Eva Longoria, Tony Parker Split Shocks Fellow Basketball Wives
Nov. 19, 2010 — -- It's hard out there for a basketball wife.
For Jennifer Williams, Eva Longoria's split from Tony Parker serves as a sobering reminder that cheating can crush even the most seemingly rock-solid of marriages.
"I was surprised," Williams told ABCNews.com. Her husband, Eric Williams, used to play with Parker on the San Antonio Spurs. Both now appear on the VH1 reality TV series, "Basketball Wives," whose second season premieres Dec. 12.
"I never knew them to have any problems, so it was definitely shocking to me," Williams said. "They just seemed like the perfect happy couple."
Williams often chatted with Longoria at Spurs games.
"She made sure to come to a lot of games considering she was filming her show," Williams said. "When you're on a team with the other wives, everyone is somewhat cordial. we go to the games together. From what I know, she's definitely down to earth and she's a sweet girl."
Williams also knows the woman with whom Parker reportedly cheated on Longoria -- Erin Barry, the wife of Spurs player Brent Barry.
"I do know her, I don't know a lot about her," she said. "I was shocked to hear that because that's just not something that you expect from another wife. We have this sisterhood, so to speak, and that's something you would expect from someone outside that doesn't really understand what we go through, being married to these guys."
It's not easy, Williams said, to be wed to a famous athlete who spends much of his life on the road, in front of adoring fans. She and her husband have been married for three years, and she said he's cheated on her before.
"It's something that you can't control," she said. "Women are definitely going to be around and they somewhat throw themselves at the players and you just have to hope that you have a strong enough foundation to stand it. But a lot of these players, they definitely fall victim to these women."
She's learned that she can only control her own behavior, not her husband's, and hopes that Longoria and Parker find a similar balance, together or apart.
"I just wish her and Tony the best," she said. "I hope that if they are committed to working through it, I hope that works. If not, I hope that they have an amazing future whether it's together or not."
