Paris is only a seven-hour flight from New York, making the Olympics an easy jaunt for U.S. celebrities. Perhaps that's why we saw luminaries including Ariana Grande, Jessica Chastain, and Snoop Dogg in the stands of Bercy Arena Saturday. Then again, the draw of seven-time medalist Simone Biles, who is going for even more Olympic gymnastics gold, might justify a flight of any length.
Even the typically poker-faced Associated Press was in awe of the star power on display at the first day of women's gymnastics competition, writing “When Biles competes, the show is in the stands too.” That show included Ariana Grande seated next to her Wicked co-star, Cynthia Ervio. both of whom watched Biles push through an injured calf to rack up an all-around score of 59.566, the highest thus far in the competition.
Apparent Olympics (or all live events ever?) standby Tom Cruise was also in the stadium Saturday, seated with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. “It’s awesome. Great stories, great athletes," the Mission Impossible star told Reuters from the event. “It’s incredible what they have to do, the sense of accomplishment.”
Elsewhere in the arena, you'd find actor Jessica Chastain in one row, and director Baz Luhrmann and Conde Nast chief content officer Anna Wintour in the next.
Lady Gaga was also there, fresh off her Opening Ceremonies performance. Another celebrity featured in the Games' opener, Olympic torch bearer Snoop Dogg, also watched as Biles took the floor. “She nailed it,” Gaga posted to Instagram after Biles's time on the beam. “What an honor to be so close.”
Look in another corner, and you'll find Joe Jonas chatting it up with John Legend and wife Chrissy Teigen. "This was on our bucket list. We wanted to make sure we came to this event," Legend told Reuters of the Olympic gymnastics competition. “They represent the best of America and we are so proud and excited for them.”
At another point in the competition, Barbie director Greta Gerwig took a seat just down from Cruise and Zaslav, watching as Biles and the rest of the US team worked toward what we now know to be a confirmed spot in the finals.
And so far, things also look good for the 27-year-old Biles, who famously pulled out of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics after a loss of air awareness. The most decorated gymnast in history, she's expected to compete in the team events as well as the all-around final, vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise.
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