The Sanders family has always backed each other, both in good and challenging times. The whole household stood firmly behind Shedeur when he was snubbed in the 2025 NFL Draft. But that doesn’t mean they don’t call each other when they think the other person is in the wrong. Coach Prime disapproved of Shelomi’s decision to transfer from Colorado. Deiondra Sanders also faced a situation in which her brothers didn’t approve of her relationship with R&B singer Jacquees. And they particularly didn’t like it when Deiondra decided to start a family with the singer.  

“It was a controversial moment for my family because they really didn’t like him [Jacquees] for the way that he treated me,” Deiondra Sanders said on Lecrae’s podcast on June 4. “So, they were really mad. Of course, my dad wasn’t; I mean, everybody felt some kind of way, but my dad knew the issues I had with fibroids and stuff like that. So he knew I always wanted a family. So he was like, okay, I understand that he actually wasn’t as mad as I thought he would be.

“I was scared to answer the phone when he kept calling me when it got online. But my other brothers, they were just like, ‘You gonna let this n— in our family?’ So, they only [did it] because they’re very protective of me. Like, I’m their sister. I’m the cool one, and I’m the one who always likes doing stuff, and then for me to just be going through so much of what I did, they just really didn’t like to see me like that. That’s all.”

It’s no wonder why the brothers couldn’t stand Jacquees. The relationship has had its moments. 

First of all, it had a rocky beginning, marred by cheating allegations by Jacquees’ ex-girlfriend, Dreezy, who also accused him of using the Sanders name for clout. Deiondra has also said that Jacquees’ family mistreated her. One particular incident saw her getting into a public altercation with the singer’s sister.

The public drama didn’t stop there. Over the years, the relationship frequently played out online through social media exchanges, fan speculation, and questions about where things stood between the couple. While Shilo and Shedeur have never publicly detailed their specific issues with Jacquees, Deiondra herself made it clear that their frustration stemmed from watching her navigate those situations firsthand.

Sure, there were high points, especially when she became pregnant with his child. During the baby shower, the singer surprised Coach Prime’s daughter by getting down on one knee and proposing.

But the relationship faced another public flashpoint after their son Snow’s birth when Deiondra voiced frustration over Jacquees’ collaborative project with rapper DeJ Loaf. The situation fueled further speculation about the state of their relationship at a time when the couple was already dealing with new-parent challenges.

Naturally, given the kind of bond that the siblings have, seeing Deiondra hurt by relationship problems was not something they were willing to look over.

One person many expected to react strongly was Deion Sanders himself. But while Coach Prime may have had reservations about the relationship, he appeared far more supportive of the pregnancy than many expected.

When Deiondra announced she was expecting in March 2024, Deion publicly celebrated the news. Commenting on her announcement, he wrote, “PREACH BABY PREACH,” before joking that she was having the baby “to make me a darn granddaddy.” He also reminded his daughter that he loved her and would always be there for her.

The response carried extra weight given everything Deiondra had endured.

Deiondra Sanders opens up about her struggles after her pregnancy

For years, she had openly discussed her battle with fibroids, multiple surgeries, fertility complications, and the possibility that becoming a mother might not come easily. So while some family members were focused on Jacquees, Deion appeared more focused on what the pregnancy meant for his daughter.

Deiondra Sanders’ fibroid struggles began in her early 20s as she described symptoms ranging from prolonged periods, headaches, and fatigue. At one instance, Deion Sanders’ eldest daughter even had up to 14 large fibroids, and later a severe hemorrhage led to her hospitalization and low blood count, which needed five transfusions. Over the course of 8+ years, Deiondra has fought through the illness well and has undergone at least three myomectomies.

When Deiondra got pregnant with Snow, her pregnancy was described as a ‘miracle’ since her son found a safe spot in the uterus away from tumors. It was undoubtedly happy news for Coach Prime, who got her grandson after Deiondra suffered from multiple miscarriages.

That perspective also showed up in Deiondra’s recent comments on Lecrae’s podcast. While discussing her family’s reaction, she admitted her father “wasn’t as mad as I thought he would be.” According to Deiondra, he understood how badly she wanted children and what she had gone through medically to get to that point.

In many ways, Deion seemed to separate the relationship from the pregnancy itself. He may have shared some concerns about Jacquees, but he also recognized that after years of setbacks, his daughter was finally getting the family she had always wanted.

That joy only grew when Snow was born on August 9, 2024,  Deion’s own birthday. Coach Prime later described the moment as a blessing, saying, “That’s how good God is,” while celebrating becoming a grandfather for the first time.

But despite Snow’s birth, Deiondra’s life didn’t become easy.

“I won’t say a lot because I still feel regular feelings as a mom, just figuring out who I am again,” Deiondra said about what she felt after Snow was born. “I had to grieve the old version of me. Like, I didn’t know this new person. But I think some of the things that dealt with postpartum that kind of made it worse are probably my relationship as well. …Then just the way that he didn’t really understand or I don’t think he saw me for what I really needed him for at that time.”

Deiondra and her ex-boyfriend Jacquees separated last year after Snow was born. It followed after tensions escalated when Jacquees’ collab album with Dej Loaf didn’t sit well with Deiondra, leading to tensions in the relationship. What followed the breakup were only struggles with single parenting, and finally, Deiondra agreed that Coach Prime was right about several aspects of her relationship with Jacquees.