Russell Wilson and Ciara are one of the most well-known celebrity couples out there and aren't shy about showing their love for one another.
On Oct 27, Ciara posted a video of how Wilson, her husband of seven years, surprised her by renting out a Waffle House restaurant for her 38th birthday.
“Babe this is like next level,” Ciara said of the moment in the video. “This is top top!”
Ciara captioned the post, "Waffle & a Date…You know my heart Baby! I love you so much @DangeRussWilson! #WaffleHouse #BDAY 🧇❤️🤟🏽🎂😋🥰."
Prior to becoming a power couple, the two have both been successful in their own right. Wilson's a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who plays for the Denver Broncos and Ciara’s an established R&B singer who’s notched eight Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
Wilson burst on the scene by winning the starting quarterback job for the Seattle Seahawks as a rookie in 2012. The next season, he led the Seahawks to the franchise’s first Super Bowl title when the team dismantled the Denver Broncos, 43-8, in the 2014 Super Bowl. The team returned to the Super Bowl the following season, but fell to the New England Patriots.
Wilson remained one of the biggest stars in the NFL during his tenure with the Seahawks until he was surprisingly traded to the Broncos prior to the 2022 season. He was the starting quarterback last season and has held down the job so far this season.
Ciara is an accomplished singer, who emerged with her 2004 debut album, “Goodies,” which featured the song of the same name that soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also included “Oh” and “1, 2 Step,” both of which went to No. 2. She has released seven albums, won one Grammy and been nominated for four others. Prior to her relationship with Wilson, Ciara was engaged to rapper Future and they welcomed a son, also named Future, in 2014. She called off their engagement in 2014.
Here’s everything you need to know about Wilson and Ciara’s relationship.
How did Wilson and Ciara meet?
The pair first met in March 2015 at a University of Wisconsin basketball game. They got to talking and he asked her to dinner.
“Next thing I knew, it was 12:00, 12:30, and I was sold on you,” he said in an Instagram Live in 2020, according to reports.
When did Wilson and Ciara go public?
A month later, on April 28, 2015, the couple made a public appearance for the first time when they attended a state dinner at the White House.
Wilson and Ciara make a celibacy pact
In a July 2015 conversation with Pastor Miles McPherson of San Diego’s Rock Church, Wilson said that they reached an agreement while she was touring to remain celibate.
“I was sitting in the dressing room, she was getting ready to go about 15 minutes before she went onstage, and she was sitting there, and God spoke to me and said, ‘I need you to lead her,’” he said. “And I was like, ‘Really? Right now?’ And he was like, ‘No, I want you, need you to lead her.’ So I told her right then and there, ‘What would you do if we took all of that extra stuff off the table and just did it Jesus’ way?’”
“I ain’t going to lie to you all now,” he added. “I need you all to pray for us. I know you’ve seen her on the screen. If there’s a 10, she’s a 15.”
“It’s going pretty good. We’re hanging in there. I’m not gonna lie. I’m human, so it is not easy,” she told Cosmopolitan.com in February 2016. “Especially when I look at him and I think he is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen — that I’ve ever laid my eyes on, to be honest. I’m like, ‘Look the other way! Look the other way!’”
When did Wilson and Ciara get engaged?
In March 2016, he popped the question while they were on vacation in Seychelles.
“She said Yes!!! Since Day 1 I knew you were the one. No Greater feeling...” he captioned a video after she agreed to join him in wedded bliss.
When did Wilson and Ciara get married?
The couple tied the knot July 6, 2016, at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, England. Kelly Rowland, Jennifer Hudson and La La Anthony were among the celebrities in attendance, according to People. Ciara and Wilson confirmed the nuptials with the same posts on social media.
"We are The Wilsons!" Wilson captioned a picture of them on their wedding day on Instagram, while Ciara did the same on Twitter, which is now X.
Do Wilson and Ciara have kids?
Ciara announced in October 2016 that she and Wilson were expecting their first child. She gave birth to Sienna Princess Wilson on April 28, 2017.
In January 2020, the couple revealed they were going to have a second child together. Win Harrison Wilson was born on July 23, 2020.
In August 2023, Ciara revealed she was pregnant. That followed an amusing moment when she hosted “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in March 2022, when Wilson gave her a bouquet of roses and asked if they could have another child.
Have Wilson and Ciara collaborated together?
The stars have indeed teamed up on some professional endeavors. In 2019, they formed Why Not You Productions to make projects for film, television and digital content, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
They also work on the Why Not You Foundation, "a nonprofit dedicated to fighting poverty through education, empowering youth to lead with a why not you attitude," according to the organization's website.
In March 2022, the couple released their first book together, "Why Not You?" The story focused on encouraging kids to try and accomplish their hopes and dreams.
“When Ciara and I first met, one of the first things we talked about is if we could do one thing, what would it be?” he told People in advance of the book's release. “We talked about opening up a school. Well, we did that with the Why Not You Academy, and then we also talked about having a book, and so our goals and dreams are being accomplished as we speak.”
What did Russell Wilson do for Ciara's 38th birthday?
For Ciara's 38th birthday, Russell Wilson rented out an entire Waffle House for his wife.
On Oct. 26, Ciara shared a video of them dining at the restaurant, which was decorated with black and yellow balloons.
"Babe this is like next level," she said as their car pulled into the parking lot. "This is top top!"
"My honey knows how much I love Waffle House. He rented out the whole Waffle House and I am the happiest girl in the world. This is crazy," the "Body Party" singer added.
Inside the restaurant, Ciara got a pile of donuts for a birthday cake that was topped with lit candles. When she blew them out, she immediately turned to Wilson to give him a kiss.
"Hey babe. This is for sure one of the most epic things that you've ever done," she said in the video.
"I love you so much," Ciara captioned the clip.