It takes years of relentless hard work, dedication, and sacrifice to become a professional football player. Those who make it to the NFL get to play the game they love while earning millions. With such high stakes, both physically and financially, the athlete should leave no stone unturned to secure their future. Opting for a prenuptial agreement when getting married is one such measure. But Travis Hunter chose not to.
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The Jacksonville Jaguars star recently married his girlfriend of three and a half years, Leanna Lenee, in a lavish ceremony in Tennessee. However, the wedding drew considerable backlash from fans and some members of the NFL community due to the controversies that surfaced leading up to it.
Many believe Leanna isn’t genuinely invested in the relationship and that her motives are financially driven. Even before the marriage, critics pointed out how much Hunter was reportedly spending on her. Now, with no prenup in place, Lenee legally has access to Hunter’s growing fortune.
Hunter was already earning millions during his college career via NIL. After getting drafted, he signed a four-year, $46.5 million contract with Jacksonville. With the money flowing in, many, including former NFL Safety Ryan Clark, urged him to protect himself legally before saying ‘I do’.
Clark emphasized that any person with the potential to generate massive wealth should strongly consider a prenup, not just to protect themselves, but to protect their partner as well. “All young players should explore prenups — including Travis Hunter,” he said bluntly on X.
In Clark’s view, prenups are not about mistrust, but about fairness and clarity. They ensure that the contributions of both get equal respect. It also puts a safety aspect in place for each person’s needs if things don’t work out.
“All athletes, entertainers, [and] anyone who feels like they have a certain amount of earning power should sign a prenup. I think you should sign it not only to protect each person but to make sure that each person is taken care of in a way that they should be for what they contributed,” added Clark.
Clark understands that no one goes into a marriage thinking it will end. People are full of hope, love, and optimism for a future together.
That’s exactly why people need to have these difficult conversations at the start. Clark added that when things do go wrong, emotions can take over, and people make decisions that hurt the very person they once loved deeply.
It’s a hard truth, especially in the world of professional sports, where marriages are often tested. This holds particularly after retirement, when identities shift and life changes dramatically.
Without a plan in place, the fallout from a failed relationship can be financially and emotionally devastating.
“What better could there be? Because I love you this much, I want to make sure that if things go right in a certain way, I can take care of you,” explained Clark.
“I want to make sure in my right mind, I know loving you if we grow up, if we have children, and let’s say things don’t go wrong, I would never want you and my children searching for a house. When the mad day comes, and now it’s get out. You wouldn’t have done that to that woman or those kids at the point where you loved them,” he added.
Prenuptial agreements often carry a negative stigma. Many see them as tools used to protect the interests of one party while denying the other a fair share. But that perception isn’t entirely accurate.
A well-crafted prenup safeguards both parties as long as both approach the conversation with honesty and good faith. It’s when malice or hidden agendas enter the picture that relationships tend to unravel.
In Hunter’s case, it’s clear he has a deep level of trust in his new wife, Lenee. That trust is evident not only in his decision to marry without a prenup but also in the way he showers her with affection and gifts. He recently gifted her a luxurious black Mercedes-Benz AMG G63, reportedly worth over half a million dollars.
What the future holds for the couple remains to be seen. But for now, they appear committed to standing by each other’s side, ready to support one another as they begin this new chapter together.
