Simone Biles Addresses Hair Critics in Partnership with K18 (Exclusive)

Simone Biles has landed a new hair partnership.

The elite athlete was recently named the new brand ambassador for hair care brand K18, kicking off her stint as the face of the Inside Out campaign (which will be featured in all Sephora stores and Sephora at Kohls through September 4). For her campaign looks, the Olympian was styled by her personal hair expert Jasmine “Jazz” Johnson, who also serves as an ambassador for the brand.

For Biles, the appointment is another step on her journey to accepting her hair – and letting go of the hatred of the outside world.

“When I was younger, I wore braids, beads, berets and all that stuff,” Biles recalls.

The star was mostly unimpressed with her hair and the looks her mother created. “There were a few hairstyles that I didn’t want her to do when I got a little older. Like, ‘Mom, please don’t do the three (buns) that look like a dinosaur,'” she recalls.

At some point, however, she felt unmanageable with her thick, coarse hair and needed a simple solution.

At the time, Biles recalls, she felt she didn’t like her hair very much and compared it to others’, including her sister’s. “She had fine, thin hair, so it took a lot less time to straighten it. So I thought, ‘Why can’t I have hair like my sister?'” Biles says.

“So I started straightening it because all the girls’ hair looks like that and I wanted to look like all the other girls. Everyone goes through that phase where if it’s not straightened, it’s not right.”

At some point, Biles decided to stop straightening her hair and wear it natural again. Her secret to success was to love her hair first and foremost and take care of it properly with the right products.

That’s where K18 comes in. “There are so many different hair types and textures that you can use these products on, whether you have natural hair or wear it braided or weaved,” she explains.

Her favorite is K18’s Molecular Hair Repair Oil, which she says is the secret to a shiny, smooth look. (The oil also strengthens hair from the inside out, thanks to the brand’s patented peptide technology.)

Wearing the protective hairstyles mentioned above has allowed Biles to experiment more with colors and looks, which in turn has led to her strengthening her hair and her relationship with it.

“I’ve been natural for so many years now and I don’t care what people say,” Biles explains.

Not only does she not care what people say, she also doesn’t hold back when it comes to quelling negative comments about her appearance.

During the Paris Olympics, Biles posted an Instagram story documenting a 45-minute bus ride without air conditioning, captioning the photo, “Next time you want to comment on a black girl’s hair, just don’t.”

She tells PEOPLE that when she posted the photo, she knew some people would focus on her edges — hence the comment.

“We were sitting on the bus, it was 36 degrees and we were sweating like crazy and I had just straightened the edges of my hair and I just thought, ‘Oh God, I know they want to start with my hair, so I’m going to get this straight.'”

Biles asks: “Who cares what my hair looks like?”

If it wasn’t already clear: What matters is how she performs in the competition.

“I feel like everyone has different hair textures, not just how they like to wear their hair. Whenever I compete, I know my hair is crazy. My gym clothes are clean, my hair is messy.”

She continues: “(Even though) my hair is all messed up, I still perform because that’s not what I’m worried about when I’m on a world stage. And if you don’t like it, you don’t like it.”

Biles notes that it is often other black people who make comments about her hair, which she finds particularly disheartening.

“We know how hard and how annoying and irritating it is, so why would you go and comment on another girl? I don’t understand it, but it doesn’t bother me like it used to because I know that if I have to present myself properly, I will always look good.”

Biles has another message for critics of her hairstyles: “We don’t have to look like everyone else.”

With her now viral post, Biles also wanted to reassure other natural girls that it’s “okay if your hair is a little messy or tangled.”

But when Biles wants to, as she puts it, “stand out and look good,” she turns to Johnson to work her magic.

The two were introduced to each other by Biles’ sister in 2020. Johnson tells PEOPLE that the decorated gymnast booked a date on her website – just like everyone else. When her fiancé saw the confirmation, he said, “We need to get some curtains.”

What was planned as a 90-minute block ended up being four hours of laughter, tears and more. Biles spontaneously asked Johnson to style her for a shoot the next day. They have been working together ever since.

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The two have a close bond built on honesty. Johnson is always honest when it comes to Biles’ hair, which is why when the two started using K18, the difference was noticeable, Johnson says. “Her hair is stronger than it’s ever been.”

Johnson says consistency is key, so the self-proclaimed “drill sergeant” constantly checks in with Biles when they’re not together. She also has Biles do K18’s mask to her hair between appointments.

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Johnson admires the “hard turnaround” Biles has made in recent years in terms of her appearance, explaining, “She’s found herself, she’s more confident now.”

The hair professional does everything she can to make her customer and friend look good and feel good. “Oh my God, I’m the biggest cheerleader,” she says.

“It didn’t matter what she looked like,” says Johnson. “You could see from her face that she was comfortable.”