Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo attend the women’s gymnastics qualification at Bercy Arena. (Reuters: James Lang-USA Today Sports )
Ariana Grande, Tom Cruise, Baz Luhrmann, Cynthia Erivo and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour were among the crowd of celebrities packed into Bercy Arena in Paris on Sunday to witness the return of Simone Biles to the Olympic stage.
Biles is back for her third Olympic Games after withdrawing from the Tokyo Games in 2021 due to mental health issues.
Ariana Grande greets Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Australian director Baz Luhrmann at the gymnastic qualifications. (Reuters: Mike Blkake )
Actors, singers, social media personalities and NFL players, cheered on their feet as the four-time gold medallist entered the arena.
Tom Cruise takes a selfie with a fan at Bercy Arena. (Reuters: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports)
Tom Cruise told Reuters it was “awesome”.
“Great stories, great athletes. It’s incredible what they have to do, the sense of accomplishment,” he said.
He was sat with David Zaslav, the CEO and president of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Grande and Erivo appeared to be channelling the aesthetics of their characters in the upcoming film Wicked, a promotional hype-building tactic we’ve seen in the past from the likes of Margot Robbie and Zendaya.
Other celebrities spotted were Snoop Dogg, Jessica Chastain and Nick Jonas.
Jessica Chastain attends women’s qualification with her daughter. (Reuters: Mike Blake)
If you think you’ve seen Snoop Dogg everywhere during this Olympics, it’s probably because you have.
Snoop Dogg watched on as Simone Biles made her Paris debut on Sunday. (Reuters: Amanda Perobelli)
The rapper was also an Olympic torch bearer, carrying the flame through streets of Saint-Denis on Friday ahead of the opening ceremony.
He was also a special correspondent for NBC’s coverage of the ceremony.
Singer John Legend and his model wife Chrissy Teigen took their children to see the qualifications.
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen cheer for Team USA with their two eldest children. (Reuters: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports)
“This was on our bucket list, we wanted to make sure we came to this event. We’re very excited,” he told Reuters.
Singer Nick Jonas watches the women’s gymnastics qualifications. (Reuters: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports)
It’s not just the gymnastic events that attracted celebrity spectators.
YouTuber Emma Chamberlain suports Team USA in the women’s qualification event. (Reuters: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Fresh off the opening ceremony stage, Lady Gaga was seen wearing Team USA colours in the stands at the swimming.
She cheered as swimmer Nic Fink was awarded silver for the 100m breaststroke event.
Lady Gaga at Paris La Defense Arene on Sunday.
US Women’s water polo team sponsor, rapper Flavor Flav, caught their game against Greece and was seen cheering with First Lady Jill Biden after the team’s 15-6 victory.
Hall of Fame rapper Flavor Flav is throwing his support behind the United States women’s water polo team.
The unlikely partnership between the rapper and the team was formed when captain Maggie Steffens put out a call for financial support in May.
The 65-year-old founding member of American rap group Public Enemy went viral when he trained with the squad in the pool.
He arrived on Friday wearing a USA water polo cap and jersey.
Team USA wasn’t the only country with a celebrity cheer squad.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban were spotted by fans in the crowd for the skateboarding finals, witnessing 14-year-old Chloe Covell’s dashed attempt at Australia’s youngest Olympic champion.
Photos posted on social media showed them cheering from the grandstands among skating fans.
With many more events to come and the finals for Simone Biles, there’s no doubt more familiar faces will be spotted in the crowds.
