Deion Sanders and Tracey Edmonds’ love story has the makings of a Hollywood movie.
A former multi-sport professional athlete, Sanders is the only athlete to compete in both the Super Bowl and World Series, and now dedicates his time and energy to coaching the next generation of players. Meanwhile, Edmonds has racked up a pretty impressive resume herself, including the establishment of her own production company, as well as an Emmy Award.
The pair first met in 2012, when Sanders was attending the premiere of a movie, produced by Edmonds. They didn’t connect again until a business meeting brought them together a few months later. From there, the rest is history.
“It was a blessing for my life,” Sanders told PEOPLE of meeting Edmonds, whom he describes as a “classy, professional and a real woman.”
The lovebirds currently reside at their ranch in Canton, Texas, but also split a majority of their time between Boulder, Colorado, where Sanders coaches collegiate football, as well as Atlanta and Los Angeles, where Edmonds films.
Though extremely successful each in their own right, Sanders and Edmonds’ careers sometimes keep them apart. But watching each other live out their dreams makes it all worth it, Sanders said.
“I mean what she does, I don’t take for granted whatsoever, and the shows that she chooses to produce, they’re meaningful, they have substance, they’re informative and challenging, and I love that about it,” he shared.
So who is Deion Sanders’ fiancée? Here’s everything to know about Tracey Edmonds and her relationship with the University of Colorado football coach.
She’s a successful Hollywood producer and businesswoman
Tracey Edmonds on set in New Mexico in 2021.
Tracey Edmonds Instagram
A producer, Edmonds has been working in the TV and film industry for over 25 years.
She launched her own production company called Edmonds Entertainment Group, where she currently serves as CEO, as well as her own lifestyle brand in 2018.
Edmonds has had a hand in several well-renowned projects over the years, including BET’s first-ever reality TV series, College Hill. The show ran for six seasons and has since come back as College Hill: Celebrity Edition. Additionally, Edmonds produced Netflix’s End of the Road, BET’s Games People Play and The Postcard Killings.
Edmonds is also a former TV journalist. She co-hosted ExtraTV alongside Mario Lopez and Charissa Thompson from 2014 to 2017, during which she earned an Emmy Award.
Currently, Edmonds is a member of the Producers Guild of America. In May 2023, Edmonds established her own YouTube channel dedicated to her “new life chapter in Hilton Head, [South Carolina],” where she reveals “the secrets of lowcountry living, local gems, and personal anecdotes.”
She has an A-list dating history
Deion Sanders and Tracey Edmonds in Hilton Head, SC.
Tracey Edmonds Instagram
Prior to her relationship with Sanders, Edmonds was in a high-profile relationship with singer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds for nearly 15 years. The two were married from 1992 to 2005 and share two sons: Brandon and Dylan.
Edmonds went on to date actor Eddie Murphy, whom she got engaged to in 2007. At the time, a rep for Murphy told PEOPLE, “Tracey and Eddie are both very much in love and are excited about spending the rest of their lives together.” They tied the knot in a “simply perfect” symbolic ceremony on a private French Polynesian island on Jan. 1, 2008. However, they announced their split just 12 days later.
In an official separation announcement, Murphy and Edmonds said “it is not necessary to define our relationship further,” but a guest at the wedding told PEOPLE that attendees “could hear them yelling” and that things were “pretty dramatic.”
While Babyface doesn’t believe that Edmonds and Murphy’s relationship was “the best thing,” he shared with Oprah Winfrey that Sanders is “a good guy.” During an appearance on Oprah’s Next Chapter, the singer revealed that Sanders personally reached out to him prior to meeting his boys.
“I knew that Deion, Mr. Prime Time, seems like a nice guy,” Babyface said, per HuffPost. “But he became a classy guy when he called me and said he didn’t want to meet my children until he sat down and had lunch or breakfast with me, so he knew me before he met my children.”
She and her sons have a very close relationship
Tracey Edmonds with her sons, Brandon and Dylan in 2021.
Tracey Edmonds Instagram
Since her sons were young, Edmonds has worked hard at cultivating a close relationship with Brandon and Dylan, whom she welcomed with ex Babyface. She’s also put certain perimeters in place to help “keep them out of the Hollywood craziness.”
“As a single mom, I’ve always felt that it was so important to have honest and daily conversations about life with both of my boys. It’s just been the three of us inside my household, so they’ve grown up very close to me in every aspect of their lives,” she told the digital outlet Tinseltown Mom.
Both Brandon and Dylan have seemed to take after their famous parents. Brandon studied music at Loyola Marymount University and has taken an interest in film and entertainment. Edmonds shared that her youngest, meanwhile, has dreams of managing a professional sports team.
She first met Sanders in 2012
Deion Sanders and Tracey Edmonds attend the Broadway Opening Night Performance of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ in 2012.
Walter McBride/Corbis/Getty
Falling in love with a two-time Super Bowl champion wasn’t on Edmonds’ bingo card. “I would’ve never imagined in a million years that our paths would cross and that we’d end up in a relationship together,” the entertainment mogul previously admitted to PEOPLE.
The pair first crossed paths at a movie premiere party in 2012. Sanders was a guest while Edmonds, who helped produce the film, was one of the night’s honorees. While their interaction was brief, the short time they did spend together was enough for Edmonds to sweep Sanders off his feet. He tasked a friend with obtaining her business card and reached out a few months later — but kept things strictly professional at first.
“I started off thinking I was just going to produce [Deion’s Family Playbook],” Edmonds explained, noting that the first time they met up one-on-one was to discuss Sanders’ vision for a reality series. “But as I started working with Deion on the show, we grew quite fond of each other and ended up dating.”
She and Sanders got engaged in 2019
Deion Sanders and Tracey Edmonds in the South of France in 2019.
Tracey Edmonds Instagram
In February 2019, Edmonds and Sanders took the next step in their relationship. The Hollywood producer was excited to share the news of their engagement with fans on social media.
“Happy Valentine’s Day Fam! Sending LOVE to MY LOVE/MY FIANCÉ @deionsanders! ❤️💍,” she captioned a snap of her and Sanders smiling. “God is SO GOOD! We’re 8 years in, made it through the storms TOGETHER, and will be spending 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, you can make it through ANY storm! Spread LOVE and JOY on this day! ❤️”.
She and Sanders have shared the secret to their long-lasting romance
Deion Sanders and Tracey Edmonds.
Tracey Edmonds Instagram
Due to Sanders and Edmonds’ conflicting schedules, the pair often spend long lengths of time apart. The college football coach told PEOPLE that it’s their go-getter mentality that fuels their relationship, especially when they’re miles apart.
“I love what both of us contribute to society and to this world,” Sanders said. He further explained that their being in a long-distance relationship is only a byproduct of their careers and nothing more. “It’s not just a separation because you want to be separated, it’s a separation because you are active and you are really influencing lives.”
She and Sanders find strength in supporting one another’s goals
Tracey Edmonds and Deion Sanders attend the Inaugural GQ Sports Style Hall of Fame event in 2023.
Emma McIntyre/Getty
A long-distance relationship certainly has its disadvantages, but Edmonds and Sanders choose to look at their situation through rose-colored glasses. During a joint interview with PEOPLE, Sanders reasoned that he and Edmonds are “at the age and stage where I don’t think neither of us needs a lot.”
For example, the retired athlete said, he and Edmonds don’t regularly call or text throughout the day, whereas some couples may make that a priority. Instead, the couple finds that giving each other the space to build their respective careers is what nurtures their bond the most.
“Tracey is a go-getter, she is that. And, I get up early and she knows I’m up working out and I’m ready to go get it,” Sanders added. “It’s a blessing, but we understand each other because we’re busy in our own right.”
Edmonds also chimed in, noting that “there’s no regular schedule with us” and “we just do our very best to see each other as much as we possibly can.”