Most people recognize the Biles name from Olympic gymnastics and Simone’s incredible medals. But Simone Biles’ sister Ashley has lived a much harder life that stays hidden from public view. While Simone became a world champion, her older sister Ashley Biles Thomas walked a painful road filled with serious problems.
Ashley Biles Thomas shows the flip side of the Biles family story. She’s seven years older than Simone and went through the same terrible childhood. Yet their lives ended up completely different, showing how childhood trauma and support systems can change everything.
Quick Bio
Ashley Biles Thomas entered the world on February 15, 1990, in Columbus, Ohio. She’s now 34 years old in 2026 and stands 5 feet 2 inches tall. Unlike her Olympic gymnast sister, Ashley keeps her life very private and away from cameras.
Her biological mother Shanon Biles battled severe addiction when Ashley was growing up. The Biles siblings are Simone, Adria, and Tevin Biles-Thomas, though they all grew up apart. Ashley has several children, including her daughter Nacari who’s about 17 years old now.
Early Life and Childhood Struggles
Growing Up in Columbus, Ohio
Ashley’s early years in Columbus were scary and unstable. As the oldest of four Biles siblings, she took care of things no child should handle. Their mother’s substance abuse made home chaotic and unsafe for all the kids.
People living nearby saw how bad things were inside the Biles house. The children didn’t have enough food most days, and basic needs weren’t met. Social services got many calls about Ashley and her younger brothers and sisters.
Shanon Biles’ Addiction and Its Impact
Biological mom Simone Biles sister Ashley shared, Shanon Biles, couldn’t stop using drugs and alcohol during their childhood. This parental neglect pushed Ashley into acting like a mom when she was way too young. She got her siblings dressed, played with them, and put them to bed every night.
Simone wrote in her book about how Ashley became their second mother. Though just a kid herself, Ashley gave the love and care their biological mother couldn’t provide back then.
The Role of Ashley as Eldest Sibling
Being the protective sister meant Ashley never got to be a regular kid. Her family responsibilities included making sure everyone felt safe and cared for. She tried creating normal routines when everything around them felt crazy.
Taking care of three younger children was too much for anyone her age. Still, Ashley stayed strong for Simone, Adria, and Tevin through all the bad times they faced together.
Foster Care and Family Separation
Entering the Foster Care System (1999-2000)
When Ashley turned nine or ten years old, child protective services stepped in to help. They removed all four children from their mother’s home and placed them in the foster care system. At least the siblings stayed together at first, which made things less scary.
The foster care life brought new worries and unknowns for everyone. Simone remembered being hungry a lot during these months, showing things stayed hard even after leaving their mom. Staying together helped them feel less alone during this scary change.
The Grandparents’ Intervention
Ron Biles and his wife Nellie came forward in 2000 to help the children. Simone’s grandfather lived far away in Spring, Texas, not in Ohio where the kids knew. All four children went to live with their grandparents for a while as everyone figured out what to do next.
The grandparents’ support gave hope for better days ahead. Ron and Nellie wanted to give the children a real home and fresh start in life.
The 2003 Adoption Split That Changed Everything
In 2003, Ron and Nellie decided to adopt just Simone and Adria permanently. The two youngest girls moved to Texas to live with their grandparents for good. Meanwhile, Ashley and Tevin chose to stay in Ohio, where Ron’s sister Harriet adopted them instead.
This family separation happened when Ashley was only 13 years old. The geographic separation meant the siblings would grow up in different states with different families. From that day forward, their lives went in totally opposite directions.
How Separation Shaped Two Different Destinies
Simone’s Texas move brought her to gymnastics and top training centers nearby. Her grandparents gave her steady love, money for training, and everything she needed. Finding her amazing athletic talent gave Simone a clear purpose that changed her whole life.
Ashley’s life in Ohio, though still with her loving extended family, didn’t have the same chances. The hurt from her early childhood kept affecting her as she got older. Even though both sisters started from the same bad place, their different paths led to very different endings.
Ashley’s Adult Life and Legal Problems
As Ashley became an adult, her problems got worse instead of better. While Simone’s athletic career took off, Ashley ran into repeated legal troubles that marked her grown-up years. Her criminal history shows how her early childhood adversity never really went away.
The difference between the sisters became more obvious as Simone won Olympic medals. At the same time, Ashley faced criminal charges and court dates that kept pulling her down.
Drug-Related Charges
The 2014 Traffic Stop and Drug Trafficking Arrest
In June 2014, police pulled Ashley over during a normal traffic stop in Delaware County, Ohio. Officers found 90 pills of oxycodone and 60 pills of oxymorphone in the car during their search. Ashley had her boyfriend and a cousin with her when police made this discovery.
The prescription pills they found led to serious drug trafficking charges against her. This opioid possession case started Ashley’s pattern of legal consequences that continued for years.
2015 Guilty Plea and Sentencing
Ashley said she was guilty to one count of drug trafficking in 2015. The judge gave her 90 days in jail plus four years of probation to complete. She only stayed in jail for three days before getting out on probation instead.
This drug possession conviction began a cycle that sadly repeated itself later. Even though she avoided long jail time, Ashley struggled to follow all the probation rules.
Assault Charges
April 2019 Arrest
Just weeks before her probation was supposed to end, Ashley got arrested again in April 2019. This time, police charged her with assault, adding more problems to her growing criminal record. She pleaded guilty to this charge too, hoping the court would go easy on her.
The judge sentenced Ashley to six months in jail and two more years of probation. She didn’t have to serve most of the jail time because it was suspended. Still, this assault conviction showed she kept struggling to stay out of trouble.
Drug Paraphernalia Charge (Dismissed)
That same year, Ashley also got charged with having drug paraphernalia on her. Luckily, the court threw out these dismissed charges later on. But the pattern of police problems kept following her around.
2021 Arrest During Olympics
The Timing: Weeks Before Tokyo Olympics
July 6, 2021, brought another arrest for Ashley at the worst possible time ever. Simone Biles’ sister Ashley got arrested just weeks before the Tokyo Olympics started happening. The Olympic timing created huge family stress as everyone watched Simone compete on TV.
This showed the massive gap between the sisters’ lives so clearly. One sister got ready for Olympic glory while the other faced possible jail time and serious legal battles.
Multiple Charges Filed
The 2021 arrest included many serious charges like probation violation and driving under the influence. Ashley also got charged for driving with a suspended license, leaving an accident scene, and running a stop sign.
These DUI charges and hit and run accusations showed deeper ongoing struggles. All these charges piling up suggested simple punishments wouldn’t fix Ashley’s real problems.
The June 4th Incident and Warrant
The actual incident happened on June 4, 2021, and an arrest warrant came out soon after. Ashley ended up spending about one year in jail following this arrest. The long jail time happened while Simone competed at the Olympics for the whole world to see.
The Biles family dealt with so much pressure during these months. They celebrated Simone’s Olympic dreams while worrying about Ashley locked up in jail.
Personal Life and Children
Ashley as a Mother
Despite her legal problems, Ashley loves being a mother to her kids. Her daughter Nacari was seven when Shanon Biles told the Daily Mail about Ashley’s motherhood in 2016. Today, Nacari is around 17 years old in 2026.
Ashley’s parenting journey has been really complicated by her legal troubles over the years. She keeps trying to put her children first even while facing her own big obstacles.
The Triplets
In May 2020, Ashley wrote a sad social media post about her triplets and their father. She honored the father of her children who had died before then. Her touching words said simply, “Missing you like crazy,” showing deep grief and loss.
This tragedy made Ashley’s already hard life even more difficult to handle. The deceased father of her children left her raising kids alone while dealing with heavy grief.
Life in Columbus, Ohio
Ashley still lives in Columbus, Ohio, the same city where she was born long ago. She keeps an extremely private life, sharing almost nothing about her job or daily routine. Her Facebook account shows some activity sometimes, but she guards details about work or money carefully.
Unlike her famous sister’s very public life, Ashley chooses to stay out of the spotlight completely. This low profile choice helps protect her children’s privacy and lets her focus on healing herself.
Keeping Life Private
Avoiding publicity seems very intentional for Ashley, especially given her sister’s worldwide fame. She lives as a regular private citizen despite being connected to Olympic greatness. Her few social media posts show only tiny glimpses without telling everything.
This need for privacy makes sense considering the attention that comes with being Simone Biles’ older sister. Ashley deserves space to work through her challenges without everyone watching and judging constantly.
Relationship with Simone Biles
A Complicated Sisterhood
The relationship between Ashley and Simone Biles has been complicated by years apart and totally different lives. They’ve been separated since Simone was only six years old back then. Living in different states with different families naturally created distance in their sister relationship.
Family dynamics in the Biles family stay complex and private from outsiders looking in. The estranged sisters haven’t been photographed together recently, showing they probably don’t see each other much.
Simone’s Public Silence About Ashley
Simone almost never mentions Ashley on her popular social media accounts with millions of followers. Unlike regular posts about sister Adria or old posts about brother Tevin, Ashley stays noticeably absent. This public silence suggests a distant relationship that both sisters seem to accept quietly.
The reasons for this distance stay private, as both sisters pick discretion over talking publicly. The lack of shared photos or mentions says a lot about their current connection today.
Ashley’s Support from Afar
In April 2021, Ashley posted on Facebook calling Simone “the real G.O.A.T.” (Greatest Of All Time). This proud sister moment showed that Ashley watches Simone’s career and celebrates her wins. The post revealed sister support even though they live far apart.
Ashley’s recognition of Simone’s greatness shows maturity and real pride in her sister. It also shows that Ashley doesn’t feel bitter about their different life outcomes or chances.
Family Struggles Acknowledged
After brother Tevin got cleared of murder charges in June 2021, Ashley posted honestly about family trauma. She wrote, “Maybe our family has been through a lot and maybe my sister did beat the odds.” This recognized Simone’s success at beating the odds while remembering their shared painful past.
The post showed Ashley understands how differently their lives turned out after childhood. It highlighted the family resilience that helped Simone succeed despite everything they went through together.
The Impact of a Difficult Childhood
Same Beginning, Different Outcomes
Both sisters lived through the same terrible beginning with their mother’s addiction and later foster care placement. They shared the fear, hunger, and worry that defined their early childhood years together. Yet their different paths after the 2003 adoption split created totally different adult lives.
This proves how environmental factors and support systems make massive differences in outcomes. Childhood trauma effects don’t hit everyone the same way, even siblings from identical difficult backgrounds.
Why Simone Thrived While Ashley Struggled
Simone’s Texas move gave her access to amazing gymnastics facilities and expert coaches nearby. Her grandparents in Spring, Texas, offered constant emotional and money support for training. Finding her incredible natural talent gave Simone clear purpose and a positive outlet for her energy.
The mix of opportunity, talent, and strong support system created perfect conditions for Simone’s success. Her grandparents made sure she had everything needed to pursue gymnastics at the highest levels.
Ashley’s Path in Ohio
Ashley got love from her adoptive aunt Harriet in Cleveland, which was real extended family care. But the support structure in Ohio was quite different from what Simone got in Texas. Ashley also didn’t find a special talent or passion that could give her life direction.
The geographic distance from her youngest siblings added more pain to Ashley’s challenges daily. Without Simone and Adria nearby, Ashley lost her daily connection with the sisters she’d protected during their worst times.
Understanding Childhood Trauma’s Long-Term Effects
Studies show childhood adversity creates lasting damage to brain development and how people cope with stress. PTSD and other trauma responses can show up years after the original bad events happen. Ashley’s struggles probably come partly from unresolved generational trauma passed down through her mother’s own untreated problems.
The long-term effects of early childhood neglect and chaos can’t be ignored or minimized. Without proper therapy and mental health support, these experiences often cause problems maintaining stability as adults.
Different Support Systems, Different Results
The importance of childhood stability becomes super clear when comparing the sisters’ outcomes today. Simone benefited from steady routines, school support, and access to opportunity through gymnastics programs. Her support system stayed stable and focused on her health and growth throughout her teenage years.
Ashley’s support system, while caring, apparently didn’t have the same resources and opportunity access available. The differences in environmental factors between Ohio and Texas played a huge role in their different life paths.
Where Is Ashley Now?
Life After the 2021-2022 Incarceration
In July 2022, Ashley posted on Facebook announcing she got out of jail finally. She felt relieved and happy about being home with her family again. This post marked a chance for Ashley Biles Thomas to start fresh after serving about one year locked up.
Rebuilding her life after incarceration brings ongoing challenges every single day. Ashley’s focus appears centered on her children and building stability for her family in 2026.
Current Life in Columbus
Ashley Biles Thomas still makes Columbus, Ohio, her current home here in 2026. She maintains her private lifestyle, sharing almost no information about jobs or daily activities publicly. Her present day life centers around motherhood and staying away from legal trouble now.
Unlike her sister’s constant media presence everywhere, Ashley’s current whereabouts and activities stay mostly unknown to regular people. This intentional privacy lets her focus on personal growth without outside pressure or judgment.
Staying Out of the Spotlight
Ashley’s choice to remain a private citizen appears very deliberate and firm today. She avoids publicity despite natural interest in Simone Biles’ older sister from curious fans. Her low profile approach shows she values normal life over attention or money from her family connection.
This choice deserves respect as Ashley handles motherhood and personal challenges away from cameras. Her occasional Facebook activity gives small glimpses without breaking her preferred privacy and personal boundaries.
Conclusion
Simone Biles’ sister Ashley walked a completely different path than her Olympic champion sibling over the years. While sharing the same traumatic childhood experiences initially, their lives split apart after the 2003 separation. Ashley’s journey through legal troubles, motherhood, and personal struggles shows how childhood trauma hits individuals differently. Despite the challenges, Ashley remains a mother, sister, and survivor who deserves compassion and understanding from everyone. Her story teaches us that family dynamics are complicated, and not everyone gets equal opportunities regardless of shared beginnings. Ashley Biles Thomas continues moving forward in Columbus, focusing on her children while keeping privacy away from her sister’s spotlight.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Ashley Biles Thomas?
Ashley Biles Thomas was born February 15, 1990, making her 36 years old in 2026, exactly seven years older than her famous sister.
Does Ashley have a relationship with Simone Biles?
The sisters have a distant relationship due to childhood separation. Ashley shows support on social media, but they rarely appear together publicly today.
How many children does Ashley Biles Thomas have?
Ashley is mother to multiple children including daughter Nacari, approximately 17 years old, and triplets mentioned in her social media posts previously.
What legal problems has Ashley faced?
Ashley faced drug trafficking charges in 2014, assault charges in 2019, and multiple charges including DUI in 2021, serving approximately one year incarcerated.
Where does Ashley Biles Thomas currently live?
Ashley currently resides in Columbus, Ohio, her birthplace, where she maintains an extremely private life focused on her children and personal wellbeing.
Simone Biles sister Ashley faced legal troubles and hardship. Discover Ashley Biles Thomas’s difficult journey separated from Olympic fame.
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