It is not unusual for former NFL player and son of Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, Shilo Sanders, to be at the center of criticism regarding his extravagant lifestyle. Even amid the ongoing lawsuit that led to him declaring bankruptcy in 2023, Shilo has continued to draw attention for traveling around Florida looking at luxury apartments. This time, his Tesla Cybertruck has once again put him on the stand.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
In a recent livestream of his, Sanders addressed criticism he faced for buying the Cyberbeast, despite claiming to be struggling financially.
“I ain’t going to name no names, but I know for sure places that you cannot resist shopping at, for sure has said some crazy things,” Sanders claimed. “So y’all just want to point the finger at me cause’ I got a Tesla, and y’all probably use a lot of things every single day that people say things that’s not right and y’all still support it. But you want to talk about me driving a Tesla for the convenience and safety of my life.”
There are a number of reasons why the former NFL player and content-creator faced backlash for buying the custom car, which can cost upwards of $100,000 to $120,000. This is not the first luxury vehicle he owns, and Sanders was already at odds with Mercedez-Benz, who accused him of defaulting on the monthly payments on a $135,000 car he purchased earlier.
Sanders has owned the CyberBeast for some time now. It is decked out in black and gold, and it is not the first time it has landed Sanders in trouble. The car was spotted in an Instagram story posted by CU assistant athletic trainer Lauren Askevold when Shilo was still in college in 2024. That did not help his bankruptcy case, for which he appealed in 2023.
The vehicle was seen in a recent video Shilo Sanders shared on his YouTube Channel. In it, he says the car got an upgrade, i.e. the one which sends the cars flying, and proceeds to allegedly also demonstrate it. Whether or not that part of the video is AI-generated is unknown.
For the uninitiated, Shilo Sanders has been embroiled in a controversial lawsuit where a guard from his high school, John Darjean, claimed that Sanders assaulted him for trying to take the then-fifteen-year-old’s phone. The guard claimed that the injuries he sustained during the altercation had left him with permanent spinal injuries, nerve damage, and other health issues. Sanders was hit with an $11.89 million default judgment in 2022 after he failed to show up in court. He later filed for bankruptcy in 2023 in a bid to escape the debt, the proceedings for which are still ongoing.
The trial was held this year, and Shilo claimed it was Darjean who had assaulted him, not the other way round. If the former NFL player is found to have acted willfully and with malice, he will have to pay the due amount. A ruling is not expected until next year.
However, amid such a tough decision looming over his head, Shilo Sanders has been house-hunting. He has looked at various luxury properties in Florida, and is also considering New York. However, so far, it doesn’t look like he can find one within his budget. One of the first apartments Sanders visited really made an impression on him, but he made a beeline for the elevator once he heard the five-digit sum for rent.
New York can pose a different challenge altogether, considering how high rent is in the city.
For now, Shilo Sanders might have to think differently about what personal flexes he chooses to show to the public, as he awaits the decision on his appeal.