- The former NFL wide receiver and sportscaster, Ahmad Rashad enjoyed success after changing different careers and equally changed spouses five times.
- He is the father of six children from his many marriages and other relationships
- The 74 year old”s last marriage to his current wife, Ana Luz Rodriguez-Pas was shocking to many as she is over three decades younger than him.
Ahmad Rashad spouses ranged from popular actresses to marriage therapists. The former NFL wide receiver for teams like the Minnesota Vikings and St. Loiuse Cardinals turned sportscaster and actor has a successful career that many only dreams of. Yet, with his successful life, Rashad has left a string of five marriages in his rise to the top.
Notably, he has been married to five different women one of whom is the popular actress of The Cosby’s Show, Phylicia Rashad. The sportscaster worked for stations like NBC, ABC, and ESPN and was a host on shows like Inside Stuff, Real TV, Ceasar’s Challenge, and many more.
Here are all the intriguing details we found out about the NFL Hall of Famer, former player, and sportscaster’s spouses and children.
What we Know About the Early Life of Ahmad Rashad
The one-time wide receiver for the NFL was born Robert Earl Moore on November 19, 1949, in Portland Oregon. He started his career playing for the Ducks team of the University of Oregon. His outlook on life started changing in college when he started studying Islam.
Later on, he changed his belief from Pentecostalism to Islam in 1972. Notably, another incident in the life of the rising star was the felony charge in 1970 which led him to plead guilty to a lesser charge in 1971. Having converted to his new faith, it was not long before the young Moore decided to change his name to Ahmad Rashad which means admirable one led to truth in Arabic.
Let’s Meet All of Ahmad Rashad Spouse
Ahmad Rashad is reportedly said to have been married five times to different women of which he divorced four times.
1. Deidre Waters
Rashad’s first marriage to Deidre Waters ended as abruptly as it had started in 1969. Over the years, queries into the real cause of their divorce did not reveal anything. They had one daughter, Keva together.
2. Matilda Johnson(1976-1979)
The Oregon-born native waited a few years before marrying his second wife, Matilda Johnson. They got married in 1976 but after three years, the marriage came to end.
However, despite being together for only three years, Rashad and Matilda’s union produced two of his children, Maiyisha and Ahmad Rashad Jr.
3. Phylicia Rashad(1985-2001)
The Oregon-born native third’s marriage was to the American actress and singer, Phylicia Rashad who is also known as Phylicia Ayers-Allen. They were both sensational media people at the time they started their relationship. He was a retired NFL player and enjoyed the success of a career as a sportscaster while Phylicia was a top actress in The Cosby’s Show at the time.
Rashad proposed to his then-girlfriend, Phylicia in one of football’s most dramatic events. He popped the question on national Tv during The Detroit Lion’s annual Thanksgiving celebration on November 28, 1985.
After she accepted his proposal, the two tied the knot on December 14, 1985. His best man was OJ Simpson while Phylicia was walked down the aisle by her TV husband, Bill Cosby. Though his marriage to The Cosby’s star actress is his longest so far, it had a tragic ending. She filed for divorce on the grounds of abandonment and it was finalized in the early part of 2001.
Despite their fairy tale marriage which was a third for both, the ill-fated marriage of almost two decades produced a child, Condola Phylea Rashad. Rashad also became a stepfather to Phylicias son, Williams Lancelot Bowles III who is also known as Billy Bowles from a previous marriage.
See Also: William Lancelot Bowles Jr. Is Phylicia Rashad’s Ex-husband: 7 Unknown Facts
4. Sale Johnson(2007-2013)
His fourth marriage was to Sale Johnson, a model and millionaire ex-wife of Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets. Their marriage of 6 years made him a father to Sale’s children, Casey Johnson, Daisy Johnson, and Jamie Johnson with her ex.
After the death of her daughter, Casey, Rashad and Sale adopted her daughter. Their divorce was highly publicized after Sale kicked him out of their lavish Florida where they were neighbors with basketball giant Michael Jordan and golfer Tiger Woods. Sale also set the estate security on him to make sure he leaves.
According to some sources, the marriage which was heavily fortified with a prenuptial agreement removed his rights to her fortune. There are sources that trace Sale’s fortune to her divorce settlement of $100 million from Woody Johnson. Moreso, Sale also removed him from membership of the clubs that they had belonged to.
5. Ana Luz Rodriguez-Pas( 2016-Present)
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The 74 years old is presently married to his fifth wife, Ana Luz Rodriguez-Pas. Ana is a psychologist and marriage therapist. Despite the age difference of 32 years between the two, they did not allow it.
Reportedly, they tied the knot in April of 2016 and the occasion was officiated by one of her family members at the Palm Beach Gardens. For now, their marriage is kept on the low compared to Rashad’s earlier marriages.
Ana completed her studies at New York University and earned a degree in psychology. She has a successful practice with offices in Boca Raton and Miami. The family therapist branched into acting after landing the leading role in the 2007 indie drama, Consensual Injustice. The movie centers around the Ponce Massacre of anti-US protesters in Puerto Rico in 1937.
All We Know About Ahmad Rashad’s Six Children
1. Geoffery Simmons
- Date of Birth: December 31, 1967
- Mother: Melody Neal
Geoffrey is the oldest child of the celebrated former pro footballer. His father, Rashad never met him as a child. His mother, Melody Neal was Rashad’s high school girlfriend and after she gave birth to Geoffrey, she put him up for adoption through the Medina Adoption Agency now known as Amara in 1967.
It is gathered that his mother gave birth to him at Swedish Hospital in Seattle and his birth certificate carries the name “Baby Boy Neal”. He was later named by Charles and Mary Simmons after they adopted him nine months later.
The father and son met years later. Geoffrey’s mother died of cancer in 1991.
2. Keva Rashad
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- Date of Birth: 1970
- Mother: Deidre Waters
She is the daughter of the iconic sportscaster from his first marriage.
3. Sean Rashad
- Date of Birth: 1970
- Mother: Unknown
Reportedly Sean Rashad is a product of an affair between Ahmad and an unidentified woman. However, he was born in the same year as his sister, Maiyisha.
4. Maiyisha Rashad
- Date of Birth: 1976
- Mother: Matilda Johnson
5. Ahmad Rashad Jr.
- Date of Birth: 1977
- Mother: Matilda Johnson
Rashad Jr is a product of Ahmad’s second marriage. The celebrity son works in production with credits in TV production. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked with:
- Amazon Studios
- Sacramento Kings
- VH1
- Nickelodeon
- Disney ABC Television group
- Warner Brothers
- Paramount Pictures
6. Condola Phylea Rashad
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- Date of Birth: December 11, 1986
- Mother: Phylicia Rashad
She is following in her mother’s footsteps as an actress. The 37 was born in New York City just a year after her parent’s first wedding anniversary.
She and her boyfriend got engaged during a Mexico trip. They have not revealed plans for their wedding yet. The actress is successful in her career with roles in movies such as Sex and the City2 Money Monster, Steel Magnolias, and Billions.
She won a Pulitzer Prize for her performance in Ruined.
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