Travis Hunter and fiancee Leanna Lenee make red carpet appearance
Colorado Buffaloes two-way player Travis Hunter and his fiancée Leanna Lenee are going strong after the public controversy over their relationship last month.
Hunter and Lenee stepped away from the spotlight and scrubbed their Instagram pages, respectively, after vitriol, which started over Lenee’s demeanor during the wide receiver-cornerback’s Heisman Trophy win on Dec. 14.
The couple returned to the spotlight as a united front while attending Sports Illustrated’s annual awards ceremony at the Wynn in Las Vegas, where Hunter accepted the 2024 Breakout Star of the Year honor.
Hunter, 21, wore a black suit and Lenee looked stunning in a form-fitting red gown with a plunging neckline as they smiled and held hands on the red carpet.
The receiver/cornerback, who is possibly the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, thanked Lenee in his acceptance speech while on stage.
“I don’t know where I’d be this year without just praying every night with my fiancée,” he said as the camera focused on Lenee sitting in the crowd. “I want to thank my family and everbody around the Colorado program.”
It marked the couple’s first public appearance since many took aim at their relationship over multiple videos in which Lenee appeared angry while supporting Hunter on multiple occasions.
at Sports Illustrated’s annual awards ceremony at the Wynn in Las Vegas on January 7, 2025. Hunter accepted the 2024 Breakout Star of the Year honor. TikTok/Sports Illustrated
Lenee faced criticism when a video showed Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders appearing to tell her to stand and applaud Hunter when he was announced the Heisman winner last month.
Hunter later said Lenee got drunk and cried herself to sleep over the ridicule.
Before that, some took issue with Lenee’s demeanor in another video, which featured her looking stoic on a couch while Hunter posed for photos during a meet-and-greet with fans at his own event.
After Hunter deactivated his Instagram account, an older video that seemed to show Lenee dancing with another man surfaced on social media.
Lenee addressed situation in a since-deleted TikTok video late last month, and explained things were taken out of context on multiple occasions.
“The things that I see people make up is truly crazy because that’s not what happened,” she said. “I just think people are finding every single little thing and making it something it’s not. Bird-brained individuals are just accepting what they see online.”
Some sports personalities, past and present, suggested that Hunter and Lenee should’ve been more private about showcasing their relationship on social media.
Hunter and Lenee revealed their engagement in February after going public with their relationship in 2022.
