Darren Waller has broken his silence two months after his divorce from WNBA star Kelsey Plum in April.
The former Giants player revealed he’s been reflecting on the role he played in the breakdown of his marriage, which lasted just one year.
Waller, who also hung up his football boots last months after eight seasons in the NFL, told Power 105.1’s ‘The Breakfast Club’ the he was forced ‘to look in the mirror’ after Plum ended their relationship.
‘You talk about get honest or die lying, you kinda got to look at yourself and realize, alright, what role am I playing that all the relationships in my life have always had the same patterns,’ he said on Monday’s episode of the show.
‘It kinda plays into everything else I was mentioning earlier, the co-dependency aspect like, any time I’m in a relationship, I feel like I gotta dance or do a certain thing to keep this person around, almost tying my self-worth to the success of a relationship, and you realize how much you lose yourself and doing the things that you love and things that take care of you on a daily basis.’
Darren Waller has broken his silence two months after his divorce from WNBA star Kelsey Plum
The couple were married for just one year, after tying the knot in March 2023
He also seemingly suggested that making Plum ‘the center of [his] universe’ was ‘unhealthy’ for both of them.
‘Realizing that and realizing the impact that it was having on me, as far as making decisions that were authentic for the life that I wanted, these are things that I couldn’t say 100 percent yes to. You have certain conversations and realize there’s so much life ahead of both of us, might as well just go ahead and live it and move on and no type of hostility,’ he explained.
The 31-year-old former tight end tied the knot with the two-time WNBA champion in March 2023.
The following April, reports began to emerge that the couple’s relationship had broken down.
The Las Vegas Aces point guard also posted a cryptic message on social media.
Waller’s decision to retire from the NFL came a few weeks after the couple’s split
Plum and the New York Giants star Waller announced their separation back n April
Waller called time on his career after eight seasons on the Giants, Raiders and Ravens
‘I’m devastated. I walked through fire for that man, but now I see it’s time to go. God has given me an incredible life, and I’m truly so grateful for the profound love from my family and friends. One day I’ll share my story, today is not that day. Thank you for the grace to process my pain, to forgive and move forward. Today and everyday I continue to choose joy,’ she wrote at the time.
Waller responded to the 29-year-old’s comments about their marriage, noting that she ‘has every right to express herself in whichever way that she chooses.’
‘I was never perfect, and some of the reasons that motivated me to leave, they caused harm, they hurt, I respect whatever way she wants to express herself,’ he went on.
‘I’m out here trying to improve and by no means claiming to be a victim in any way, I’m all good with it.’
Waller ended his NFL career with 350 receptions for 4,124 yards and 20 touchdowns.
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