Deion Sanders Drove His Car Off a Cliff and Survived During His Divorce From His 1st Wife: ‘I Was Empty’
Deion Sanders rose to fame in the ’90s as a sports star in both the NFL and MLB. At the time, he was also married to his first wife and appeared to have a beautiful family. However, when Sanders’ then-marriage was coming to an end, he attempted to end his life by driving his car off a cliff.
When Deion Sanders’ first divorce took place
Deion Sanders married his first wife, Carolyn Chambers, in 1989. The pair welcomed two children together: Deiondra Sanders (born 1992) and Deion Sanders Jr. (born 1993).
In 1998, Sanders and Chambers filed for divorce. It is unclear what the reason for their divorce was. But Sanders has since revealed that he was going through personal struggles.
Deion Sanders drove his car off a cliff during the divorce
Sanders seemed to have it all in the 1990s. However, in his 1998 book, Power, Money & Sex: How Success Almost Ruined My Life, he shared that, toward the end of his marriage, he was dealing with mental health struggles.
“I was going through the trials and tribulations of life. I was pretty much running on fumes,” he said (via Andscape). “I was empty, no peace, no joy. Losing hope with the progression of everything.”
In 1997, Deion Sanders drove his car off a cliff in an attempted suicide. Sanders managed to survive and did not have serious injuries from the fall. In the autobiography, he shared that this event strengthened his faith in a higher being.
“I finally just got on my knees and gave it all to the Lord,” he wrote. Sanders also added, “My faith is everything. It’s the gas that propels the courage, the truth, keeps me going. It’s the wind, it’s the wings, it’s the air that pumps into my lungs, that provokes me to live. Faith is everything.”
Deion Sanders’ life after his first wife
After his divorce from Chambers, Sanders got married a second time. In 1999, he tied the knot with actor Pilar Biggers-Sanders. The pair welcomed three children: Shilo (born 2000), Shedeur (born 2002), and Shelomi (born 2003). In 2011, Sanders and Biggers-Sanders got divorced.
In 2012, Sanders began dating businesswoman and TV host Tracey Edmunds. They got engaged in 2019 but called off their marriage in December 2023.
The NFL Hall of Famer currently coaches football at the University of Colorado. Two of his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, play for the team.
How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or text HOME to 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor at the free Crisis Text Line.
