Before Bre Tiesi was a star on Selling Sunset and a mom to Legendary Love, her son with Nick Cannon, she was married to former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel.
The two began dating in 2016 and got engaged less than a year later. They got married in 2018, but a year later, it appeared the two had split after Tiesi wiped her Instagram of photos of them together. Shortly after, Manziel confirmed the news of the split in an interview with TMZ Sports.
“This is all very, very personal and very sad,” Manziel told the outlet in March 2019. “I appreciate everyone who has been so supportive of both of us and I would just ask that everyone respect our privacy at this difficult time. My hope is to put my head down and be allowed to focus on work and what is required of me on the football field.”
Their divorce was finalized in November 2021, and less than a year later, Tiesi welcomed her first child with Cannon.
From when they first started dating to the drama surrounding Manziel during their relationship, here’s a look back at Bre Tiesi and Johnny Manziel’s relationship.
Manziel and Tiesi started dating the same year he was released from the NFL
Tiesi and Manziel first began dating in 2016 — the same year the quarterback’s NFL career came to an end. Though he was only 23 at the time, Manziel had already faced much controversy following his career at Texas A&M, which was plagued by scandals of excessive partying and allegedly signing autographs for money, which was not allowed by the NCAA at the time.
After joining the NFL in 2014, Manziel’s career continued to be embroiled in controversy as he was fined $12,000 by the league for making an offensive hand gesture on national television and then checked into a treatment facility for drug and alcohol rehabilitation in January 2015.
In February 2016, Manziel was involved in an alleged domestic dispute in which he allegedly threatened to kill himself and his ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, who claimed he beat her so badly she lost hearing in her left ear. Weeks later, the Browns released Manziel, and his NFL career was over. In April 2016, Manziel was indicted on a misdemeanor assault charge but later reached an agreement with prosecutors to dismiss the charge.
Later that year, Manziel was tied to Tiesi.
They got engaged after less than a year of dating
Manziel proposed to Tiesi during a trip to Paris in March 2017. They had been dating for less than a year but got especially close during a trip to Miami in December 2016.
“When you find a girl as amazing as I did that saved me from where I was in my life, you absolutely put a ring on it,” Manziel told TMZ at the time.
He told the outlet that he proposed with a diamond ring and a bouquet of roses in Paris.
“I’m in shock. I couldn’t imagine a day without [Johnny]. I’m so glad I never have to,” Tiesi said.
They were married for one year
A year after getting engaged, Manziel and Tiesi tied the knot in March 2018 in a private wedding ceremony at a California courthouse. However, they kept their wedding a secret at first, with a source close to Manziel confirming it happened to PEOPLE.
“He is telling people close to him [about the wedding],” the source said. “They didn’t invite anyone but a couple of witnesses. I think they’ll have a party later.”
They added that Tiesi had been a stabilizing presence in Manziel’s life as he dealt with the fallout of his career and reputation.
“He’s trying to get his life settled down,” the source said. “She’s good for him and balances him, and he’s crazy about her.”
Tiesi accused Manziel of cheating on her
Almost exactly a year after getting married, Tiesi and Manziel split in March 2019. The model addressed her relationship on Instagram, responding to a follower who asked a question about Manziel.
“U been married? U been betrayed? I don’t do betrayal for a person I was devoted to period,” she wrote in a since-deleted post. “Vows were broken f— money and f— u and every other loser on here.”
According to a source, the drama started after Tiesi went on vacation to Bali, Indonesia, and when she returned, she deleted all the photos of her and Manziel off her Instagram after finding out he was cheating on her.
“She went away, and when she got back, she thought he had been cheating,” the source said. “She somehow found out, and she was irate.”
A second source added that the two had been fighting “like cats and dogs” since her return due to the alleged infedilty.
“One minute they were together, the next minute they were going to split up,” they said. “Then they were going to reconcile. It went back and forth for days. They really hit a rough patch.”
Soon after, Manziel confirmed in an interview with TMZ Sports that the two had split up and filed for divorce.
She celebrated her divorce with a party
Over two years after filing, Tiesi and Manziel’s divorce was finalized in November 2021. Tiesi celebrated the moment with a party with her friends and a red broken heart-shaped cake that read “I do, I did, I’m officially done” on one side and “divorced at last” on the other. The dessert also featured a Barbie doll with a mini bottle of alcohol lying next to it.
“I do, I did, I’m officially done,” Tiesi captioned photos from the event on Instagram. “Thanks to all my girls for the craziest divorce party. No shade to J, wish you nothing but the best, love ya.”
Manziel appeared on an episode of Selling Sunset nearly three years after their divorce was finalized
Tiesi soon moved on from her split with Manziel when she entered a relationship with Cannon and welcomed a son with him. She also joined the cast of Netflix’s Selling Sunset season 6 in 2023.
Manziel appeared on the show in its eighth season, owning up to his infidelity while Tiesi sold him a house.
“My ex-husband Johnny Manziel reached out because he’s looking for a house in L.A. I’m going to help him find something but we’re going to make sure he lives very far from me,” Tiesi joked during a confessional clip.
While the two toured the $4 million house, Manziel shared how proud he was of all that Tiesi had accomplished in the last few years.
“Life goes the way that it’s supposed to go,” Manziel said. “You are in a position now where you got exactly what you wanted in life. And I’m proud of you for that and I’m happy for you.”
He added, “I learned a lot about what I handled wrong. I was a lost, depressed kid running around the Hollywood Hills getting drunk every night and living in a nightclub. And a lot of time behind your back, probably.”
At which point Tiesi cut in, saying, “Oh you spent a lot of time with someone else on their back, but yes it’s fine.”
Manziel then acknowledged that he cheated on her, laughing and nodding his head in response.
“Yes, Bre, yes. Yeah, I know,” he said. “And I still feel bad to this day about treating you like that. Getting divorced after we broke up was one of the hardest points in my life, and I cried and I begged and I pleaded.”
In her confessional following the clip, Tiesi reflected on Manziel’s apology, while acknowledging that he still had his faults.
“I’m happy to hear that J can recognize the hell that he put me through. That tells me that at least the effort I put in is recognized and it’s not all completely in vain,” she said. “Johnny is like Peter Pan, he just never wants to grow up. So we’re gonna let him stay in his little fairytale land.”