One of the highlights of the Paris Olympics was the celebrity sightings at almost every sporting event. USA’s official celebrity ambassador and correspondent, Snoop Dogg, stole hearts with his undying support and love for several athletes, including Simone Biles and the USA gymnastics team. But he wasn’t the only one who came in to show some love to the GOAT and her fellow athletes.
In a recent conversation with ET Online, Biles and fellow Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles talked about some of their starstruck moments as they put up a historic performance at the French capital.
Amongst all the celebrities and athletes who had graced the competition with their presence, they named a couple of them in particular who left them in awe.
Biles recalled spotting iconic Hollywood actress Gabrielle Union-Wade cheering for her and her teammates as she went in for her floor routine. Recalling how she almost did a double take while noticing her in the crowd, she admitted getting slightly conscious as she continued competing.
She also gave a shout-out to the USA men’s basketball team, who had previously expressed their desire to watch her compete. Biles revealed that she had also spotted them all sitting in the stands, and Chiles recalled how she had excitedly approached Biles about it.
For Biles’ best friend and teammate, however, actress Mariska Hargitay stole the show with a post-Olympic victory surprise. A video of Chiles and Sunisa Lee meeting the ‘Law & Order‘ fame star did rounds after they won their overall gold. That became the highlight of Chile’s Olympic experience in Paris.
Jordan praised Snoop Dogg, while Biles mentioned Flavor Flav as one of their favorite celebrities at the Olympics this season. The American rappers made waves across the internet with consistent support for their contingent.
Their backing went beyond the Olympics, as they constantly tried raising awareness surrounding various sports that might not get enough attention outside the Olympics.
However, Simone and Jordan weren’t the only ones starstruck by the presence of celebrities. The respect went both ways, with one Hollywood star admitting being smitten by the gymnasts.
Taraji P. Henson accompanied Union to watch Biles
While Biles spoke about noticing Union in the crowd, cheering for her, what she might have missed out on observing was another celebrity who was equally awestruck.
Taraji P. Henson recently sat down with Jimmy Fallon to recall some of her highlights from the Olympics, including watching the GOAT’s magic on stage.
Henson had accompanied Union to the two-week-long event, attending various matches and competitions to cheer on American athletes. They had their eyes set on women’s gymnastics in particular, wanting to catch a glimpse of Biles and her grand comeback.
Recalling an unfortunate but hilarious circumstance, Henson revealed on the talk show how she noticed Biles recognized Union but not her. While both the Hollywood stars “fanned out” in the GOAT’s presence, Henson’s footage of Biles doing the double take on seeing Union went viral on the internet.
