Russell Wilson really thought he had the blueprint. After splitting from his first wife in 2014, the NFL star had mapped out a decade-long solo journey. Ten whole years of bachelor freedom. No strings, no drama, just vibes. But the universe, and more specifically, Ciara had other plans. And when love hits like that? Plans go out the window fast.
The now-New York Giants quarterback hopped on Carmelo Anthony’s “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast and got real about his life post-divorce and how his timeline for staying single crashed and burned in record time.
“I was young, this and that and everything else,” Russ said. “All of a sudden I’m single. I’m like, ‘Here we go. Alright, I’m single.’ I had a whole plan. I was going to be single for, like, 10 years.”
By 2015—just a year into what was to be a decade-long bachelor phase—Wilson met Ciara at a University of Wisconsin basketball game and immediately knew he was in trouble (the good kind). The prayer warrior in him had been talking to God just days before, asking for clarity. And apparently God said, “Say less.”
“Three days before I met [Ciara] I remember being at church with my pastor, Judah,” Wilson shared. “He said something in a sermon. He said ‘non-negotiables.’”
That word hit different. After the sermon, Russell and his pastor sat down and got to work like they were drafting a championship team. The goal? Build a list of non-negotiables for his future partner. We’re talking “believer,” “faithful,” “loves me like my mom loved my dad.”
They prayed over it, sealed it, and just like that, BOOM…Ciara showed up three days later like a divine DoorDash delivery from heaven. Whew. You know it’s real when a man folds his whole ten-year solo act like an old napkin just because you walked in the room.
They officially tied the knot in July 2016, and nearly a decade later, they’ve got a whole squad of beautiful babies: daughters Sienna, 8, and Amora, 17 months, and son Winn, 4. Ciara also shares 11-year-old Future Zahir with her ex, rapper Future.
And listen—Russell isn’t just playing house. He’s out here thriving in his favorite role: dad.
“Having children, man, it’s been so cool,” he said. “It really shows you what love is, to be able to love kids and do that.”
Now that’s a man who understood the assignment. And let’s be real, when your wife is Ciara—glowing, gifted, graceful—you get why Russell had to switch the whole playbook.
So to everyone out here claiming you need “time” and “space” to find yourself after a breakup: if God slides a Ciara into your life, you better know what time it is.
And Russ? He knew.
Moral of the story: when you know, you KNOW—and sometimes your “ten-year plan” is really just three days away from meeting your forever.
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