Former NFL player Kordell Stewart has reportedly filed for divorce from his wife Porsha Williams, who stars in the hit reality TV show "The Real Housewives of Atlanta."

Stewart filed the divorce papers on March 22, according to a report on website TMZ. The filing took Williams by surprise.

The two were married in 2011, and although Williams describes her life as "picture perfect" in the show's opening credits, tension had apparently been building between the couple in full view of the show's millions of viewers.

Williams, a budding philanthropist, and Stewart, a former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback nicknamed "Slash," had argued about children on the show.

"The tension had certainly played out between Kordell and Porsha in regards to her wanting to maintain a career in philanthropy and Kordell maintaining that she should either be a mother or choose a career, but not have both," said Raha Lewis, a reporter for People magazine.

Williams' cast mates had told her - both on the show and off - that Stewart was controlling.

"I personally view a marriage as an equal partnership. I think you should treat each other with respect, consider each other's needs, and support one another's dreams and goals and work together as a team," co-star NeNe Leaks wrote in a blog post on Bravotv.com. "I will never talk to Porsha about her relationship again, but if she ever wants to talk to me, I'm here!"

In his court papers, Stewart called his marriage to Williams "irretrievably broken" and said he should not pay his wife spousal support, claiming she is, "an able-bodied person, earning income and is capable of supporting herself," according to TMZ.

Stewart claimed he and Williams have been separated, but a representative for Williams told ABC News that she was blindsided by the filing. The rep said Stewart "misled" Williams, and that Williams found out about the filing "in the media."

Just one week before filing for divorce, Stewart took to Twitter to support his wife at the same time he announced he would not be attending the "Real Housewives" reunion, as all other spouses do.

"#RHOA Reunion I had other obligations booked wks prior to #RHOA submitting taping schedule & cannot participate. #Support @PorshaDStewart," he wrote March 15.

Williams took to Twitter on Tuesday to thank fans for their support.

"Thank you for your prayers," she wrote.