Shaq Barrett is speaking out in tribute to his 2-year-old daughter, Arrayah, in the wake of her tragic death.
On May 10, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker shared a video of himself talking to his little girl while she sat on his leg. In the clip, they both blew kisses at the camera and said, "I love you."
Barrett captioned the video, "I miss you sooo much baby girl. I love you please watch over us."
On May 1, Tampa police confirmed that Arrayah died after drowning in a pool, and officials said while the investigation was ongoing, it was believed to be a “purely accidental and tragic incident.”
In the comments section of Barrett's post, his wife, Jordanna, wrote, "We love you forever and ever babygirl," adding a pink heart emoji before continuing, "until we meet again my baby."
Barrett's former teammate Tom Brady added, "Love you," with red hearts and praying hands emoji.
A few hours later, Barrett shared a statement from his family alongside a photo that included his three other children, Shaquil Jr., Braylon and Aaliyah. In the post, the family expressed thanks for the "meals, flowers, gifts and support” they've received in the wake of Arrayah's death.
"I am typing this out because the amount has been astonishing and there is just no way to possibly get a thank you to each and every one of you," the statement read. "But not a single card, note, prayer, or thought has gone unnoticed."
"This has been the hardest couple weeks of our lives. And we couldn't have done it or start to even begin getting through this without you," the statement continued. "Our Arrayah sunshine was and is our world and knowing she has touched so many lives is so heart warming."
On April 30, in the wake of Arrayah's death, Barrett's team shared a statement expressing their condolences.
“Today’s tragic news is heartbreaking for all members of the Buccaneers family," the team said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Shaq, Jordanna and the entire Barrett family during this unimaginably difficult time."