A decision was announced in the custody battle between former Dallas Cowboy Deion Sanders and his estranged wife Pilar Sanders–with Deion winning custody of the couple’s three children.
The custody battle included two grueling weeks of testimony, and the allegations were certainly dirty.
Pilar claimed Deion abused steroids, an allegation that could be seriously damaging to Deion’s legacy in football and baseball. “The thing that bothers me is how someone can lie so effortlessly,” the athlete said.
In turn, Deion accused Pilar of being a phone sex operator.
The two started their battle back in 2011, when they announced their separation. Tensions escalated in 2012, when the former couple were involved in a domestic dispute that sent Pilar to jail.
Yesterday, Deion finally won out, getting primary custody of sons Shilo and Shedeur Sanders, and becoming joint managing conservator for daughter Shelomi. The jury voted 11-1 in Deion’s favor.
Pilar was obviously not pleased, “If that’s not one-sided, you have to be blind, dumb, crazy and stupid,” Pilar said. “Unfortunately, my children will suffer, but I raised them well enough to understand what’s what.”
She even took it a step further, calling her estranged husband a “black-faced performer” and a “Mr. Bojangles” who had tricked the jury. Pilar’s lawyer claimed in closing statements that everything is a game to Deion, and winning was more important than the welfare of his children.
Indeed, Deion did appear to be thrilled and almost smug about his victory as he left the courthouse. “In any war, there will be casualties, but I didn’t want the casualties in this case to be my kids.” Deion didn’t even seem to be too bothered by the racist insult, instead relishing his victory.
“Thank all of you whom prayed for me and my children. The Truth is what it is. Never doubt God! Truth,” he wrote on his Twitter.
The opinions of the children, all in their early teens, were not made clear.
