National Football League

Report: Deion never told wife of divorce

Published Dec. 27, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

The wife of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders said Tuesday she learned about his decision to end their marriage when she read it online.

Pilar Biggers-Sanders' lawyer Larry Friedman told TMZ she was "heartbroken and surprised when [she] read . . . that Deion announced his decision, on his own."

"Pilar's sole focus and top priority for the last twelve and a half years has been her marriage and children," he added. "Based on recent discoveries, [Pilar] now realizes that Deion did not view their family the same way."

Friedman would not elaborate on what the "discoveries" were.

The lawyer said Biggers-Sanders had not negotiated a divorce settlement with the 44-year-old, and that she fully intended to protect herself and their three children.

Biggers-Sanders, however, was still not convinced the marriage was over and said she was "confident that he will come to his senses and return to his family as he has in the past."

Sanders made the announcement Dec. 17 in a statement to the entertainment website, saying, "Pilar and I have decided to end our marriage and move on to the next phase of our individual lives with mutual respect.

"We are friends and our top priority has and will continue to be the well-being of our children.

"We arrived at this decision prayerfully and carefully in order to be able to pursue what is in both of our best personal interests."

This was the second marriage for Sanders, who won the Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. He was previously married to Carolyn Chambers, and they have two children together.