After over a decade together, La La Anthony and Camelo Anthony are on the brink of divorce. Their imminent split would not be the first in their beautiful but tumultuous love story.
Before Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade redefined partnership, before Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor gave celebrity union a makeover, and even before Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson gave us a mix of NBA and reality TV, there was La La Anthony and Carmelo Anthony.
The two have sustained an on-and-off relationship since hooking up sixteen years ago. Some of the highlights of their life together have played out on their reality series, “La La’s Full Court Life.”
From their marriage to welcoming their son, this former couple seemed to have a perfect romance, until the scandals came knocking. After dragging through a series of breakups, reconciliations, and scandals for years, it appears the duo finally hit rock bottom.
In June 2021, news broke that the television personality was filing for divorce from her husband, Carmelo. While the news came as a shock to many, some saw it coming, given the state of their relationship in the months leading to their split.
The Onset Of Their Romance
La La Antony, nee Vazquez, and Carmelo Anthony first met in 2003, during the latter’s freshman year at Syracuse University. At the time, the NBA star led his college team to victory at the National Championship, catching his future wife’s eyes.
A year later, just as his NBA career kicked off, he popped the big question to La La on Christmas Day and got a yes in return.
Kiyan Is Born
In March 2007, three years into their engagement, Carmelo and La La’s relationship was blessed with a son, Kiyan Carmelo Anthony. The 14-year-old remains the former couple’s only child to date.
The parents were excited to welcome the youngster into the world. La La’s mom, Carmen Vasquez was beyond thrilled to witness the birth of her first grandchild.
Officially Wedded
Three Years After Their Baby’s birth, La La and Carmelo Anthony took their relationship to the altar. The pair, who had been engaged for six years at the time, tied the knot at New York’s Cipriani’s in 2010.
In a follow-up interview, the happy bride explained why they took so long to legalize their union, saying they simply wanted to take their time.
Scandal Strikes
It seems the couple should have made the wait a little longer, as their relationship took a hard hit barely two years after marriage. In 2012, a 19-year-old publicly accused the NBA star of having an extra-marital affair with her for two months.
The scandal hit hard, threatening the core of their marriage. Months after the first cheating scandal surfaced, speculations that the couple had separated flooded the media.
These rumors were fueled by former NBA player, Kevin Garnett’s rumored Remark to Carmelo that his wife tasted like “Honey Nut Cheerios.”
Female Drama
The pair managed to survive the dark controversies and sustained their relationship for the next three years. However, that was hardly the end of their relationship turmoil.
In 2015, a woman publicly accused the actress of having a relationship with rapper, Maino. The woman, who claimed to be the rapper’s girlfriend, left angry comments on La La’s Instagram.
The couple did not let the scandal get to them, opting instead to debunk the speculations by singing Nicki Minaj’s “All Eyes On You,” on social media.
Beginning Of An End
The cheating scandals surrounding the couple’s romance only worsened with time. Following allegations that Carmelo fathered a child with stripper Mia Angel Burks, La La Anthony and her husband’s relationship reached a dead end.
The twosome went their separate ways in April 2017. That same month, photos of the reality star chilling in public in New York City, without her wedding ring surfaced. The sighting confirmed the end of her marriage.
Despite filing for separation, the TV personality told Wendy Williams months later that they were not officially divorcing.
Second Chances
True to la la’s words, their marriage was far from over. After nearly two years apart, the NBA legend and his on-again-off-again partner decided to give their romance a second chance.
In December 2018, a source confirmed they were back together, and still loved one another. More than their love for each other, the parents loved their son, Kiyan, and wanted to do what was best for him.
Maybe Too Soon
Six months after their reunion, another scandal hit the family. This time, Carmelo was sighted in France on a luxury yacht with model Sara Smiri, who donned a leopard-print bikini.
The photos soon gave rise to rumors of infidelity, which the 37-year-old was quick to debunk. He claimed to have met the model coincidentally while in Europe on a business retreat, also alleging she was on the yacht with her husband and family.
No Going Back
Despite Carmelo’s defense, it seemed there was no way out for the lovebirds. A spokesperson for the “You Got Served” star disclosed in July 2019, that the icon was considering legal options to decide the next step of their relationship.
The spokesperson also disclosed the couple had been living apart for a while.
The End?
In June 2021, reports that the 41-year-old finally filed for divorce from her husband of eleven years flooded the media.
News outlets reported that she submitted the divorce papers in a New York City court on June 17, citing irreconcilable differences. A source confirmed the news, saying:
“They have been separated for a while now and will remain friends. They both want to make sure the divorce goes as smoothly as possible for their son.”
The divorce proceedings have been in the works ever since. Although the world is almost familiar with witnessing the co-parents split and makeup, with love prevailing every time, it seems this time, it’s for real.