About
Demi-Leigh Tebow (born 28 June 1995 as Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters) is a South-African-born model, speaker, and philanthropist best known for carrying the Miss Universe 2017 crown. Since her pageant days she has turned public attention toward issues she cares about—women’s safety, anti-human-trafficking work, and the everyday confidence of young girls. Her 2024 memoir, A Crown That Lasts, pulls back the curtain on life after the runway, while her 2025 children’s story, Princess Paris Finds Her Purpose, borrows the personalities of her three beloved dogs to teach kids about kindness and service. Off the page she serves as a global ambassador for the Tim Tebow Foundation, lending her voice to campaigns such as the Renewed Hope Act that targets child exploitation. The 29-year-old still flies home to South Africa several times a year but now lives mainly in Jacksonville, Florida—and 2025 will add a new adventure: she and husband Tim Tebow are expecting their first child, a daughter due later this year.
Before Fame
Life started far from red carpets. Demi-Leigh grew up in Sedgefield, a sleepy seaside village along South Africa’s Garden Route, where she spent afternoons playing netball and helping in her mother Anne-Marie’s craft store. Her father, Bennie Peters, insisted she take defensive-driving and self-defense lessons “just in case,” skills that would prove crucial later. At 16 she tested the waters of competition with Miss Teen South Africa 2010, placing in the top five. Even so, she stuck to academics, earning a business-management degree from North-West University in March 2017. Days later she entered Miss South Africa, won, and was booked for Miss Universe in Las Vegas.
One month into her national reign she survived a broad-daylight carjacking in Johannesburg. Remembering her training, she hit one assailant in the throat, escaped the vehicle, and flagged down help—an ordeal that reshaped her purpose. The very workshop she now teaches, Unbreakable, grew out of that harrowing moment and focuses on self-defense, mental-health first aid, and resilience.
Trivia
- Multilingual charm: She switches easily between English and Afrikaans and credits that skill for helping her feel at home on the global Miss Universe tour.
- Jet-set record: During her 2017-2018 reign she logged more than a dozen international trips, touching down everywhere from Ecuador to Thailand before crowning her successor.
- Dog-mom inspiration: The “Tebow Pack”—Paris the Dalmatian, Kobe the golden retriever, and Chunk the Bernese mountain dog—star in Princess Paris Finds Her Purpose and pop up frequently on her social channels.
- Unbreakable keepsake: Graduates of her confidence workshop receive a blue silicone bracelet stamped “Worth Defending,” a motto born from her carjacking escape.
- Pageant history buff: By handing the Miss Universe crown to Catriona Gray in Bangkok in 2018, she became the first winner in a decade to pass the title on a different continent from where she’d been crowned.
- Story in print: Her near-kidnapping is retold in both her memoir and recent press interviews promoting the book, underscoring why she champions women’s safety.
Family Life
“Family is my first team,” Demi-Leigh often says. She is the elder of two sisters; her half-sister Franje, born with cerebellar agenesis, passed away in 2019 and remains her daily inspiration for advocacy. On 9 January 2019 former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow proposed at his family farm in Jacksonville. The couple married a year later in Franschhoek, South Africa, blending Afrikaans hymns with Southern gospel and promising to use their platform for good. Home life today includes morning devotionals, three energetic dogs, and constant suitcase-packing for foundation events. In January 2025 they announced they were “over the moon” to be expecting a baby girl, timing the news just before their fifth wedding anniversary. Demi-Leigh jokes that the new arrival will make them a “team of six” if you count the Tebow Pack.
Associated With
Demi-Leigh’s circle ranges from pop culture to Capitol Hill. She was crowned Miss Universe by France’s Iris Mittenaere and later placed the iconic Mikimoto tiara on the head of the Philippines’ Catriona Gray. The decisive Q & A that sealed her victory came from host Steve Harvey, whose surprised grin still circulates in TikToks. Marriage connected her to Tim Tebow’s world of college-football commentary, professional baseball alumni, and faith-based philanthropy. Together they back the Tim Tebow Foundation’s global fight against human trafficking, most recently promoting the $18 million Eagle Freedom Fund that invests in tech tools to rescue victims faster. Whether she is addressing lawmakers about the Renewed Hope Act or cheering on Tim from the SEC Network set, Demi-Leigh leverages every relationship to amplify her message: every person has inherent worth and, with the right support, the strength to defend it.
