Russell Wilson Marks Ciara's 'SI' Cover Debut With Touching Letter

Ciara Wilson recently reached an enviable milestone when she made her cover debut in the prestigious Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine.

Ciara was one of the four cover models of the #SISwim22 issue, including Kim Kardashian, Maye Musk, and songstress Yumi Ni, unveiled on Monday, May 16.

For her unveiling, one of Ciara's core values, family, was incorporated. Her beloved husband Russell Wilson had the honor of penning her cover story, and it was nothing but spectacular.

Ciara made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover doing what she does best — turning heads. The "Level Up" singer stunned in a jaw-dropping bustier-style one-piece by LaQuan Smith that flaunted her generous bottom curves.

Ciara didn't hesitate to incorporate her Texas roots, wearing a straw hat as she waded in the clear blue water with a fierce look.

Her stunning cover photo, alongside other images from the 2022 issue, was taken by photographer Ben Watts in Barbados. Ciara was styled by Kollin Carter, with Cesar DeLeon Ramirez styling her hair and Yolonda Frederick-Thompson being responsible for her makeup.

The mother-of-three celebrated the cover unveiling with a social media post.

Alongside a photo of her cover, Ciara wrote, "Wow Wow Wow!!! This Dream of mines to be on the cover of @SI_SwimSuit finally came true! Truly proud to be on the cover of such an Iconic Magazine and to join the elite list of women that have come before me!"

She continued, "Thanks to MJ_Day and the SI team for choosing me to be your Cover Girl. I’m definitely gon be poppin and makin that thang JUMP today! It’s a celebration :)."

Per Sports Illustrated editor-in-chief- MJ Day, choosing Ciara was a no-brainer. "The journey we've been on—to break out of the mold the world put us in—may sound familiar. It's certainly familiar to the women we've chosen to be our cover models," Day said.

She continued, "Ciara has seen enormous success as a performer while simultaneously focusing on her passion for philanthropy and service."

As part of making her SI cover debut, Ciara's husband of five years was given the honor of penning her cover story, and the star athlete couldn't help but shower praises on his queen while telling their beautiful love story.

"When I was a kid, my dad would always say, “Why not you? Why not you?” Years later, I met Ciara and realized that was the exact same question she had asked herself—subconsciously and consciously—when she was growing up," Russell wrote about the foundation of their love.

He explained that they discovered their shared goals from the day they met and promised to open a school and write a book.

Fast forward to today, and their dreams have come true. Shedding light on their smashed goals, the Broncos quarterback mentioned that their first goal of opening school came to life with the launch of the Why Not You Academy.

"When Ciara and I visited during the opening of the school, it was amazing to see how excited the students were to have her there. She didn’t just speak to them. She spoke life into them," he recalled.

Gushing about his wife's positive impact on everyone around her, Russell wrote, "That’s what my wife does. She inspires people because she connects with them. She tilts rooms when she walks into them; it really seems like all the furniture just slides her way."

He recalled a particular incident during their first visit to Seattle Children’s Hospital where a woman with an ill child held on to the singer for five minutes without letting go. "That’s the kind of woman Ciara is—a ray of light," the doting husband declared.

The 33-year-old athlete touched on his wife's dancing and singing skills, noting that while the world is aware of her impeccable talent, her desire to spread positivity and energy is what inspires her art.

"It’s not a way to make a living, but rather it’s her gift to the world. So it has to be perfect. When she was nine months pregnant, she was still writing "Level Up," he noted.

However, amid her busy, perfectionist schedule, Russell lauded Ciara for always finding the time to be the best mother to their kids.

He said, "All of our kids have tender souls because Ciara is the same way with them."

Finally touching on her SI debut, he wrote, " I’m incredibly proud of my wife. And now that she’s on the cover of SI Swimsuit, that’s one more thing for me to take pride in. I know it’s something she’s always wanted. And I know she’ll use the visibility that comes with being on the cover to inspire even more people."

He ended the touching letter, writing, "Ciara, you are the greatest gift in the world! I love you."