Russell Wilson took on the role of stepfather to Ciara’s first child, Future, but the “responsibility” was initially “scary,” he said in a new interview. The Denver Broncos quarterback, 35, met and fell in love with the 38-year-old singer when she was already a mom to her son, who is now 9 years old.
“When I walked in the room, and I saw, you know, little Future — he’s nine months at the time or whatever — he crawls in my lap, and it was like, you know, this is going to be my responsibility. I remember leaving that night … and God said, saying to me, ‘Raising this child it’s going to be your responsibility,” the football star said in a recent appearance on the “I Am Athlete” podcast.
Russell continued by pointing out that it was initially “scary just in the sense of — not scary — but it was more so of an opportunity. Like, ‘OK God, this is what you want me to do? This is, you know, stepping in to raise, you know, a child with C?’ And this and that and realizing that, OK God, like, I know she’s the one for me but also, I’m going to take this responsibility.”
Ciara and husband Russell Wilson in new video from the #SAGAwards. pic.twitter.com/akCsekJIxl
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) February 26, 2024
Calling the stepdad role a “gift,” the NFL star explained his mindset in approaching how to be a parent for the first time.
“Jesus himself, like Joseph was, Joseph was a stepdad,” Russell added. “OK, it [Jesus] wasn’t biologically his so I’m [like], ‘OK God, you’re going to — you’re going to have me [do] this? Give me this opportunity to love the way that you were loved?’”
Russell and Ciara first met in 2015 at a basketball game. One year later, they got married. The pair went on to become parents to their children, Sienna, Win and Amora. While reflecting on the early days of their relationship, Russell explained why he views marriage as a “business deal.”
“I never forget, right before I met C, I wrote out my five non-negotiables,” he explained in his podcast interview. “Not to be cold, but it’s like, it’s a partnership … We’re going to spend the rest of our lives together, we’re going to spend this, we’re going to do this together… we’re going to have these kids together, we’re going to raise these children together, we’re going to make decisions together. And so, in any partnership, you got to have your non-negotiables.”
Russell noted what his “non-negotiables” were: for his partner to be someone of faith, for her to be faithful to him, for her to have her own identity, her ability to love unconditionally and for her to have an impact on those around her.