The unfortunate demise of Janis Timma coincided with the 42nd birthday of his ex-wife, Anna Sedokova.
Late Janis Timma was a Latvian professional basketball player who played mainly at the small forward position.
Standing 6 ft 7 in tall, Timma had an impactful career despite his untimely demise on December 17, 2024, at the age of 32.
His passion for basketball started from a young age, as he showed exceptional talent on the court.
Timma’s professional journey began with ASK Riga‘s youth club. In 2012, he signed a multi-year contract with Ventspils after his brief stint with the Liepājas Lauvas.
In his brief yet impactful career, Timma won several accolades in his home country.
While he did not appear in an NBA regular-season game, he did play briefly in the NBA G League and the NBA Summer League.
He became the first Latvian player to be drafted into the NBA when the Memphis Grizzlies selected him with the 60th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
However, the Grizzlies traded his draft rights to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Luke Ridnour.
Despite his immense talent, Timma could not materialize his skills in the NBA.
Janis Timma Remembered His Ex-Wife, Anna, Even During His Final Moments!
Anna Sedokova is the ex-wife of the late Janis Timma. The couple married in 2020. However, they separated in 2024 after being together for four years.
Many fans were astonished to hear of their divorce and wanted to know why they parted.
While the couple’s divorce was already shocking, Janis Timma‘s sudden death has left everyone distraught.
There is only a week gap between the couple’s divorce and the Latvian player’s death.
Therefore, this alarming detail has led to many speculations. And most people have theorized that his death has something to do with his ex-wife, Anna.
An unnamed emergency official discovered the late basketball player’s body at the entrance of a high-rise building in the center of Moscow.
According to the official, Janis reportedly fell from the apartment complex.
The Baza Telegram news channel, which has ties to Russian police enforcement, declared Timma died of asphyxiation.
The official stated that the preliminary cause of his death was self-slaughter. While it is a mystery why Timma ended his own life, an emergency official informed TASS that they discovered a phone containing his “final wish” next to his body.
An unknown insider informed Ren TV that his phone displayed a message: “Call Anya. Thank you for everything.“
However, Anya is the nickname of Janis’ ex-wife, Anna Sedokova. She had filed for divorce on December 9, 2024.
Timma presumably arrived in Moscow two days before his ex-wife’s birthday and stopped at the central Moscow hotel, where he was subsequently discovered lifeless.
While we can not substantiate whether it was purely coincidental or preplanned, Janis took his own life the same day as his ex-wife’s 42nd birthday, December 16, 2024.
Janis Timma Had Faced Severe Backlash After Opening Up About His Intentions To Play For Russia!
Late Janis Timma’s fans are looking for answers as to why an outstanding individual with a promising future would wish to end his life so abruptly.
While many were pointing fingers at the ex-wife, some people have also speculated that the backlash he received after announcing his decision to play for Russia had taken a toll on his mental health.
Timma recently attracted condemnation for announcing his desire to play professionally in Russia (Euro giants Zenit Saint Petersburg) despite the country’s continuing invasion of Ukraine.
His choice marked the end of his international career, as Latvian athletes are prohibited from competing in Russian sports events.
Furthermore, after facing harsh retaliation, he appealed to his followers not to harm his family, stating that it was his decision, not theirs.
Therefore, we might hypothesize that the public condemnation he experienced, in tandem with his recent divorce, may have had a significant psychological and emotional impact on him.
As of this writing, Timma’s last social media upload was 5 days ago. He had posted a video on Instagram featuring him playing basketball alone with a soundtrack, Boombastic, by Jamaican-American reggae musician Shaggy.
After the news of Timma’s sudden demise spread like wildfire, his ex-wife, Anna Sedokova, eventually posted a video to address this heartbreaking news.
Anna was weeping in the video she shared on Instagram. She revealed that her life has been miserable in recent years and begged people to protect her children from such dreadful news.
“I beg you very much. I’ve wondered my whole life how people who have something like this happen to them can still post stories and now, I’m asking you very strongly — I have a child, he’s small, he doesn’t need to know any of this. I just have to save my child from this information. If you can, please keep it to yourself.”
Anna Sedokova
However, she did not give any other information. While she might have ended things with Janis, the news of her ex-husband’s sudden demise is an inconsolable grief for her, as she spent four years of her life with him.
While she had no children with her late ex-husband, Janis, she does have three children from previous relationships: two girls and a boy.
Timma had a wonderful relationship with his stepchildren and regularly shared snippets of his good moments with them.
Hence, this could be a reason for Anna urging her followers to refrain from sharing this information, as her children will be unable to cope with it.
Nowadays, she resides in Los Angeles with her three children.
Janis Timma’s Ex-wife, Anna Sedokova, Is A High Achiever!
Anna Volodymyrivna Sedokova is a Ukrainian singer, actress, and television presenter. She was born in Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, on December 16, 1982.
Anna gained notoriety in 2002 as a member of the Ukrainian pop girl group Nu Virgos, known as “VIA Gra” across Ukraine and the Commonwealth of Independent States, where she received the nickname Anya (Aня).
She pursued a solo career in 2006, releasing a string of singles until her debut album, Lichnoe (2016). Her debut album received widespread commercial success, peaking at number two in Russia.
Beyond her successful musical career, Sedokova achieved recognition as an actress and television presenter in various Ukrainian and Russian productions.
She began her TV anchor career as a news anchor for the music TV channel OTV.
Even though Sedokova had a brief film career, she made a significant impact.
Her initial acting gigs include Cinderella and The Evenings on the Homestead.
However, Sedokova experienced a turning point in her film career after her 2006 role in The Tunguska Meteorite. In 2008, she acted in The Power of Attraction.
Likewise, her last movie, The Pregnant (2011), became a massive hit.
Sedokova’s debut book, The Art of Seduction, remains a best-seller in Russia, demonstrating her accomplishment across numerous endeavors.
Sedokova developed an undying passion for music and dance from a young age.
She eventually enrolled in the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts at 17.
Before marrying Latvian professional basketball player Janis Timma, Sedokova had been married multiple times.
Her first marriage was with Belarusian football player Valyantsin Byalkevich in 2004.
They welcomed their daughter, Alina, on December 8, 2004. After their divorce in 2006, Sedokova was married to businessman Maxim Chernyavsky from February 2011 to February 2013. They had one daughter, Monika.
Then, she was in a relationship with Artyom Komarov, a Russian businessman and the father of her third child, Hector.
However, their relationship ended in 2017, and after three years, she eventually married Janis Timma.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Janis Timma won a bronze medal at the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship with Latvia‘s junior national team.
- His father, Raitis, revealed that they had not communicated in three years and had an estranged relationship before his son’s death.
- Timma was a four-time Latvian All-Star (2012–2015) and two-time Latvian League champion (2014, 2015).
