Introduction
Retired NFL quarterback Russell Wilson had given up on love when he met Ciara, the R&B singer.
Ciara and Russell Wilson and their kids. Getty.
Russell recently revealed in a podcast appearance that he’d just committed to staying single for the next decade following the end of his first marriage. Then the crooner came along, and they have been together ever since. The couple tied the knot in 105 and 2026 marks their 11th anniversary.
Russell is now 37 years old and recently announced his retirement from professional football. He has had a 14-year run with the New York Giants.
He explained to Baby, This is Keke Palmer that after the divorce, he swore to invest 100 % of his time in his career and personal growth.
Parting Ways with Ashton Meem
Russell and Ashton were high school sweethearts who got married in 2012, but the marriage lasted only 2 years. They parted ways in 2014.
Russell has revealed that there was a lot going on at the moment, including the fact that his career had just started peaking. He needed to recalibrate his personal life, hence his initial decision to abstain from relationships.
“I’m 24 years old,” Wilson stated. “Just won the Super Bowl. I’m going to be single for about 10 years.”
He reveals that he planned to spend the next ten years networking and forging friendships before carefully selecting a “long-term partner.”
But everything changed almost suddenly. 18 months after the divorce, the player met the level-up singer and fell in love again.
The Five Non-Negotiable Criteria
Before meeting Ciara, Russell had sought his pastor’s guidance on how best to forge a lasting relationship.
He’d then drafted a 5-point constitution of what it takes to have a successful relationship – five non-negotiable qualities he wanted in a spouse.
In summary the ideal spouses need to (1) be religious (2) have absolute fidelity and commitment to professional and personal goals (3) maintain professional autonomy away from his athletic career (4) have a character that mirrored that of his mother, Tammy Wilson (he reveals that this was a deathbed directive from his late father) and finally (5) have an impactful physical and social presence.
Russell reportedly prayed over this document. Three days later, he was introduced to Ciara. The two started dating after Ciara formally ended her engagement with rapper Future. That was approximately 7 months after the birth of their son. Russell and Ciara married in 2016, and they now share 4 children, including Ciara’s eldest son, Future Jr. Ciara is rumored to be expecting a 5th child.
Russell concluded his football career earlier in June. His long career included a championship run with the Seattle Seahawks.
In his retirement speech, he appreciated Ciara for being with him throughout his professional ups and downs. Ciara responded in kind, characterizing their marriage as a shared journey.
The couple credited their longevity to a mutual support system that helps them survive and thrive despite professional and personal pressures.
In a Nutshell
Ciara and Future still co-parent, but their relationship is mostly handled through lawyers following the bitter legal feud of their 2014 separation.