Tom Cruise, Ariana Grande, and a star-studded squad of celebrities showed up to cheer on Simone Biles’ Olympic comeback.
Celebrities including Grande, Cruise, director Baz Luhrmann, John Legend, and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour gathered at Bercy Arena in Paris on Sunday to celebrate Biles’ triumphant return to the Olympic stage.
Biles returned for her third Olympic Games after stepping back from the Tokyo Games in 2021 to prioritize her mental health. Actors, singers, and social media personalities alike rose to their feet in applause as Biles, a four-time gold medalist, made her entrance into the arena.
Tom Cruise was spotted getting mobbed by adoring fans before he took his seat for the competition.
Cruise was seated with David Zaslav, the CEO and President of Warner Bros. Discovery. “Great stories, great athletes. It’s incredible what they have to do, the sense of accomplishment,” Cruise later told Reuters about the “awesome” showing from the athletes.
Grande and Cynthia Erivo seemed to embody the essence of their characters from the highly anticipated film Wicked. During the broadcast of Biles’ return, the actresses also narrated her inspiring journey back to the Olympic stage.
Celebrities Come Out In Full Force to Support Simone Biles’ Olympic Comeback.
Other celebrities seen at the event included Snoop Dogg, Jessica Chastain, and Nick Jonas. A jovial Chastain was spotted with her two daughters. The Take Shelter star sported a patriotic sweater in support of Team USA.
Meanwhile, veteran rapper and media personality Snoop Dogg proudly sported a Simone Biles t-shirt at the event.
If you feel like the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” rapper has been everywhere during this Olympics, you’re not mistaken. Snoop was an Olympic torchbearer, proudly carrying the flame through the streets of Saint-Denis on Friday, just before the opening ceremony. Additionally, he also took on the role of special correspondent for NBC’s coverage of the event.
John Legend and his wife, Chrissy Teigen, were also spotted in attendance. “This was on our bucket list. We wanted to make sure we came to this event,” Legend told Reuters.
Meanwhile, all of the fanfare paid off. The 27-year-old Biles marked her triumphant return by setting a remarkable standard in the all-around competition, finishing at the top of the qualifying standings with an impressive score of 59.566 as she pursues more dazzling gold medals. On Sunday, she propelled the frontrunners for the team title to lead the qualifying rankings. The top eight qualifiers will compete in Tuesday’s final.