Olympic Gymnast Suni Lee Keeps Love Life Under Wraps Following Racial Backlash

When you're a bonafide superstar in your sport, fitting in time for dating between all those victories might seem impossible, right? Think again! In fact, Team USA gymnastics legends like Simone Biles and Suni Lee have proven that even the busiest champs can find love!

We all know five-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is happily married to football player Jonathan Owens — but what about Suni Lee? Who is she dating?

Keep reading to find out!

According to her Team USA bio, Suni Lee is in a relationship with Jaylin Smith, a football player for the USC Trojans. Jaylin, who hails from Palmdale, Calif., is a cornerback for USC and is majoring in communications.

Before hitting the college scene, Jaylin made a splash in the 2018 Netflix docuseries Coach Snoop, which followed iconic rapper Snoop Dogg as he coached his youth football team, Snoop's Steelers, in the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL).

During the show, Jaylin opened up about his mother, who tragically passed away in a hit-and-run when he was young.

"Every time I scored, I'd hear her screaming on the sideline," Jaylin shared with producers, per Life & Style. "So you know, I miss her being on the sideline with me. I cry sometimes, but I don't like to show my emotions on anything. I'm a strong guy. Imma grieve on the field. I'm gonna make sure you feel it because you on a different team from me."

Suni made her relationship with Jaylin social media official in December 2021, sharing a series of photos with the football star on Instagram. However, the post was later deleted after facing backlash.

According to People, the negative response was primarily due to the interracial aspect of their relationship. It even led to plenty of "negative comments" from Suni's "own Hmong-American community."

On Dec. 30, 2021, a fan defended Suni on TikTok. In a video of him giving a thumbs-up to a photo of Suni and Jaylin, TikToker Alix (@alixvangphom) wrote in the caption, "I know that Sunisa will be judged by certain eyes in the Hmong Community because her man is Black. LOVE is LOVE, no matter what race or gender you are. Keep doing you, QUEEN."

Although comments have since been turned off, Us Weekly reported that Suni responded in the comment section: "This makes me so happy. I've received so much hate," she wrote, claiming that many people only support her "when it's beneficial for them, never when it comes to my happiness."

These days, Suni and Jaylin have been keeping their relationship off social media, which has sparked speculation about whether they're still together. As of now, Jaylin's Instagram is overflowing with football snapshots, while Suni’s feed is all about her Olympic career.