Fans were shocked to find out ex-couple Keyshia Cole and Daniel “Booby” Gibson were joining the fourth season of VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood” in 2017. That same year, the singer officially filed for divorce after three years of separation.
Gibson and Cole’s six-year marriage ended likely due to the retired athlete allegedly cheating with multiple women. Yet, it wasn’t until 2020, that the exes finalized their divorce and reached a settlement agreement involving custody of their now 11-year-old son, Daniel Gibson, Jr.
Booby lived in Cole’s house with their son while on “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood.” While there, the former Cleveland Cavaliers player was battling depression. Booby, who’d made a decision to step away from basketball to pursue music, said he wanted viewers to see what the co-parenting style between him and Cole looked like.
“I think that’s what I was excited for the world to see, because I think the whole idea of having a baby’s mother, those relationships get toxic and can be tough,” Gibson told The Jasmine Brand. “And I felt like the point that we’ve reached after a long time, we are able to co-parent real well.”
He continued, “At the time, I was dealing with a lot in terms of [my] career and I just hurt my knee again trying to work out and play basketball. She was getting ready to finish her album and go on tour, so we was like it might work if we stay together … we do things unconventional, things went smooth.”
Gibson and Cole documented their relationship and wedding on their BET series, “Keyshia and Daniel: Family First.” After moving from one television network to the next, Booby said he wanted VH1 fans to see him in a “different light.”
He said, “For me, I feel like everybody only knew me from basketball and my relationship with Keyshia, so I felt like being as we were finalizing our divorce and getting everything finished, we started our relationship on the BET network. So I felt like if we put that out there, why not put everything else out there. I wanted people to see me in a different light other than basketball.”
Now, the 36-year-old said he’s focused on pursuing other passions.
“My whole thing is being an advocate for people who have battled depression. I went thru a serious depression when I stopped playing basketball,” Booby shared. “I contemplated suicide, so I like to be a voice for people who might be dealing with those types of things.
Booby started his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2006, and played for seven seasons. He recently starred in the second season of VH1’s “Family Reunion: Love & Hip Hop Edition,” along with his “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood” co-star Brooke Valentine.
