Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier has initiated divorce proceedings from his wife Michelle, approximately two months after she publicly accused him of infidelity.
The specific reasons for Shazier’s decision to file for divorce remain undisclosed, as the court has ordered the case to be sealed, as reported by TMZ.
In November, Michelle Shazier revealed alleged text messages from the two-time Pro Bowl linebacker addressed to another woman named Marie. In a now-deleted post, she accused Shazier of being “a liar and a cheater,” expressing her disappointment with the situation.
Shazier is carted off the field after suffering his career-ending injury in the first half of a Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Cincinnati. AP.
The timing of their separation is unclear. The couple shares a 4-year-old son, Lyon, while Ryan Shazier has a 9-year-old son, RJ, from a previous relationship.
Ryan Shazier, the 15th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Steelers, tied the knot with Michelle, a real estate agent in Pittsburgh, in 2019—almost two years after the former NFL star suffered an on-field severe spinal injury that temporarily paralyzed him.
During a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 4, 2017, Shazier suffered the injury while tackling wide receiver Josh Malone. He underwent spine stabilization surgery on Dec. 6 of that year and announced his retirement from the NFL on Sept. 9, 2020.
