Everything We Know About Chanel Iman And Sterling Shepard's Divorce
For five years, Chanel Iman and Sterling Shepard seemed to be living the dream. The Victoria's Secret model and NFL player met at former New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz's 30th party at the Hunt & Fish Club in November 2016, Shepard told Haute Living in July 2019. Iman lit up the room, attracting the attention of nearly everyone, Shepard said. "[Someone else] wanted to go talk to her, and I was like, 'No man, let me go talk to her, I'll pay you, bro; you talk to her friend,'" Shepard recalled. He worked up the courage and approached Iman. They ended up hanging out well past the birthday festivities and into the after-party. He got her number and the two were soon going on dates.
A year later, Shepard and Iman announced their engagement, with the New York Giants wide receiver popping the question on December 1, 2017, Iman's 27th birthday, according to Vogue Australia. The two wed just a few months later, on March 3, 2018, in a star-studded ceremony that included the likes of Chrissy Teigen and Gabrielle Union, Brides.com reported at the time.
Iman and Shepard welcomed their first child in August of that year, a daughter named Cali, showing they were ready to expand their family almost immediately, according to Entertainment Tonight. They had a second daughter, Cassie, in December 2019. But the union was short lived. After three years of marriage and five as a couple, Iman and Shepard are headed for divorce.
Chanel Iman and Sterling Shepard had been having issues
While the news of the dissolution of the marriage is surfacing now, Sterling Shepard filed for divorce from Chanel Iman in June 2021, according to People. In the documents obtained by the outlet, Shepard cited irreconcilable differences and his rep declined to comment further. Documents also detailed that the couple had been experiencing those differences "for at least six months" before the filing, adding that there is "no reasonable prospect of reconciliation," per Page Six.
Shepard is seeking joint legal custody of Cali and Cassie, the outlet noted. The football player and the model want to make their daughters their priority, according to Us Weekly. "They are going to try and remain civil and friendly towards each other," a source told the publication. Throughout the divorce proceedings, Iman will remain in their family home with the girls, TMZ reported. Shepard is reportedly already in the process of moving out, per the report.
Iman appears to have deleted all traces of Shepard from her Instagram page, sharing photos of just herself with her daughters for the past several months. On December 25, 2021, Iman shared a festive snap with Cali and Cassie sitting in her lap. "Merry Christmas from me and my girls," she captioned the post. The only vestiges left of Shepard seem to be old pictures of Iman attending New York Giants games and of her and the girls rocking Giants attire, though none mention him.