Tim Tebow and his wife Demi-Leigh Tebow have been enjoying a blissful marriage for four years, but their romance wasn’t without its challenges. In a recent interview, Demi-Leigh, 29, revealed that she and the retired NFL quarterback, 36, faced a significant obstacle when they first started dating: a language barrier.
As Demi-Leigh explained, “Loving in a second language is different.” She recalled the time she told Tim to “keep well” after their first date, which left him confused. Tim remembered the moment vividly, saying, “Her first language is Afrikaans, not English. I was like, ‘Keep well?’ … I don’t know if I’m going to see you again!'”
The couple’s love story began in 2018 at the Tim Tebow Foundation’s annual Night to Shine event, which provides a prom experience for people with special needs. Demi-Leigh’s sister, Franje, who had cerebellar agenesis and passed away in 2019, played matchmaker for the couple.
Tim Tebow and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for DIRECTV
Today, the couple is dedicated to their philanthropic work, particularly in the special needs community and in the fight against human trafficking. Tim credits Demi-Leigh for inspiring him to make a difference. “I don’t know if she was inspired by me, but I was inspired by her,” he said.
The former NFL star is also excited about Demi-Leigh’s upcoming memoir, A Crown That Lasts, which will be released on August 13. In the book, Demi-Leigh shares her experiences as a pageant queen and how she learned to find her self-worth beyond her titles.
Tim praised Demi-Leigh’s courage in writing about her struggles, saying it will “be a great encouragement” to other women. Demi-Leigh, in turn, is grateful for Tim’s support throughout the writing process. She recalled the late-night writing sessions, saying, “He’d just make me a hot bath with some Epsom salt.”
Tim previously expressed his pride in Demi-Leigh’s memoir on Instagram, saying it will be “life-changing” for many people. He wrote, “I know this message will be life-changing for so many, me included! I pray it impacts anyone who may have also planted their identity in something temporary and needs a reminder that no label a person gives you compares to what God calls you: son or daughter of the King.”
For more on Tim and Demi-Leigh, watch the video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
