Deion Sanders and Tracey Edmonds Call Off Engagement: We ‘Have Made This Decision with Love in Our Hearts’

Deion Sanders and Tracey Edmonds have called off their engagement, the couple announced on Instagram Sunday night.

“TO EVERYONE who was by our side, supported us and showed us love… We decided together that it is best for us to continue in life AS FRIENDS and we made this decision with love in our hearts, respect for each other and gratitude for the time that we spent together,” Edmonds and Sanders wrote in a joint statement on her Instagram page.

“Please keep us in your prayers as we go through this transition. Thank you for being with us ALL THESE YEARS! We love you and appreciate you SO MUCH!” she concluded, adding praying hands and a red heart emoticon.

Sanders responded in the comments section, adding: “I love you Tracey and you have been such a blessing to me. I cherish the moments we shared and the laughs. You are an amazing wife and a great mother. God bless you in all your endeavors and every step of the way. You are HER. Tracey-Mack !!!”

Sanders and Edmonds, both 56, met at a 2012 movie premiere party for a film Edmonds produced. They only spoke briefly during their first meeting, but Sanders was so taken with the producer that he asked a friend to get him her business card that night.

A few months later, the football coach contacted Edmond to set up a meeting to discuss his vision for a reality series. “I started to think that I would just produce [Deion’s Family Playbook]Edmonds explained, “But when I started working with Deion on the show, we became quite fond of each other and ended up dating.”

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The couple kept their distance throughout their relationship. During a joint interview with PEOPLE, Sanders, who has been married twice, said he and Edmonds “are at an age and a stage where I don’t think either of us needs a lot.”

The retired athlete said he and Edmonds don’t call or text regularly during the day to give each other space to build their careers.

“Tracey is a good person; she is it. I get up early and she knows I work out and I’m ready for it,” Sanders added. “It’s a blessing, but we understand each other because we’re busy ourselves.”

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The Colorado coach said he loves “what we both contribute to society and to this world” while being apart of each other. “It’s not just a separation because you want to be apart, it’s a separation because you’re active and you’re really impacting lives.”

Edmonds, who started her own production company called Edmonds Entertainment Group, where she currently serves as executive director, also chimed in, noting that “we don’t have a regular schedule” and “do our best to see each other as much as we possibly can.” ”

Tracey Edmonds and Deion Sanders attend the inaugural 2023 GQ Sports Style Hall of Fame event.

Emma McIntyre/Getty

In 2019, Edmonds announced their engagement in an Instagram post on Valentine’s Day. “Happy Valentine’s Day Fam! Sending LOVE to MY LOVE/MY FIANCE @deionsanders! ❤️💍,” she captioned a shot of her and Sanders smiling. “God is SO GOOD! It’s been 8 years, we’ve weathered the storms TOGETHER and we’re going to spend the rest of our lives TOGETHER!”

Edmonds ended the post with some relationship advice: “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 this, you will be able to weather ANY storm! Spread LOVE and JOY on this day! ❤️”.

Edmonds has two sons, Brandon and Dylan, with musician Babyface. She also set certain boundaries to “keep them away from the Hollywood madness.”

“As a single mother, I always felt that it was very important to have honest and daily conversations about life with both of my sons. There were only three of us in my household, so they grew up very close to me in every aspect of their lives,” she told Tinseltown Mom digital edition.

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Sanders had two children with his first wife Carolyn Chambers: daughter Deiondra (31) and son Deion Jr. (29). He also had three children with his second wife Pilar Biggers-Sanders: sons Shila (23) and Shedeur, 21, and daughter Shelomi, 18.

Deion Sanders and son Shedeur Sanders attend a Jackson State football game.

Justin Ford/Getty

As a father, Sanders was able to combine his love of children with his love of sports. Both of his daughters were talented basketball athletes and all three of his sons played football, and Sanders coached Shiloh and Shedeur at Jackson State — and now at the University of Colorado.

“Whenever we step on the grass, practice, game, it doesn’t even matter, he’s a completely different person, and I’m a completely different person,” Shedeur told PEOPLE about balancing father and son and player and coach. relationship with Sanders. “So, after the game, whenever we leave the field, outside the white lines, then it’s dad and that. But when we enter the field, it’s straight to the coach.”

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Source: HIS Education