Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary to delve deep into the incredible career of former running back Barry Sanders before he suddenly retired at his prime in 1999, Amazon Prime’s ‘Bye Bye Barry’ is unlike any other. That’s because it includes exclusive interviews with not only some of his closest loved ones but also he himself, along with archival footage to really drive home how he was the greatest at the time. Yet for now, if you simply wish to learn more about his personal life — in particular, about the woman to give him three of four sons, Lauren Campbell — we’ve got the essential details for you.
Who is Laura Campbell?
Since Lauren grew up in the historically Black neighborhood of Conant Gardens in Detroit, Michigan, while finishing her basic studies at a public school, she has always had her feet on the ground. In other words, she has never let either her rather elite upbringing or the infamous reputation of her city hold her back in any way, shape, or form — she is proud to call herself a true Detroiter. It thus comes as no surprise that upon graduating high school, she pursued a Media and Communications degree from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor before enrolling at Wayne State’s Law.
However, when the time came, Lauren kickstarted her professional journey as a Voice-Over Artist, On-Camera Spokesperson, as well as Journalist, leading to her long stint as a WDIV anchor. According to reports, she was actually associated with this NBC affiliate local news channel when she first came across the then-thriving NFL athlete, only for them to soon fall head over heels. The couple even moved in together towards the late 1990s, just to then gladly tie the knot in a super intimate ceremony surrounded by 50 of their closest friends and family in November 2000.
But alas, by the time mid-2012 rolled around, Lauren and Barry had crumbled apart to such an extent they were planning their divorce as well as battling custody issues regarding their three sons. Nick, Nigel, and Noah were 10, 8, and 4 at the time, so their father openly requested joint custody to ensure he could remain an active part of their lives while their mother covered most things. As per court records, the former couple had tried a mediator to work out their differences yet couldn’t, which is why they ultimately had to go through proper proceedings to finalize their divorce.
Where is Lauren Campbell Sanders Now?
Despite the reported messy separation, the truth is Lauren and Barry have not only managed to co-parent their sons seamlessly but also remained friends to this day — she has even come out to support him at important events, such as the premiere of ‘Bye Bye Barry.’ This much is actually evidenced all over her social media platforms too, which clearly indicates she’s proud to have the former professional footballer as her ex-husband because he has inadvertently inspired their sons’ non-traditional passions and dreams too. Nick plays basketball, Nigel is a music producer, whereas Noah is a footballer.
Coming to Lauren herself, from what we can tell, she parted ways with the newsroom following 15 years of unwavering service around the time of her divorce to launch her own unique venture. She truly wanted to have a better work-life balance to support her young sons, so she ended up establishing a boutique marketing and consulting firm by the name of The Elevate Project Inc. Nevertheless, since she couldn’t entirely say goodbye to her media-based career, the specialist also evolved into a Professional Host/Facilitator for Corporate Events or Corporate/Public Programming. In other words, Lauren has kept herself busy over the past decade, making it clear she gets genuine joy from both her family as well as her work.
Read More: Where is Robert Sanders Now?
