Everything Marion Jones Has Said About Raising Her Children

Marion Jones no longer has the legacy of being an Olympic gold medalist. Instead, her legacy lives in her kids. But how has it been raising her children alongside one of the biggest scandals in sports history?

Jones competed in the 2000 Olympics and won three gold medals in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4x400-meter team race, per Britannica. The athlete might as well have stayed on the podium that year because she also earned two bronze medals. At the top of her game, Jones took time off to welcome her son, Monty, in 2003, per Huron Daily Tribune. As the 2004 Olympics rolled around, Jones was back on the track, although she didn't do nearly as well as her debut in 2000.

What Jones did in 2000's Olympic games was almost unheard of, and it raised a lot of suspicion. In 2003, a federal investigation was launched into whether the runner had used enhancement drugs, per Britannica. Jones continuously denied the allegations and did her best to move on with her life. She welcomed her second child, Ahmir, in July 2007, but that same year, she was stripped of her medals after she admitted she lied about taking a steroid to increase her performance. In 2008, Jones was sentenced to six months of prison time. After prison, Jones welcomed a third child, Eva-Marie, in 2009, and while she has tried to put her scandal behind her, it's been tough, especially when it comes to raising her kids.

Marion Jones was sentenced to six months in prison for her use of drug enhancements, but during those six months, not once did she let her kids visit her. At the time that she was put behind bars in 2008, Jones had only two children — Monty was four, and Ahmir was less than a year old, per People. Despite these pivotal moments in her son's lives, she didn't want them to see her in jail, and there was a good reason why.

In 2013, Jones revealed on OWN that her kids weren't naive to the fact that she went to jail. She shared, "There have been a few times that I've heard them talking amongst themselves about, um, 'Well, mom went to jail.'" Jones has taken this as an opportunity to teach her kids a lesson that she made a poor choice, and they shouldn't do the same. During her jail time, Jones and her husband, Obadele Thompson, agreed not to have the kids visit her in prison. She explained, "I never wanted them to be comfortable in that setting ... I would see other kids who would come to visit their mothers while in prison and how comfortable the kids looked there, and to me, I had a problem with that." The track star believed if her kids felt comfortable visiting a prison at such a young age, what difference would it make if they got in legal trouble later down the road?

During her prison time, Marion Jones wrote a letter explaining to her kids why she cheated during her Olympic career. According to the Daily Telegraph, the track star read the letter aloud during an interview with Oprah. She shared, "I truly believe that the reason why I made the awful mistake and a few thereafter was that I didn't love myself enough to tell the truth," she continued, "I have hidden behind my obvious talents for much of my life, for fear that the weak, sad, hurt, and vulnerable Marion would emerge and ruin the plan for my life." Although she explained her reasoning for making the turmoil decision of using drugs to help her career, she also believes that her children would come to their conclusion about her scandal. She explained, "One day my kids will realize the whole story about me. I think that once they really understand that, it will really make meaning in their own lives."

Since Jones was released from prison, she and her three kids have kept out of the spotlight. Because of their private lifestyle, it's unclear what the kids think of their mom's tumultuous career. However, it seems it hasn't affected how close they are. The track athlete has posted her kids several times on social media. Whether it's cheering them on at their games or spending the holidays together, Jones has made the most of her time with her kids.