The 2024 Paris Olympics have given us a ton of new trending stories, from the internet obsessing over the Clark Kent of the men's gymnastics team, Stephen Nedoroscik, to the French pole vaulter, Anthony Ammirati, whose competition was interrupted by an anatomic disruption. But I think it's fair to say that when it's all said and done, there's only going to be one person we're going to be talking about after this year's Olympics: Simone Biles.
In what could be her last competitive appearance at an Olympics, Biles finished second in the women's floor exercise final. While it would have been better for her to win gold, she still is leaving the Olympics as the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history.
"At the end of the day, whoever medaled, medaled, and that's what's so exciting, because you just never know with gymnastics," People magazine reported Biles saying at a press conference. "I'm not very upset or anything about my performance at the Olympics. I'm actually very happy, proud and even more excited that it's over, the stress of it."
She said she was "very proud" of herself, and she should be, she literally is the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time). What makes Biles so great is how self-aware she is. She knows exactly who she is and isn't afraid to own it. To me, she's the perfect example of what an Olympian should be: a role model for so many people to stand in your greatness and be proud of yourself. She's also not afraid to speak her mind, even when it comes to politics.
On Friday, she sneakily posted to X, formerly Twitter, a reference to former President Donald Trump talking about "Black jobs." In the post, Biles replied to a user tweeting about Biles being the G.O.A.T. with, "I love my black job." Naturally, the tweet went viral. What makes this so great is that she didn't need to elaborate (despite everyone begging her to), she didn't issue an official comment about it. She didn't do anything. She said what she said.
Despite Biles clearly being the star of the 2024 Paris Olympics, another star is reportedly coming to steal the show. There's a rumor that actor Tom Cruise is planning a massive stunt to end this year's Olympics, which will see the actor parachute onto the Hollywood sign as a nod to the 2028 Olympics being held in Los Angeles. While I don't think this could overshadow Biles, if it happens, it'll be a great end to this year's Olympics.
Here's what else is poppin' in the world of pop culture...
Actor Zac Efron was hospitalized Friday after a swimming incident in Ibiza. TMZ reported that he's been released from the hospital and is doing fine. The actor posted to his Instagram stories that he's "happy and healthy."
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's son, Pax, has been released from the ICU after a "complex trauma," a source exclusively told People magazine. The source said now Pax "begins the long road of recovery and physical therapy." The 20-year-old was involved in an e-bike accident on July 29.
Akili McDowell, the 21-year-old actor best known for his work on Billions, has been arrested in connection to a fatal shooting in Texas. Authorities say the shooting of Cesar Peralta took place on July 20 in Houston and that the suspect(s) fled the scene, leaving Peralta dead at the scene.
That's it for me today. Keep scrolling for more in entertainment. I'll see you Wednesday.
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