The Real Reason Russell Wilson Divorced His First Wife

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson doesn't shy away from expressing his love for his wife, Ciara, on social media. In fact, fans have grown accustomed to the Wilsons sharing glimpses of their romantic date nights, flirty dance parties and love for their three children: Future, Win and Sienna. That being said, what some fans might not know (or remember) is that Ciara is not Wilson's first wife — she's his second. 

Around the time that Wilson and Ciara made their debut as a couple at the White House's Japanese state dinner in 2015, the "Get Up" singer had just called off her engagement with rapper Future. Meanwhile, Wilson was going through a divorce from his ex-wife Ashton Meem. According to TMZ, it was the NFL star who filed for divorce in April 2014 after just two years of marriage.

"I have made the difficult decision to file for divorce," the pro athlete said in a statement (via The Seattle Times). "Clearly, decisions like these don't come easy. Ashton and I respectfully ask for prayers, understanding, and privacy during this difficult time. Moving forward, I will have no further comment on this personal matter."

While Russell Wilson and Ashton Meem kept their divorce from getting messy (at least, publicly), the rumor mill still began swirling with claims that Wilson left Meem over an alleged affair with his then-teammate Golden Tate. Slammed into the middle of a scandal, Meem and Tate both adamantly denied the allegations. "I did not have an affair with Russell Wilson's wife," Tate wrote in an essay for The Cauldron in January 2015, adding, "nor did I have anything to do with his divorce. That is laughable for anyone who knows us. His ex-wife, Ashton, is still best friends with my girlfriend."

"We met briefly in high school," Meem told the Richmond Times-Dispatch in April 2012, breaking down her and Wilson's relationship timeline. "Then again at a summer party and after that, started seeing each other." According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Meem initially attended the University of Georgia and the two "kept up the long-distance romance until Ashton transferred to Russell's university." They exchanged their vows in January 2012 and enjoyed two years of marriage before Wilson filed for divorce in April 2014.