Derek Jeter spent much of his life in the spotlight after signing with the New York Yankees in 1995 at the age of 20. The baseball legend, who played for the team for over two decades, is beloved by fans, even after his retirement in 2014. However, he counts his wife — Hannah Davis Jeter — as his biggest supporter.
Hannah grew up in St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, though she later moved to New York City. Still, she wasn’t familiar with Derek prior to their meeting in 2012. The swimsuit model was introduced to her now-husband through a friend shortly after the athlete ended his four-year relationship with Minka Kelly.
The couple started quietly dating and eventually got engaged in November 2015. They tied the knot in July 2016 and have since welcomed four children.
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Here’s a complete look at Derek Jeter and Hannah Davis Jeter’s relationship timeline.
2012: Derek and Hannah meet through mutual friends
In 2012, Hannah was at a restaurant in N.Y.C. with her mother when she ran into Derek and his friends. The pair happened to have a mutual friend in the group who introduced them. As the model later revealed, Hannah wasn’t familiar with Derek or his prestigious career with the Yankees.
“I thought he was a pitcher. I know it sounds strange that I didn’t know he was a shortstop,” she wrote in a blog post for The Players’ Tribune, which was founded by Derek. “I can just imagine all of the New Yorkers reading this right now thinking, ‘Oh, come aawwnn.’ They probably don’t believe me. You probably don’t believe me. But it’s true.”
The meeting was fortuitous for a number of reasons. Not only was it the off-season, meaning Derek was free to wine and dine Hannah, but she had no preconceived notions about who he was, since she knew virtually nothing about him.
“I didn’t need much more to go on than this: I had met the nicest guy and I wanted to get to know him on my own terms. Not Google’s,” she wrote.
Hannah added, “We met at the right time. To me, what matters in a relationship is being at the same place in your lives. And right from the start, I could tell that the timing of Derek’s life and mine were aligned.”
August 2012: Derek and Hannah are spotted together publicly for the first time
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Derek and the rest of the Yankees roster headed down to Florida for spring training in 2012, as they did every year. In August, the New Jersey native and Hannah were spotted together publicly for the first time, as Page Six reported at the time.
November 2014: Fans think that Derek is in Las Vegas for his bachelor party
Roughly two years into the couple’s romance, rumors began swirling that their relationship was getting serious. Derek jetted off to Las Vegas in November 2014 for a book signing, but brought a group of 12 friends with him. Fans suspected the trip may have also been a bachelor party.
As PEOPLE reported at the time, Derek was seen dining at the Bellagio’s FIX restaurant.
A year before the trip, Hannah, a Sports Illustrated model, had been seen wearing what appeared to be an engagement ring. Engagement and wedding speculation intensified after the Major League Baseball star retired in September 2014.
November 2015: Derek confirms he’s engaged to Hannah
Derek casually confirmed his engagement to Hannah in a blog post on The Player’s Tribune about his dog, Kane. The article was intended to introduce the pup to fans, but the athlete revealed that Kane was a gift from Hannah, whom he referred to as his “fiancée.”
“I had no idea what I was in for as a new dog owner,” Derek wrote. “He was a Christmas gift last year from my fiancée, whose family had Mastiffs growing up. I’ve never owned a pet in my life.”
May 2015: Derek and Hannah attend the Met Gala together
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In May 2015, Derek and Hannah attended the Met Gala together for the first time. The model wore a red gown, which featured cutouts on her torso. Derek wore a sharp black tuxedo. Despite Derek’s engagement confirmation, the model did not sport an engagement ring at the event.
November 2, 2015: Hannah is seen wearing her engagement ring for the first time
In November 2015, Hannah was spotted rocking her ring for the first time. Page Six obtained photos showing the swimsuit model strolling through Manhattan with her mother while wearing a massive round diamond ring.
November 4, 2015: Hannah shows off her engagement ring at the CMA Awards
Fans got their first real glimpse at Hannah’s engagement ring a few days later. She and Derek attended the CMA Awards together, and all eyes were on Hannah’s new sparkler as they made their way down the red carpet.
July 9, 2016: Derek and Hannah tie the knot
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In July 2016, Derek and Hannah exchanged vows at Meadowood Napa Valley resort in St. Helena, California, as reported by PEOPLE. Hannah wore a custom dress designed by Vera Wang: a mermaid-style gown with a sweetheart neckline, tulle halter high neck and plunging back. The dress was covered in several layers of tulle, as well as hand-appliquéd Chantilly lace.
Less than 100 guests attended the nuptials. Derek invited longtime friends and fellow athletes Jorge Posada, Andruw Jones and Tino Martinez to the special day.
After the wedding, Hannah changed her name on Instagram to @hannahbjeter.
August 2016: Hannah shows off her wedding and engagement rings after marrying Derek
Weeks after her wedding, Hannah showed off her marital bling for the first time. The model was spotted at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, for the 2016 Sports Illustrated Summer of Swim Fan Festival and Concert. She took a time out to sign autographs for fans and was seen with her wedding ring on her ring finger.
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The ring appeared to be a simple band made of mid-sized diamonds. It mimicked the setting of her engagement ring, but was made of slightly larger stones.
February 13, 2017: Derek and Hannah announce they’re expecting a baby girl
In February 2017, Derek and Hannah announced they were expecting their first baby together. They shared the news via The Players’ Tribune, with a post that included photos of Derek holding several pink balloons, confirming they were expecting a girl.
Hannah noted in the post that Derek had a name picked out, but said she hadn’t settled on it yet.
“Whatever her name is, I know she’ll run circles around him,” she wrote.
In the same blog post, she wrote about her hopes for her children’s lives. Hannah said both she and Derek want their children to grow up “as ‘normal’ as possible.”
“They’re going to be born into such an extraordinary situation. They’re going to have to be some strong little people,” she wrote. “We don’t want them to be defined by their dad’s name — for them, we want him to just be ‘Dad.’ That will be the piece of him they’ll have that the rest of the world doesn’t. It will be special, and it will be theirs.”
February 2017: Hannah opens up about her excitement over her and Derek’s first child
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Hannah spoke to PEOPLE about welcoming her first child a few months before the baby girl’s arrival.
“[Derek and I] both have two nephews right now [whom] we absolutely adore and we spend a lot of time with, so I’m really excited to buy all the girly fun stuff because we’ve been buying boy things for years,” she said. “And there’s not that much cute boy clothes, like you really have to look for them.”
“I’m not really a girly girl, but I’m gonna get there,” she added. “I want an Easy-Bake Oven, I want the dollhouse. Barbie car.”
August 17, 2017: Derek and Hannah welcome their first child
Hannah and Derek confirmed the arrival of their first daughter in a tweet from The Players’ Tribune in August 2017.
“Congratulations Derek and @hannahbjeter on the birth of your baby girl, Bella Raine Jeter, born Thursday, Aug. 17,” the announcement read.
The New York Yankees also congratulated the couple, tweeting, “Congrats to Derek & Hannah Jeter on the birth of their daughter, Bella Raine Jeter. We can’t wait to meet her!”
October 2017: Derek and Hannah enjoy a romantic date night
Months after the arrival of their first child, Derek and Hannah were seen out on a date night in Florida when they visited Komodo restaurant. They kept it casual, with Derek wearing a blue suit and Hannah opting for jeans and a white blouse. The couple walked hand in hand before sitting down for dinner.
The date came shortly after Derek’s first press conference alongside fellow Miami Marlins co-owner Bruce Sherman, where he announced he was now a minority owner for the team. He also published a blog post on The Players’ Tribune about the new venture.
“Today is the first day of a new era for Marlins baseball,” he wrote.
September 2018: Derek and Hannah tease baby number two
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In September 2018, more than a year after their first child’s birth, Derek and Hannah were seen out together in N.Y.C. Hannah appeared to be sporting a baby bump, hidden beneath a black dress. One day prior, Derek opened up to Extra about dad life, saying that it had been “awesome.”
“Regardless of what happens in the course of a day, when you get home and you have your daughter there, it puts a smile on your face, so I have no complaints whatsoever,” he told the outlet.
When asked if the couple planned on having more children, Derek played it coy with his response.
“Yeah, there’s a few more … you’re slick! I see that!” he said.
November 2018: Derek praises Hannah for having “a great deal of patience”
Derek opened up to PEOPLE about his work-life balance in November 2018 while celebrating his cover story in Ocean Drive Magazine. He credited his wife with helping hold it all together, saying she “deserves a lot of credit.”
“She has been an unbelievable mother, she has a great deal of patience — not only with my daughter, but with me,” he said.
Hannah also attended the event at Bar Bevy celebrating her husband. She dressed up for the occasion, covering her burgeoning baby bump in a black lace, off-the-shoulder gown that hugged her curves.
Derek also touched on the milestones in his daughter’s life while speaking with PEOPLE, noting how excited he was for each new phase.
“Every day is something new,” he said. “When the baby is born, you can’t wait for her to crawl, then you can’t wait for her to walk. Then when she starts walking, she starts running, and when she starts running, you wish she wasn’t walking, running or crawling — you wish she’d stay still.”
He added, “Everyday is something new, and you’re so proud of those little moments.”
January 2019: Derek and Hannah welcome daughter Story Grey
Derek and Hannah’s second child arrived on in January 2019. The couple confirmed the news in a tweet from The Players’ Tribune on Jan. 31, revealing the baby girl’s name.
“Congratulations Derek and Hannah on the birth of your second baby girl, Story Grey Jeter. Welcome to the family, #2,” the tweet read.
April 2019: Derek opens up about raising his girls with Hannah in Miami
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Derek gave a rare interview about family life in April 2019. Speaking with Haute Living, the CEO shared just how much his family’s life has changed since leaving N.Y.C.
“Raising a family in Miami is definitely different than in New York,” he said.
“It’s nice because we’re now in our own home and it makes it easy to move around, play in the yard, enjoy the outdoors, etc.,” he shared. “We’re enjoying life and raising our family here.”
Derek also discussed a huge milestone for his oldest daughter, Bella. He told the outlet, “My oldest daughter is heading into school somewhat soon, so we’ve begun the process of looking at schools.”
November 2019: Hannah talks about going “into hiding” while she’s pregnant
Hannah opened up about her privacy during an interview with Editorialist magazine, explaining why she goes “into hiding” when she’s expecting. She also talked about keeping her kids off social media, a decision she and her husband made together.
“[Social media] has never felt natural to me. I know it’s necessary in my industry, and I absolutely have to when it’s part of a contract. But a lot of people post their children and husbands, and for me that will never be the case,” she told the publication.
September 2021: Hannah and her daughters attend Derek’s Hall of Fame induction
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In September 2021, Derek was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and his wife and daughters were by his side for the occasion. The former New York Yankees star was elected to the Hall of Fame in January 2020, but had to wait to receive the honor due to the pandemic.
Derek gave a speech in Cooperstown, New York, giving special shout-outs to the women in his life.
Derek Jeter Brings Wife Hannah and Daughters to Hall of Fame Induction: ‘I Couldn’t Be Luckier’
“Hannah, you thought you married into retirement. You didn’t. It didn’t take long for me to get back at it,” he said, referencing when he became a co-owner of the Miami Marlins in 2017. “I know you didn’t envision that part, but we’ve been through so much over the past five years. You’re the strongest person I know, which I’m sure you’re gonna say is required when you’re dealing with me.”
Derek added, “You’re thoughtful, you’re caring, you’ve been an incredible wife and even more amazing mother.”
“I couldn’t be luckier. Let me say it again, let me clarify,” he continued. “I couldn’t be luckier that our paths crossed when they did. I love you so much, and there’s been nothing more fulfilling in my life.”
Derek and Hannah’s daughters wore matching dresses and blue bows in their hair to attend the induction. Derek also addressed them in his speech, saying that fatherhood had been a dream in itself.
“You know, this day puts an exclamation point on my playing career, which was my first dream,” he said. “Through you all, with you all, I’m living another one.”
December 2, 2021: Hannah and Derek secretly welcome daughter River Rose
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The Players’ Tribune again announced the arrival of a new addition to Derek and Hannah’s family. In December 2021, the outlet revealed the couple had secretly welcomed a third child, daughter River Rose Jeter.
“Congratulations Derek and @hannahbjeter on the birth of your baby girl, River Rose Jeter, born Thursday, Dec. 2,” the outlet tweeted.
The couple had not previously revealed they were expecting.
June 2022: Derek gives an update on his family after his social media debut
After making his social media debut in June 2022, Derek shared what life after baseball looks like during a Q&A on his Instagram story. “I spend a lot of time chasing two girls around and changing diapers on the third,” he replied when a fan asked about his post-retirement routine.
The former MLB player also gave followers an update on his and Hannah’s three children. “The family is doing great,” he said. “Three girls, almost 5, 3 and 6 months. So pray for me man.”
“We’re down here in Miami, love Miami. Been here for the last five years. Couldn’t be more blessed,” he added.
Derek also gave his daughters a shoutout in his Instagram bio, writing that he’s a “sleep-deprived father to three amazing girls.”
September 9, 2022: Derek and Hannah bring their daughters to Yankee Stadium for the first time
After retiring from the MLB in 2014, Derek returned to Yankee Stadium for his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, joined by Hannah and their eldest daughters.
While driving through N.Y.C. prior to the event, Hannah asked the girls if they were excited to visit the stadium for the first time. They said yes, but only because they wanted to “eat ice cream” and “get all the hotdogs.”
“Do you want to go on the field?” Derek asked.
“No, because I’m not a good baseball player,” Story replied. “Because I don’t want to broke my leg like you did.” Derek couldn’t help but laugh.
That evening, Hannah and their three daughters joined Derek at Yankee Stadium for the ceremony celebrating his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Older daughters Bella and Story stood with their father during his speech. At one point, he turned to his girls and said, “I told you this place was special.”
October 29, 2022: Derek and Hannah attend the University of Michigan’s Homecoming football game
Before being drafted by the Yankees in 1992, Derek spent one semester at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Derek and Hannah returned to his alma mater for Homecoming festivities, which included a rowdy football game against their biggest rival, Michigan State.
May 5, 2023: Derek and Hannah welcome their fourth baby
Derek announced the birth of his and Hannah’s fourth child, Kaius Green Jeter, on Instagram. His post featured the boy’s name and birthday written in white over a black background.
“Welcome to the world lil man!!!@hannahbjeter,” the proud dad wrote in the caption.
September 12, 2023: Derek and Hannah star in a Jeep commercial
For the second year in a row, the couple starred in a Jeep commercial. The 30-second ad, promoting the brand’s Wagoneer, follows Derek as he drives all night through a thunderstorm to get to Hannah and his family.
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