Tim Anderson is attempting to repair the trust he lost with his wife, Bria, and has decided now is the time to open up to the public about cheating on her with social media influencer Dejah Lanee.
Anderson got real on The Pivot Podcast when asked about his extramarital affair and how he is trying to move forward after a private situation became public. Anderson has not looked right on the field ever since rumors began to surface that he was having an extramarital affair with Lanee.
Lanee posted multiple photos and videos exposing Anderson for cheating on his wife, Bria. The first piece of evidence came in June 2022 when she posted a video showing Anderson with the text “BabyFather.” Another batch of photos from Lanee showed Anderson kissing her while she was pregnant and one of Tim in the delivery room with her.
In the midst of all the rumors, Anderson posted a photo of his son on Instagram along with a caption that read:
“Everybody ain’t gotta know everything. Nobody ain’t gotta know shit, really.”
On Tuesday, Anderson confirmed the birth of his son, Sevn, telling The Pivot Podcast,
“This is my son, for sure. I never once denied it. I’m going to step up to the plate with what’s mine.”
Anderson, who has two daughters with his wife Bria said the two have worked tirelessly to repair the relationship. After Lanee began posting that Anderson was only with Bria for his public image he was seen on May 27th wearing a glove during a game with Bria’s name on the ring finger. Anderson has had the custom made glove for a long time but it seemed especially appropriate in the moment.
Bria also posted photos on Instagram with the caption, “Mrs. Anderson has entered the chat,” as well as a statement that read:
“Moment of authenticity–I know we’re all on social media, but there’s a distinction between the internet and real life. In REAL life, I am a mother and a WIFE that cares about my FAMILY above anything else. My truth is that my husband and I are working on our marriage, and I’m not interested in the internet games. I ask for everyone to respect my family’s privacy. Xo, Mrs. Anderson”
Anderson told The Pivot Podcast that in an effort to rebuild trust, the couple went to therapy.
‘We went to therapy,” Anderson said. “Just really digging into what was it. What caused me to go into these spaces? It’s a tough conversation. It’s a tough situation. We did a lot of work as far as understanding it and showing my love to my wife and to my kids. It’s something I’m still going through trying to master it to get to the point where I’m OK walking in it, stepping in it.”
When asked about who was in his corner at the time, the White Sox shortstop said there were times he felt “lonely” and that his list of people who supported him was thin.
“I remember when I was first going through it, I didn’t want to be seen,” Anderson said. “I didn’t want to be talked to. But I still had to go out and play. So that even made it a whole lot tougher, for sure.”
Anderson has always been a private person. He even admitted that he doesn’t spend much time around his teammates away from the clubhouse or on the road.
His play has slowly fallen off as the controversy has come to light. Anderson put together four straight seasons batting over .300 and appeared in back-to-back All-Star games in 2021 and 2022.
However, in 2022 his batting average was his lowest since 2018. He still managed to hit .301 but dealt with injuries for much of the season and had little to no power. This season he is batting .259 with no home runs and a -0.3 WAR.
Anderson appeared on The Pivot Podcast in an attempt to be more honest about the situation as he continues to develop off the field. Anderson’s father first laid eyes on him behind prison glass, so the 29-year-old knows what it’s like to be without a father figure. It’s one of the reasons why Anderson is supportive of all of his children.
“For me, I really try to ignore a lot of things or what a lot of people say because I know my truth and I know what’s real and what’s not,” Anderson told Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor on the podcast. “I just try to continue to handle it the best way I know how and not get distracted because, at the end of the day, I’m on a mission.”
Major typo in headline