Tyreek Hill denies filing for divorce. What do records say?

Contrary to Tyreek Hill’s social media posts asserting he is ‘‘happily married,” the Dolphins wide receiver filed for divorce on Monday, saying his two-month old marriage to Keeta Vaccaro was “irretrievably broken,” according to Broward court records.

And the attorney representing Hill, 29, in the divorce filing — Gary F. Celetti Jr. — is the same attorney representing Hill in two paternity suits filed against him last year in Broward court.

Celetti did not respond to the Miami Herald’s request for comment Wednesday afternoon.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Hill on Tuesday disputed reports that he was seeking a divorce. He also shared on Tuesday a photo of himself and Keeta on his Instagram story.

READ MORE: Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill files for divorce in Broward County, later disputes

“boy no the heck we didn’t so don’t put that in the air !!!” Hill said on X. “We are happily married and gone stay that way.”

Hill married Vaccaro in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 8, during the Dolphins’ bye week. The two had been engaged since 2021 when Hill proposed at their Fourth of July party.

According to the filing, the couple doesn’t have marital assets or liabilities accumulated during the marriage, likely due to a prenuptial agreement. Hill has 120 days to serve Vacarro in order for the proceedings to continue.

‘Legitimate’ divorce petition

In an era of identity theft, it’s possible for someone to impersonate a lawyer, though it’s extremely unlikely, said Evan Marks, who has been a divorce attorney in South Florida for four decades. The way Hill’s petition was written, however, leads Marks to believe that wasn’t the case.

“This is a legitimate, properly filed petition for dissolution of marriage,” said Marks, who reviewed the divorce filing for the Herald. “There’s no indication that it’s anything other than a legitimate petition.”

Any action a lawyer takes, he said, must be after meeting with his or her client, informing them of their rights and gathering information about the marriage in preparation for any filings. Attorneys and clients also enter a written contract that includes the responsibilities of both parties as well as how much the lawyer will be paid.

Only then, he said, can an attorney file anything on their client’s behalf.

Divorce proceedings can be complex, Marks noted. And he said it’s not unusual for someone who filed for divorce to change their mind after a short period of time.

“These kinds of cases are filed with emotions,” he said. “These cases are between people who, at least at some point, were in love with each other. Relationships have jealousy and other emotions in them…”

Divorce filing comes after fire at Hill’s home

The divorce filing comes about three weeks after a fire engulfed a portion of Hill’s $7 million mansion in Southwest Ranches in Broward, near Davie, causing more than $2.3 million in damages, according to Davie Fire Rescue.

The Jan. 3 early afternoon fire was caused by a two children accidentally playing with a lighter, setting ablaze a cloth toy and, in fear, throwing the lit toy into a bedroom closet before running out of the room, according to a report from Davie Fire Rescue.

READ MORE: Firefighters determine what caused the blaze in Tyreek Hill’s $7 million mansion

At the time of the fire, Vaccaro was in the home along with Hill’s mother and two children. No one was injured. The report did not identify the children’s names, but it did say one of the factors contributing to the fire was a 4-year-old ‘playing with heat source’ who was unsupervised.

Hill has three children under 10 with ex-fianceé Crystal Espinal. Two other children, who were born in 2023, are subject of paternity suits filed last year in Broward court by Kimberly Baker and Brittany Lackner.

Hill was at the Dolphins practice in Miami Gardens at the time of the fire. After practice in front of his locker room, he told reporters: “Although it sucks to see rooms destroyed and everything you worked for destroyed, my main thing was health and making sure my kids are alright.”

“My wife’s good, my mom’s good and my nephews are good. So that’s all that matters.”

Miami Herald sportswriter Daniel Oyefusi contributed to this report

This story was originally published January 24, 2024, 5:18 PM.