Raymond Santana Jr. member of the “Exonerated Five,” is opening up about his marriage to reality TV star, Deelishis (née Chandra Davis).
While visiting the All Eyes on E podcast, Santana revealed why their relationship eventually dissolved.
“Who I am and what I stand for, it can’t survive in this space. Then, for me, I had to understand when it was over, it was over. And I think that was the realest thing for me and her, when she came to me and said, ‘It’s hard being your wife. I have to be somebody who I’m not.’”
Santana elaborated on what Davis meant by having to be someone else.
“Well, a wife. I’m more traditional. She’s not traditional. I didn’t ask her to make a lot of changes, but it comes to a certain point in your life with maturity that you make those changes on your own.” He continued, “And if I’m still growing and I don’t see you growing, and the kids are growing that are with us, then that doesn’t look right, you’re not a good example.”
Santana and Davis were married for two years after meeting on Instagram in 2019. Santana filed for divorce in November 2021 saying the marriage was “irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation.”
Deelishis was a contestant on season 2 of VH1’s Flavor of Love. She won the competition after she was chosen over Tiffany “New York” Pollard.
Santana, meanwhile, gained national attention following the release of Ava DuVernay’s hit Netflix series When They See Us, which explores the false convictions of five men — Korey Wise, Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson and Santana — when they were accused of raping a woman in New York City’s Central Park in 1989.
In 2002, their convictions were vacated and they have since received a settlement from New York City of more than $40 million.
Santana has been working closely with the Innocence Project and is a member of the New York City Justice League.