Julius Peppers is not married and has never been married. However, he is in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Claudia Sampedro, with whom he has a son.
The former NFL big shot Julius Peppers is probably best remembered as the defensive end for Carolina Panthers. He made the 2002 NFL Draft and was drafted as the second overall pick by the Carolina Panthers, after leaving in 2009, he went ahead to play for other franchises such as the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers but returned to Carolina Panthers in 2017 where he finally retired from football in 2018.
Peppers recorded amazing stats throughout his one-and-a-half-decade career and is still being remembered for it. As his popularity grew, so did the curiosity about his life beyond his profession. The former defensive end is one of those celebrities who would rather keep details of their romantic life private, but this has not stopped the media from prying.
Bio and Profile Summary
| Age/Date of Birth: | 44 years old (18 January 1980) |
|---|---|
| Height: | 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) |
| Ethnicity/Race: | African-American |
| Nationality: | American |
| Wife or Girlfriend: | Claudia Sampedro (Partner) |
| Parents: | Father: George Kearney Mother: Bessie Brinkley |
| Net Worth: | $60 million |
Does Julius Peppers Have a Wife?
All those years in the NFL, many fans were on the lookout for who would be the lucky woman to become Mrs. Peppers, but no one seemed to have snapped that title. However, this does not mean that the former football player is not into women; actually, he is into very hot ones as his relationship history reveals.
A trip to Peppers’ Instagram profile includes photos of him posing with kids, older ones feature the kids with a certain lady, while many assume that this lady is his wife, this is not the case. Julius Peppers does not have a wife and has never been married. The closest he came to marriage was when it was revealed that he was engaged to a certain Claudia Sampedro, more on that anon.
Are Claudia Sampedro and Julius Peppers Married?
As stated above, Julius Peppers does not have a wife, nor is he married to Claudia Sampedro, the reason many have been thinking that the two are married is that they got engaged. However, after their engagement, things became very quiet about their relationship, thus many assumed that the two had secretly gotten married, but this does not seem to be the case, as either couple who maintains a high level of activity on social media would have most likely revealed it.
While it is a fact that Julius Peppers is not married and that Claudia Sampedro is not his wife, it is not clear whether or not the couple is still engaged or is broken up. They reportedly began dating in 2014 after having met at a party, by 2016, Sampedro was further shot into the limelight as she became part of the cast of the E! reality series WAGS Miami between 2016 and 2017.
WAGS is an acronym that stands for ‘Wives and Girlfriends of Sportsmen’. It is a show that focuses on the romantic partners of noted athletes and chronicles their relationship. Claudia was one of the main characters of the show, however, WAGS Miami was short-lived as it was canceled in 2017 after airing just two seasons. The show served as a platform for fans to know the state of Peppers’ relationship with Claudia and after it was canceled, not much was heard about the couple.
In one episode of the show, Claudia, in a discussion with Peppers brought up the idea of getting married but Peppers did not seem to be interested. She told the former footballer that marriage was something that she wanted and was inspired by her own parents who were married for thirty years thus marriage was something she saw in her future and definitely wants to go through with it.
Peppers seemed pressured by her “want” telling her that he liked the space that they were in and that they should keep things that way. It was the last episode that the two ever spoke about marriage.
After the show ended, the couple did not say much about their engagement and as years progressed, they seem to appear less and less on each other’s Instagram. The last time Claudia posted a photo featuring Pepper was in April 2019.
On the other hand, the last photo of Claudia seen on Peppers’ page is way back in his playing days in 2018, it seemed to have been Pepper’s last game with the Panthers as his entire family including his kids came to the pitch that day.
The fact that neither Claudia nor Peppers have deleted old photos of themselves on their respective Instagram pages suggests that maybe there might just be something still going on between them. Oftentimes, celebrities have come to be known for deleting photos of ex’s when they are no longer dating, except the relationship ended amicably which could also be the case for Claudia and Peppers.
While they were together, the couple blended their family, Peppers had a son named Elijah (born on 18th March 2014) from a previous relationship while Claudia had a daughter named Keana Banana (born 12th May 2008) from a previous relationship. One year after they started dating, Claudia and Peppers welcomed their child, a son named Amare on 21st September 2015.
While their recent Instagram posts do not feature either of them, they continue to post about their children.
Peppers continues to refer to Claudia’s daughter as his and Claudia refers to his son from a previous relationship as hers, her posts also suggest that she spends a lot of time with the retired footballer’s son from another woman.
This could mean one thing – that the couple are still very much engaged. However, there is absolutely no way of knowing and remains only mere speculation until the couple each decide to be more open about what type of relationship they have.
Who Is Pepper’s Supposed Fiance Claudia Sampedro?
Claudia Sampedro was born on October 27, 1989, in Havana, Cuba. According to the DailyMail, she has Moroccan heritage from her mother’s side and Spanish roots from her father’s. She is a glamour and fitness model. She relocated with her parents when she was 6 years old to Miami Florida. At the age of 16, she started working as a John Casablancas, a famed modeling agent, and scout.
After her high school education, she studied cosmetology in college. She has also been said to have an interest in nursing and has worked for one of Miami’s top plastic surgeons. She officially became a glamour model for Nutri Sups who signed her in 2011. She has appeared on the cover of magazines such as Face 2 Face Magazine and Mixed Magazine.
Claudia has been described as the ‘Cuban Kim Kardashian’ due to her uncanny resemblance with Kim. In addition to their resemblance, they have other things in common – they both were born in October and share an ex – both previously dater the former NFL running back Reggie Bush.
Julius Peppers’ Fact Sheet
Peppers Was Previously In A Relationship With Lia Ames
Apart from Claudia Sampedro, another person who is known to have been romantically involved with the former defensive end is a certain Lia Ames. She is said to be the mother of his son Elijah. They are said to have dated from 2011 to 2014. Peppers reportedly left her while she was pregnant with their son, Elijah.
According to Bossip, Ames dragged him to Miami Circuit Court, over custody and child support payments after Ames discovered she was pregnant. After a year-long court battle, Peppers was ordered to pay $8,000 per month in child support to his baby mama. The court also ordered that they would both agree in making decisions about their son including his health, schooling, and recreational activities.
| Profile Summary | |
|---|---|
| First Name: | Julius |
| Last Name: | Peppers |
| Also Known As: | The Freak of Nature |
| Sex/Gender: | Male |
| Profession: | Football defensive , |
| Famous As: | Special Assistant of Business for Carolina Panthers |
| Colleges/Universities Attended: | University of North Carolina |
| Educational Qualifications: | N/A |
| Religion: | |
| Birthday & Zodiac |
|
| Age/Date of Birth: | 44 years old (18 January 1980) |
| Zodiac Sign: | Capricorn |
| Birth Place: | Wilson, North Carolina, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity/Race: | African-American |
| Country of Residence: | United States of America (USA) |
| Physical Attributes |
|
| Height: | 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) |
| Weight: | 134 kg (295 lbs) |
| Eye Colour: | Dark Brown |
| Hair Color: | Black |
| Other Body Measurements: | N/A |
| Relationships | |
| Marital Status: | Not Married |
| Spouse/Partner: | Claudia Sampedro (Partner) |
| Family and Relatives |
|
| Father: | George Kearney |
| Mother: | Bessie Brinkley |
| Children: | 2 Sons - Elijah Peppers and Amaresito |
| Siblings: | Stephone Peppers- Brother |
| Other Relatives: | N/A |
| Net Worth | |
| Estimated Net Worth: | $60 million |
| Salary: | $5,000,000 |
| Source of Wealth: | Professional football career |
