‘Simone Biles: Rising’ Hits Netflix: The Story of Her Hair Braiding & Surprise Breakfast

Iconic Gymnast Simone Biles, 27, is opening up and sharing her life with the public. Collaborating with streaming powerhouse Netflix and Emmy-winning director Katie Walsh, the first season of her life documentary has hit TV screens. Breaking down the fourth wall, Katie has divulged the story behind certain elements featured in the project.

According to the description on Netflix, “Simone Biles Rising,” follows the young talent as she “balances her personal life, mental health journey and training ahead of a highly anticipated return to the Olympics.”

The riveting trailer gives viewers a glimpse into what they can expect from the documentary. Immediately setting the tone, it starts with a confessional interview showcasing Simone talking about the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. From there, various clips highlighting the gymnast’s incredible skills ensue.

Shifting the mood, the trailer then cuts to the infamous moment when Simone left the competition before it transitions to her addressing the moment and the other battles she has faced.

At one point, she even revealed how she considered quitting gymnastics altogether, but her loved ones encouraged her to keep fighting.

The documentary has two parts. “Write me down in history” covers the initial stages of Simone prepping for her comeback as she reflects on internal battles and enormous pressure after the Tokyo Championships. Episode 2—”I will not be broken”—spotlights Simone at the World Championships.

“But as she looks toward Paris, experiences from the past are shaping how she thinks about the future,” reads the end of the episode’s plot line. Since its release, Netflix has shared clips from the episodes on various platforms such as Facebook and YouTube.

Standout footage from the documentary scenes shows Simone’s doting mother, Nellie Biles, doing her daughter’s hair. In this clip, Simone sits at a wooden table, and Nellie tends to her hair.

As Nellie explains how Simone can style her hair—presumably for an event—she uses her hands to mark distinctive lines where she can braid it up. Simone then says, “Well, you can just do one at the top.”

Nellie then confirms her daughter’s request, adding, “And then the one in the back,” before grabbing a hair comb to get started. The video then shows Nellie braiding Simone’s hair.

Sitting down with the hosts of GymCastic on July 21, Katie unpacked the narrative behind that special moment. After being asked by co-host Jessica O’Beirne to talk about the hair braiding, Katie began by explaining how the filming process worked. The doc was greenlit four days before the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.

She shared how although the production team was allowed to film with Simone, they were not allowed to film in her hotel room. This was due to strict rules and regulations from the United States of America Gymnastics (USAG) sports federation.

“So, what we worked out was, there was like a conference room area to this hotel […] and we could only film within the confines of this like, you know 5 by 9 room […] So we would kind of bring things into that space. So Nellie would come and braid Simone’s hair there,” Katie said.

Continuing, she disclosed, “Nellie could go to Simone’s hotel room, but we couldn’t, so they would work with us and come to that other spot.” Reactions to seeing Simone having her hair braided by her mom have been heartfelt, with many noting how touched they were by the sentimental moment.

“I’m not crying, yes I’m crying,” expressed an admirer on Facebook. Another gushed, “So beautiful. Brought tears to my eyes.” Nellie has always braided Simone’s hair and only recalled one time when she did not do so.

“Tokyo was the one time I did not braid Simone’s hair. She is an adult, I mean, this girl can braid her own hair. But it’s not about braiding her hair. It’s that bonding […] it’s the touch,” Nellie stated in the hair braiding clip.

More than simply being about styling hair, Nellie and Simone’s hair braiding video shows how hair can be a gateway to fostering community and gaining happiness and confidence.

Additionally, Nellie’s candid reflections give rise to a wider discussion on the topic of black hair, specifically. The mother and daughter showcased the power and care that black women stand to gain by tending to their beautiful hair.

However, there was a time when Simone did not always feel as confident with her hair. Speaking with a popular fashion outlet earlier this month (July 2024), she confessed, “I used to worry about [my hair being considered] not professional.”

The Olympic gymnast has also received a lot of flak about her hair from the public. “[Why] won’t [Simone Biles] get her hair done..like ever…” asserted someone on X. Another critic wrote, “[Now] [Simone Biles] hair do be lookin a mess sometimes.”

Echoing the same sentiment, a spectator added, “No way in hell Simone Biles supposed to be walking around with her hair all over the places married to an NFL player.”

Regardless of what people have had to say, Simone has taken back her power when it comes to her hair, expressing how she has embraced it. “I’m not embarrassed about it anymore,” she noted.

Aside from the topic of hair, Simone’s documentary also revealed the meal she likes to eat at breakfast—waffles. In the same way that Katie explained the story behind the hair braiding, she also spoke about Simone munching on the delicious treat.

“The waffle day—there had just been a lot of discussion about waffles and Belgium and the need to have the best waffles,” Katie started.

“So, our fixer, who was from Antwerp, one morning, was like, ‘I’m gonna go and get the best waffles at this one spot’ […] He had brought all those waffles in as a surprise for the whole—for Nellie and Simone and Ron so that they could have like a breakfast together. So that’s how that came about,” she concluded.

Simone Biles had even tweeted about the famous Belgian waffles on October 17, 2023, writing, “still dreaming about the waffles from belgium.”

Giving further insight into what she typically eats for breakfast, Simone stated, “What I eat depends on the day and how I’m feeling, but sometimes I like to get up and have a protein waffle in the morning for breakfast with some fruit.”