Hannah Ann Sluss spilled the tea about what it’s really like being the partner of an NFL player — and it’s not always a walk in the park.
The former Bachelor contestant, who’s engaged to Ravens running back Jake Funk, was candid about the “harsh” reality of social media and hate comments she’s received, especially when her fiancé was released from teams.
“The fans, I mean, they’re diehard fans and spending [money] on a ticket and they want to see a team win,” Sluss said in an exclusive interview with Page Six. “So with Jake’s football, I tend to be more on the private side with everything going on with that.”
The 27-year-old influencer explained that while she “gives updates” about their life in the NFL, she’s learned to keep certain things for themselves.
“I like to give people updates,” she said. “I let them know. But I have learned that you’re sharing so much of your football life, you’re opening up like a can of worms because people are so harsh.
“His schedule, and the life is already so demanding, I don’t want my social media adding on to any that as sort of a distraction. I just want him to be focused on the game and not have all these people’s opinions.
Sluss recalled being “tagged” in “the craziest stuff” on social media over Funk’s career.
“One thing I’ve learned is [to] never respond to the haters when it comes to football,” she said. “People like trying to argue, so Jake’s like, no, you can’t [engage]’ because this is just all part of it.
“People are always coming after you — you get released or you’re on a new team, or you didn’t catch the ball. Everyone, even the best players, still get hate.”
Funk, a former Maryland product, signed with the Ravens’ practice squad Tuesday following his release from the Miami Dolphins.
Sluss previously documented the couple’s move from Indianapolis to Florida when Funk was waived by the Colts.
“What’s really nice about moving around so much is that you enter into a direct community,” she told Page Six, adding she’s received plenty of support from fellow NFL WAGs. “Even if I’ve never been to the city or don’t know anyone, I enter into a community and most of the time, everyone’s been super welcoming to me and reached out.
“They’ve always offered support,” she said, whether it’s a recommendation for “a good doctor or an AirBnb” to stay while getting settled.
As for the best advice Sluss has received from the NFL WAG community?
“They’ve all talked to me about never getting too high on the highs or too low on the lows,” she said. “Because one week [is different] from the next … It’s constant ups and downs, so you can’t get too disappointed or even too upset if something happens.”
Sluss couldn’t be happier that Funk is a Raven.
“Screaming crying!!!” she wrote in a post on her Instagram Story on Tuesday, which included a screenshot of a FaceTime call between her and Funk.
“Jake is officially a @ravens!!!!” she wrote over the post. “So happy I could cry!!!!
“Baltimore here we come!! We can now live at Jake’s parents house. Thank you Jesus.”
The 25-year-old running back is a Damascus, Maryland, native, which is less than an hour drive from where he’ll potentially be playing Ravens home games at M&T Bank Stadium.
The couple is set to tie the knot sometime in 2024.
“We’re getting married this offseason,” Sluss said. “I’m really excited about it.”
Funk proposed to Sluss on the beach during their vacation to Cabo in January 2023, as seen in a video she shared on her TikTok page, after less than two years of dating.
“Jake is more we’re like a great balance because he’s very private, but he’s also really encouraging and will give me ideas for social media,” she said.
Sluss has 993,000 followers on TikTok and 1.2 million on Instagram.
The brunette beauty confirmed her relationship with Funk in a TikTok video that showed her hugging the then-rookie on the field after the Rams’ Super Bowl win in February 2022.
They made their romance red carpet official at the ESPY Awards in July of that year.
Funk was selected by the Rams in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft after rushing for 968 career yards at Maryland.
The Ravens visit the San Francisco 49ers in a potential Super Bowl preview on Monday, Dec. 25.
Both teams are at the top of their respective conferences.
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