Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert were seen as one of Hollywood’s most beloved and stable couples. However, fans have recently learned that their picture-perfect relationship was secretly filled with undercover jealousy and insecurity.
Back in September, the “Rose In Harlem” singer let social media users know that she and her husband of seven years were separated. In her lengthy explanation, Taylor, 32, explained that many different factors played a part in her and Shumpert, 33, separation.
Now, it appears as if one of those factors included the “Dancing with the Stars” winner’s “narcissistic” ways toward her. According to a TMZ report claimed to be based on court documents the outlet obtained, Taylor accused Shumpert of being jealous of her growing success despite him playing in the NBA for over a decade.
Taylor pointed out that Shumpert signed a $40 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2015. However, his hefty cash didn’t seem to be enough for the famous athlete, who was supposedly envious of Taylor’s success as an actress and singer.
During that time, Taylor was involved in the Philadelphia-based film “Brotherly Love” and also released her mixtape “The Cassette Tape 1994.”
The creative continued, claiming that Shumpert would send her text messages that featured “condescending” and “manipulative” language in response to her growing success in the limelight. 2015 is also the year Shumpert sat out for six weeks due to a shoulder injury and the following year due to a left knee injury.
Taylor also stated that he would randomly start arguments with her and then be remorseful afterward. One argument even reportedly happened on her birthday, although the exact year was never specified.
In the documents, she noted that Shumpert was “treating her cruelly and displaying extreme narcissistic behavior throughout the majority of their marriage.”
She also stated that she even started to “intentionally dim her light for her husband to try to have a harmonious and peaceful marriage,” as a result of Shumpert’s anger about her stardom reaching new heights.
The winner of BET’s 2023 Award for Video Director of the Year reportedly fought to maintain their family’s union in spite of Shumpert’s purported emotional and mental abuse. The soon-to-be exes share two daughters, 6-year-old Iman Tayla Shumpert Jr., aka “Junie,” and 3-year-old Rue Rose Shumpert.
Taylor also said that she attempted to network with others in an attempt to get Shumpert certain jobs in Hollywood as his basketball career started to come to a close. Unfortunately, her good deed was met with arguments, which ultimately led to her to start the divorce process in 2021.
Per the “A Thousand and One” actress, they reconciled, but Shumpert’s insecurity about his NBA career managed to take a toll on him and her.
One year later, Taylor found herself filing for divorce once again but she requested her legal team to withdraw the filing one day afterwards.
By January 2023, Taylor would file for a third time, suggesting that she was “unable to handle the emotional rollercoaster.”
While Taylor’s lengthy explanation about her and Shumpert’s divorce stated that “infidelity” wasn’t her reason for their split, she’s now claiming that he was involved in several cheating scandals throughout their marriage.
Last April, Taylor and Shumpert found themselves at the heels of a cheating rumor after a viral TikTok video alleged that the Harlem native overdosed on candy after learning about Shumpert’s infidelity.
While Taylor quickly debunked that rumor, she has now described herself as embarrassed and humiliated as a result of Shumpert’s many scandals.
Once news about their divorce made waves online, Shumpert shared a cryptic photo on Instagram which showed “Love and Hip Hop: New York” alum Joe Budden relaxing in a large pool as he looked at his cellphone.
“What’s going on here? I’m lost and confused and i’own like dat,” his caption read.
While the former basketball player’s message wasn’t directly aimed at anyone in particular, many fans connected the dots back to his recent drama with Taylor.
Shumpert’s team also released a statement to TMZ in light of these events, saying, “My. Shumpert hopes parties and counsel can work toward a fair resolution, keeping the best interests of the children of paramount concern.”
Taylor’s lawyers shared a statement as well which read, “Ms. Taylor has tried to resolve this matter amicably and privately in order to protect all parties involved, particularly the parties’ minor children.”
The statement continued, “Ms. Taylor requests that the parties’ privacy be respected such that the parties and the minor children are not negatively impacted, and the parties’ divorce can be finalized.”
Taylor released another statement via her Instagram story, stating that she has “not spoken on this private matter to any media outlets or blogs etc.”
“So everyone claiming ‘Teyana said’ didn’t get any statements directly from ME. These statements were taken from private court documents that were leaked to the public,” she continued. “It is very heartbreaking that someone would take out the time to make such a private matter public for the world to see.”
She concluded further by asking for privacy for herself and her family.
While Taylor’s petition for divorce may come as a shock to many, it was recently learned that she and Shumpert have already been separated for more than 10 months.
