Sometimes the story isn’t what you think you’re covering. You’re doing your job, downloading photos, labeling names, and going through the routine motions of covering a red carpet event. And then something doesn’t add up.
A caption that raises questions. A Google search that leads somewhere unexpected. Before you know it, you’ve stumbled into what the internet is calling a “public love triangle.”
A representative for one of the parties involved has since spoken out and cleared up what’s really happening. As it turns out, it’s anything but a “love triangle.”
What’s Going On With This NFL Player’s Love Life?
In a viral video with more than 1.1 million views, journalist Shamika Sanders (@shamika.sanders37) walked viewers through her accidental discovery while covering the 2026 NFL Honors red carpet.
Sanders was downloading images from Getty Images, a photo licensing service that provides captions with names and event details. She was specifically looking for photos of Black couples from the event when she came across San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams.
“I’m downloading all of the beautiful Black couples, and I get to Trent Williams,” Sanders explains in the TikTok.
But something was off. The Getty caption only listed “Trent Williams and guest.”
“I was like, now why would it only say Trent Williams and guest?” Sanders says.
Sanders did what any good reporter would do. She Googled “Trent Williams wife” and found Sondra Williams. But when she went to Sondra’s Instagram to confirm, she discovered something heartbreaking: The couple had recently experienced the stillborn birth of their son at 35 weeks.
“I was like, ‘Oh my god, no,'” Sanders says.
She looked for photos of Sondra with Trent to confirm the woman in the NFL Honors photos was Sondra. That’s when things got confusing.
“Wait a minute, this is not who I saw in the picture,” Sanders says she realized.
The woman at NFL Honors wasn’t his publicist or PR management. She was in a full gown, and the pose didn’t suggest a professional relationship. So Sanders kept digging.
She typed “Trent Williams girlfriend” into Google and found Reddit threads about a “public love triangle” with a woman named Paloma Adams.
According to what Sanders found online, Adams made her relationship with Williams official in a boyfriend reveal TikTok.
She scrolled through the comments on Adams’ posts and saw people calling her Williams’ “side chick” and “world known side chick.”
“Not me accidentally finding out that a married Trent Williams has a ‘public love triangle’ because he brought his girlfriend to NFL Honors last night,” Sanders said in the caption.
What Sanders—and most of the internet—didn’t know at the time is that Adams isn’t a side chick. She’s his fiancée.
Here’s more on that.
The Complicated Relationship Timeline
According to People Magazine, Trent Williams has been dating Paloma Adams since 2022. Adams, a social media influencer and Spelman College graduate, publicly revealed their relationship on TikTok using hashtags like “boyfriend reveal” and “NFL girlfriend.”
In an October 2023 interview with Today, Adams shared their game day traditions, including eating McDonald’s before every game. She regularly documents her time at 49ers games on TikTok, celebrating with Williams on the field and watching from private suites with other players’ partners.
But Williams was also marrieds. According to ESPN, his wife Sondra Williams announced in late 2024 that the couple had lost their son Trenton Jr., who was stillborn at 35 weeks. They had also lost Trenton’s twin earlier in the pregnancy. The couple shares three children together.
Media Take Out reported that Williams was seen bringing Adams to multiple Super Bowl parties over Super Bowl weekend, openly attending high-profile events together.
No one involved has publicly addressed the situation—until now.
@shamika.sanders37 Not me accidentally finding out that a married Trent Williams has a “public love triangle” because he brought his girlfriend to NFL Honors last night 🤦🏾♀️ #trentwilliams #nflhonors #palomaadams #sondrawilliams #fyp
Commenters React
“Do I know who Trent Williams is? No. Did I listen like we were best friends spilling the tea? Absolutely,” a top comment read.
“The NFL needs a morality clause. This is sad,” a person said.
“I wish more athletes realized they simply don’t have to get married lmao,” another wrote.
“It used to be shameful to be a sidechick now i swear these girls look forward to it,” a commenter wrote.
BroBible reached out to Sanders via email and Instagram direct message, Williams via Instagram direct message, Adams via email, and Sondra via Instagram direct message.