When parents divorce, they often lose sight that children should be the focus of their attention. In this case, the testy divorce of Dallas Cowboys legend Deion Sanders has taken another twist, with both Sanders and his estranged wife facing assault charges. The alleged attack happened in front of the couple’s children.
Police who responded to the family mansion in Prosper, Texas, reported that Sanders received a citation for misdemeanor simple assault. His wife was arrested, charged with misdemeanor assault and spent a night in jail.
A police spokesman in Prosper would not specify exactly what police believe happened in the Sanders home, but Sanders said that he was “jumped” by his wife and one of her friends, and that two of their children witnessed the attack. The couple has continued to live together in the home since Sanders filed for divorce in December 2011, with each occupying a wing in the sizable estate.
Although a judge issued a gag order in the case, Sanders took to Twitter to announce that his wife had attacked him and included a picture of his children filling out police reports to detail what they saw. He later took the photo down. His attorney said Sanders’ Twitter postings did not violate the gag order because they pertained to the assault, not the divorce.
A local television station said the judge ordered Sanders’ wife not to threaten her husband and to stay away from the house for two months.
The couple married in 1999 and has three children. Sanders works for the NFL Network and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Together, they starred in a reality series about their marriage.
Earlier this year, the woman filed a $200 million defamation suit against her husband, his daughter from a prior marriage and his corporation.
Source: Associated Press, “Deion Sanders cited for spat with estranged wife,” April 24, 2012