles chase more gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics? That remains the big question.
“Never say never,” she said at a press conference following the 2024 games. “The next Olympics is at home, so you just never know.”
