Who is Demi-Leigh Tebow? All about Tim Tebow’s wife and Miss Universe 2017 as the couple welcomes first child

Demi-Leigh Tebow, a model hailing from South Africa, had already earned global acclaim before stepping into motherhood. In 2017, she was crowned Miss South Africa and went on to make history by clinching both the Miss Universe and Miss World titles that same year.

The 29-year-old recently stepped into a new chapter as she and husband Tim Tebow, 37, became parents for the first time. Their daughter arrived on Sunday, July 6, and the couple introduced her to the world with a heartfelt Instagram post the following day.

Demi Leigh wrote in the caption:

“Our daughter is here! We couldn’t be more grateful for the blessing and gift of this new little life, we’re so grateful to the whole medical team that assisted us in the best way possible during my labor and delivery. From our doctor to our nurses and all the hospital staff — we are so grateful and thankful for you.”

She also gave a personal shoutout to her photographer:

“To my sweet friend Hannah Janoe thank you for capturing one of the most special moments of our lives so perfectly.”

“Thank you to everyone who’s been praying with us over her arrival. We are so incredibly thankful for all of the love and support we’ve felt. We can’t wait to share her name with you soon,” she concluded.

Just last year, Demi-Leigh Tebow released her memoir A Crown That Lasts: You Are Not Your Label, where she reflected on identity, purpose, and faith, and questioned the value of chasing fleeting accolades versus building something meaningful.

Demi-Leigh Tebow opens up about life-changing carjacking that sparked her mission to empower women

Demi-Leigh Tebow survived a violent carjacking attempt years ago in South Africa. That experience became the driving force behind her passion for women’s safety. Speaking to Fox News Digital in 2024, Tebow recalled the moment that changed her life and sparked the creation of her global safety initiative, Unbreakable. She told the outlet:

“It started in my home country, and really, the thing that serves as the major catalyst for me — growing ‘Unbreakable’ and wanting to reach more women around the world — was the horrific carjack that I experienced at gunpoint.”

The incident occurred just three months after she won Miss South Africa. Demi-Leigh Tebow was on her way to a public event when her vehicle was surrounded at a red light.

“I was stopped at a red traffic light. And before I could even blink, I was surrounded by five men, by multiple men, and some of them were armed,” she said.

Her training, she explained, made the difference between survival and tragedy.

“You know, in a traumatic situation like that, it's hard to react. It's hard to know exactly what to do. But I knew two things. And it's because my dad forced me to go on safety driving courses, on self-defense workshops,” she added.

Demi-Leigh Tebow said she made a quick decision to avoid being taken to a second location.

“In that traumatic situation, I knew not to go to the second destination, because whatever is about to happen somewhere downtown, in some dark alley with [maybe more people present] is not going to be better than right here: broad daylight, peak-hour traffic with hundreds of people around me."

As she attempted to flee, one of the men grabbed her.

“So, I tried to run away. I tried to get out of that vehicle. The man on my side of the vehicle grabbed me, pushed me back into the vehicle, said, 'Get in, you're going with us.'”

That’s when Demi-Leigh Tebow relied on another safety tactic her father had taught her.

“The throat. It's obviously lethal. So please don't ever try this at home. It's absolutely just to be used in a life-threatening situation. But I punched him as hard as I could in his throat, and that bought me a split-second window of opportunity to run away.”

Running through the street, Demi-Leigh Tebow looked for help. But no one stopped.

“That incident was so dramatic, but the most dramatic part of that story was running up that avenue in broad daylight … Nobody would stop to help me. I remember looking over my shoulder, not knowing if I'm being chased and [about to be] shot in the back, not knowing what their intent was. I just knew that it was not good.”

That moment, Demi-Leigh Tebow said, stuck with her in ways she never forgot.

“I have dedicated the last couple of years of my life and in such a big way to use what I have with where I am to serve people in need. It truly shaped my heart to continue fighting for women around the world,” she concluded.