Coach Deion Sanders and producer Tracey Edmonds decided to call it quits “with love in [their]hearts.”
This weekend, Deion Sanders and Tracey Edmonds announced the end of their four-year engagement and 11-year relationship. Edmonds shared the couple’s joint statement in a post on her Instagram.
Tracey Edmonds (left) and Deion Sanders say they are no longer a couple and are moving forward as friends. Above, the two were together in February at the 12th annual NFL Honors at Symphony Hall in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“To EVERYONE who has been there for us, supported us, and shown us love…We have mutually decided that it is best for us to move forward in life AS FRIENDS and have made this decision with love in our hearts, respect for each other, and appreciation for the time we’ve shared together,” they wrote. “Please keep us in your prayers as we go through this transition. Thank you for being there for us ALL THESE YEARS! We love you and appreciate you SO MUCH! “
Signing the statement “Tracey and Deion,” the athlete echoed that love remains between the two by singing Edmonds’ praises in the comment.
“Love u Tracey and You’ve been a true blessing to me. I appreciate the times we’ve shared and [the]laughs we’ve had,” Sanders wrote under the post. “You are an amazing woman and a tremendous mother. God bless u with every endeavor and every step u take. You are HER. Tracey-Mack !!!”
The couple’s love story began in 2012 when they met at a movie premiere. Initially connecting with the intentions of Edmonds producing a reality television show for Sanders, the athlete and producer “grew quite fond of each other and ended up dating,” according to People magazine. However, the two were in a long-distance relationship as a result of their busy lives.
“[We are] at the age [56] and stage where I don’t think neither of us needs a lot,” Sanders once told People. “It’s a blessing, but we understand each other because we’re busy in our own right.”
While the couple navigated giving each other space and grace to work, that did not stop them from experiencing the romance together. According to Edmonds, who had a weekslong marriage to Eddie Murphy in 2008 and shares two children with previous husband Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, the couple did their “very best to see each other as much as [they]possibly” could despite their unpredictable schedules at the time.
Then, after several years together, Edmonds announced their engagement in a 2019 Instagram post celebrating Valentine’s Day.
“Happy Valentine’s Day Fam! Sending LOVE to MY LOVE/MY FIANCÉ @deionsanders! ❤️💍,” she wrote in the caption. “God is SO GOOD! We’re 8 years in, made it through the storms TOGETHER, and will be spending the rest of our lives TOGETHER!”
Despite their recent separation, the advice Sanders penned in the comments of her post still stands:
“To all the couples out there… stay REAL with each other, LISTEN to each other, and MOST of all.. keep LOVE and GOD in your heart. When you do, you can make it through ANY storm!”
Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrio’s newsletter.
