Chanel Iman and Sterling Shepard’s Relationship Timeline: Marital Woes, Divorce Details and More

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Chanel Iman and Sterling Shepard’s Relationship Timeline: Marital Woes, Divorce Details and More

Things were rocky for Chanel Iman and Sterling Shepard more than one year before news of their split became public. The New York Giants wide receiver and the model got engaged in 2017 after one year of dating. “When I was younger, I’d see her in the Victoria’s Secret magazines that my sisters were getting, but it didn’t really come to me. When she walked into the room one of my boys was like, ‘You know who that is?’ and I was like, ‘No,’” Shepard recalled to Haute Living in 2019 about meeting his future spouse in 2016. “I approached her and asked her if she wanted a drink, and we were just talking for the rest of the party, and then we went to some club for the afterparty and kept talking. I got her number, and we went our own separate ways, but we stayed in contact. It was kind of crazy. And now that’s my lady.” They confirmed their engagement in December 2017 via Instagram. “The catch of my dreams,” he wrote at the time. “Can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you!” The duo wasted no time in 2018, walking down the aisle in March and welcoming daughter Cali in August. [jwplayer HLhrp5ae-zhNYySv2] “I feel like [Sterling] can be a doctor because he’s really good with being around any situation,” Iman told Us Weekly in June 2018 before she gave birth for the first time. “I’m a little nervous, but he seems to have a lot more confidence in me.” By December 2019, they were parents of two when Iman gave birth to daughter Cassie. “It’s honestly tough whenever you put a baby into the situation because you’ve got to still try to find time for each other and a lot of the focus goes onto the baby,” the football player admitted to Us in August 2019 before their second baby girl arrived. “So that’s the main thing is just me trying to carve out a little time in my schedule and her trying to carve out time in her schedule because we’re both pretty busy. That’s the toughest thing about it, but we find a way to get through it.” In January 2022, Us exclusively reported that the spouses had quietly separated and were in the middle of a divorce in New Jersey. “They are going to try and remain civil and friendly towards each other,” a source told Us at the time. Scroll through for their relationship timeline:

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2016

The twosome met at Victor Cruz’s 30th birthday party.

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2018

Shepard popped the question in December 2017.

“I’m beyond excited to spend the rest of my life with you @sterl_shep3 you are my soulmate, my best friend, my everything! Can’t wait to be your Mrs,” his then-fiancée gushed via Instagram at time.

The couple then exchanged vows at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles on March 3, 2018.

Credit: Courtesy of Chanel Iman/Instagram

2018

Iman gave birth to daughter Cali on August 10, 2018.

Credit: Courtesy of Chanel Iman/Instagram

2019

The pair welcomed their second daughter, Cassie, on December 17, 2019.

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2020

According to their divorce documents, the spouses were having issues as of December 2020 — or earlier.

“The parties have experienced irreconcilable differences which differences have caused a break down in the marital relationship. Said irreconcilable differences have existed for at least six months prior to the filing this Complaint and there is no reasonable prospect of reconciliation,” the paperwork, which was filed in June 2021, read.

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2021

In the June 2021 filing, Shepard asked for joint legal custody of their daughters and asked for his home to be the “Parent of Primary Residence.” He also requested “a parenting time schedule wherein [Iman] has supervised parenting time with the children.”

The docs also state that the athlete requested “equitable distributing all assets and debts that were acquired during the marriage” and ordered for Iman “to pay counsel fees and costs.”

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September 2021

Shepard moved to a new home in North Caldwell, NJ. In a September 2021 filing, they agreed to share joint legal custody of the kids, with the NFL star having the little ones at the beginning of the week and Iman taking over on mid-week. Depending on Shepard’s football schedule, he will pick up his daughters on Sunday evening or Monday morning. The judge also ruled that they shall not let “romantic third parties” be “an overnight guest during their parenting time.” Furthermore, the twosome agreed to ongoing mediation.

According to the paperwork, Shepard will “continue to pay the expenses fourth martial home and the parties’ monthly living expenses.”

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January 2022

Us broke the news of their divorce on January 5, 2022. They are set for an Early Settlement Program on February 15, 2022, and a case management conference on February 23, 2022.

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June 2022

Iman exclusively told Us how she and Shepard were handling their coparenting duties after separating one year prior. “I'm all about just a positive mindset and staying connected with people and trying to just work out everything,” she said. “Like I'm a people person so it's not very difficult for me to coparent at all.”

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July 2022

Iman appeared to be feuding with Shepard’s mom, Cheri, after the model posted a photo of her two daughters spending time with her boyfriend Davon Godchaux’s son. “She is still married. This is ridiculous,” Cheri commented on the Instagram photo, per Bossip. “Signed, concerned grandmother.”

After one fan commented, “Blended [family] I love it 😍,” the grandma fired back, “Not yet, she is still married, get divorced!” Iman, for her part, responded with a clapping emoji and a cry-laughing emoji, according to Page Six, after one fan told Cheri, “Girl, bye.”