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Gymnastics - Artistic - Olympics: Day 4

As we previously reported, Olympic gold medalist and USA gymnast Simone Biles was adopted by her grandparents as a child due to her biological mom’s struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.

Now that her story has become a matter of public record, Shanon Biles – Simone’s birth mom – has decided to speak up about what happened when she walked away from her children all those years ago.

Because of her addiction, her kids had been in and out of foster care for years. When Simone was six, Shanon’s father, Ronald Biles, stepped in to adopt Simone and her younger sister Adria.

When the adoption became official, Ron Biles kept Shanon away from Simone and Adria for six years so they could make a proper transition into a healthier lifestyle.

Daily Mail explains, “Simone was six when she was adopted, along with her younger sister Adria, by her maternal grandfather, Ronald Biles, and his wife Nellie. Shanon’s eldest boy and girl, Tevon and Ashley, were taken in by Ronald’s sister.”

Shanon told the site, When we signed the [adoption] papers, it was like my dad flipped a switch on me – no communication, don’t call, and don’t visit. That’s how it was at the beginning.”

She added, “It took me six years before I saw my children again. I was respecting my Dad to let the kids’ transition, he felt that was the best thing for them… It was hard to give up my kids but I had to do what I had to, I wasn’t able to care for them. I was still using and he didn’t want me coming in and out of their lives when I wasn’t right.”

Shanon eventually understood her father’s decision to keep her away from her kids in the beginning.

“I was hard-headed, I didn’t care, screaming, ‘I want to see my kids, why you doing this to me?’” She continues, “I didn’t understand it at the time but years later, I understood why. I had to deal with me first.”

Simone’s biological father, Kelvin Clemons, is also aware of his 19-year-old daughter’s achievements, but struggled with his own addictions as well.

Shanon says of her ex: “He just called me Sunday. I said, ‘I’m watching Simone are you watching her? Are you watching her? Call me back later,” then adds, He knows that’s his daughter and he’s very proud of her.”

Who wouldn’t be? See some old photos of Simone, Shanon, and their fam here.

SOURCE: Daily Mail | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

Simone Biles’ Birth Mom Breaks Silence On Drug Addiction & Giving Her Kids Up For Adoption  was originally published on globalgrind.com