The Cleveland Browns’ new quarterback, Robert Griffin III, will file for divorce from his college sweetheart Rebecca Liddicoat, Cleveland.com reported Tuesday.
The couple, who met while students at Baylor University, married in July 2013 and have one child together, daughter Reese Ann Griffin, who was born in May 2015.
Mr. Griffin has informed his teammates and coaches of the impending divorce, and they’ve been supportive, Cleveland.com reported, citing an NFL source.
Mr. Griffin — who signed with the Browns in March shortly after being released from the Washington Redskins — and his wife have been separated for months, according to the anonymous league source.
The former Washington Redskins franchise quarterback, a frequent Twitter and Facebook user, has yet to address the Cleveland.com story on either his official Facebook page or Twitter account, but Hollywood gossip site TMZ.com reported Tuesday afternoon that he has removed all traces of his wife from his Instagram page.
In hindsight, clues of marital strain may be discernible from the past few months of Mr. Griffin’s social media accounts. In Mother’s Day social-media postings on May 8, Mr. Griffin referred to Ms. Liddicoat simply as “Reese’s mom.” The Griffins’ third wedding anniversary on July 6 also went unmarked.
That’s a marked difference from a year earlier, judging by a Redskins.com story at the time.
“Happy 2 Year Anniversary Mrs. Griffin!!! You loved me when I showed up to college proms called formals & embarrassed you with my oversized shirts, short ties & clip on phone case holders,” Redskins.com quoted Mr. Griffin from his July 6, 2015, Facebook post. “I am eternally grateful to God that he blessed me with a woman & a baby mama like you. I love you!!!!”
That post has since been removed from Mr. Griffin’s Facebook timeline.
On Wednesday, TMZ reported that Mr. Griffin was already dating again, naming the QB’s main squeeze as Estonian track star Grete Sadeiko, 23, a student at Florida State University.
TMZ noted that Mr. Griffin has been seen at practice sporting a tattoo bearing Ms. Sadeiko’s name, and, in a separate story shared a photo of the couple seen holding hands in public.
While it’s unclear how long the two have been an item, Black Sports Online on Wednesday went back through social media posts to document what it calls the “love dovey subliminal tweets” that Mr. Griffin and Ms. Sadeiko have been sending.
Ms. Sadeiko has since made her Twitter and Instagram accounts protected, accessible only to approved users.
• Ken Shepherd can be reached at kshepherd@washingtontimes.com.
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