Is Food Network's Eddie Jackson Married, Who Is His Wife?

American chef Eddie Jackson (@chefeddiejackson) rose into prominence after winning the eleventh season of the Food Network Star in 2015. Three years later, in 2018, he joined as a judge to evaluate the final 13 contestant dishes in the chef reality competition.  

And now, he is regarded as one of the major personalities of the network. Some have gone as far as to label him as potentially "the new leading man" of the network since he was appointed to judge multiple shows in 2022, such as Haloween Wars, Christmas Cookie Challenge, OutChef'd, BBQ Brawl, The Big Bake, Big Bad Budget Battle. According to Celebritynetworth, his present estimated net worth is $1 million. 

The Americus, Georgia-born chef is also expected to enjoy similar success in 2023 and ultimately list his name among the most prominent figures of the network, such as Duff Goldman, Guy Fieri, and Bobby Flay.    

But netizens are not only interested in what the talented chef is doing to turn the Food Network into the most sought-after food competition channel. In addition, fans also want to know about his personal life, dating status, and relationship history. 

However, if you didn't know, the  American chef and former football cornerback Eddie Jackson have usually remained private about his personal life.

We have penned this article to cover his personal life in detail. Read the full article to get exclusive information. 

Why did Eddie Jackson quit playing football?

Born on December 19, 1980, Eddie Jackson's birth name is Eddie Paul Jackson Jr. He is a former NFL player who has played in safety slots in teams such as Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Washington Redskins. He shares the same name as Chicago Bears' Eddie Jackson, who also plays in safety slots. 

Jackson's career demise started in 2006 after he suffered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in a match for Miami Dolphins. Later, the club put him on injured reserve before ultimately deciding not to offer him a contract for further years. 

After that, he signed for New England Patriots in 2007 and was let loose during the season because of a lack of adequate performance and game time. Finally, in 2008, he decided to quit football after failing to make it to the active roster of the Washington Redskins. The club had signed him during the offseason.

After Jackson retired from football, he did stints as a personal trainer and a food truck owner before finally participating in season 4 of the Masterchef in 2013, realizing that he must follow his lifelong passion for cooking. After Masterchef, he participated in the Food Network Star, won the show, and got his own Food Network series, BBQ Blitz, and the rest is history. 

Is Eddie Jackson gay?

Because of his private personal life, fans have largely queried over the internet about his relationship status, sexuality, marital status, and whether the former University of Arkansas alum is single or has a wife or a partner. 

Jackson actually hasn't exclusively talked about his sexuality up till now. However, it is safe to say that he is straight since he has spoken about his girlfriend in an interview in 2015. 

Who are Eddie Jackson's ex-girlfriends?

Jackson rarely opens up about his personal life.

For instance, he finally opened up about his relationship with his then-girlfriend while speaking with TV Line's Michael Slezak in August 2015 after winning the Food Network Star competition. 

He even got candid about his Jamaican ex-girlfriend, his pre-Food Network life, and the sudden shift from Caribbean fare to barbecue.

Jackson first revealed that his then-partner was the one who encouraged him to audition for the Food Network show, which changed his life forever. 

He recounted his conversation with his girlfriend, stating, "I was sitting there watching Food Network, and the teaser came on, 'If you think you have what it takes…' I looked at my girlfriend and said, 'I think I can do that.'" 

"And she said, 'Then do it!' So I went to the auditions in Austin, TX, and the rest is history," he added proudly.

When asked if his partner was jealous and gave him grief over female judges and diner's comments regarding his looks and physique, Jackson laughed and implied she wasn't green with envy. 

"She's very laid back," he quipped, adding she supported him whenever needed. All that said, it is now unknown if he is still dating his then-partner or has broken up with her. 

In the same interview, Jackson also weighed in on his marital status and confirmed he was unmarried at the time of the interview. He did so to clarify that his Jamaican ex wasn't his wife.

He explained he met his Jamaican partner when he was in Miami and went to P.F. Chang's every day. "...there was a hostess there, she was Jamaican and I ended up dating her," he elaborated.

His ex-girlfriend took him to Jamaica, where he initially fell in love with the Caribbean flavor.

Is Eddie Jackson married to a wife?

In the last few years, Jackson has not publicly opened up about his personal life. Even a quick scroll through his social media handles shows no hint of his potential wife or partner, let alone a son or a daughter.

Instead, his Instagram handle is filled with pictures and videos of himself, either working with colleagues and TV people, working out, playing golf or enjoying time with friends.  

Eddie Jackson poses with TV host Sherri Shepherd on 'The Wendy Williams Show.' (Photo: Instagram)

That is to say, Jackson's present relationship status remains unclear, leaving his fans wondering whether he is married to a wife, dating a girlfriend, or living a single life.

Eddie Jackson's dating rumors

Besides the two women he admitted dating in the past, Jackson has not been rumored to have dated any other woman publicly. However, because he has the same name as Chicago Bear's Eddie Jackson, he is often rumored to have dated a few other women — but the rumors are of  Chicago Bears' Eddie Jackson.

For instance, a simple Google search gives the name Alison Taylor when searching for Eddie Jackson's girlfriend. However, Taylor seems to be Chicago Bear's Eddie Jackson's reported past love interest, not of Food Network's Eddie Jackson.

Similarly, Chicago Bears'Jackson was also romantically linked to Mercedes Dolls after she broke up with former Pro Bowl running back Le'Veon Bell in 2019.