It appears that “it” girl Shantel Jackson, aka Miss Jackson, may have finally turned the page on the high-profile relationship she used to have with rapper Nelly. Eagle-eyed fans spotted her making multiple courtside appearances at Los Angeles Lakers games and suspected that there might be a reason.
Many on social media believe they are connecting the dots between Miss Jackson and Lakers power forward Anthony Davis, marking what could be a new chapter in her dating life.
They scanned her Instagram and pulled two posts that they think prove their case that she has designs on the very much married Lakers big man.
The model and entrepreneur caught social media’s attention on a Dec. 30 post, stunning fans in an all-black ensemble complete with red-bottomed thigh-high boots adorned with gold bullets and mysterious black shades at a Lakers game.
The carefully curated outfit and prime courtside positioning didn’t go unnoticed by her followers, who immediately began speculating about why she was courtside at the Lakers game and which baller she was there to see.
Jackson included multiple photos in her recap on Dec. 30. One photo of the court caught eagle-eyed fans’ attention. The last image was a photo of Anthony Davis at the free-throw line. Another photo showed a number of Lakers players on the bench, one of which was Davis.
Jackson has had a history of high-profile relationships, including a seven-year romance with Nelly and a four-year relationship with boxing champion Floyd Mayweather from 2010 to 2014. While she has maintained a relatively low profile since her split from Nelly, her recent courtside appearances have reignited public interest in her personal life.
Fans quickly took to social media to speculate about her apparent interest in the Lakers power forward, who has been married to wife Marlen since 2021. The two share three children, a girl, and two boys.
“She there watching Anthony Davis?” one observant fan commented, while another noted more definitively, “If you watch all her videos courtside she’s always showing Anthony Davis ijs.”
This wasn’t a one-time occurrence.
On Nov. 17, Jackson made another courtside appearance, this time sporting denim red bottoms paired with a graphic T-shirt.
Once again, amongst her collection of photos was a photo that showed Davis in the background. Another image showed Davis making a jump shot with 15 seconds left on the shot clock. The consistency of her appearances sparked more speculation, with one fan pointing out, “Maybe she’s there because she is dating Anthony Davis#3. Notice how he is specifically in at least 2 of her photos.”
Another commenter suggested she was “Scouting another famous athlete boyfriend.”
The timing of these appearances is particularly interesting, given Jackson’s past relationship history.
Her split from Nelly in 2021 made headlines, with Jackson later explaining the breakup on “The Real.” She said their separation was due to natural growth in different directions, as she focused on her business endeavors while Nelly continued his music career.
“We started to grow apart … we just had to come to the realization of, look, let’s take this time and see if this split is going to bring it back full circle for us,” she said.
In a revealing July 2024 Instagram Live session, Jackson provided more context about the breakup, sharing, “I left because I wanted initially, I guess, space to see… maybe… will the space bring us back together, or do I need this space because I just need to rip off that band-aid.”
While Jackson maintained she initiated the split, some fans remained skeptical, particularly after Nelly’s relationship with Ashanti blossomed into marriage and the announcement of their baby in April. Critics urged Jackson to move on, with one commenting, “We do not care. He’s married with a baby on the way. Let it go! With love.”
The idle speculation about Jackson and Davis is not based on any evidence of a relationship between the two. However, her consistent presence at Lakers games (and his pop-ups on her Instagram Stories) continues to fuel rumors about a dalliance between the two. However, at this time, Davis still remains very much married to Marlen Davis and none of the parties involved have spoken publicly about a relationship brewing.
Whether these courtside appearances signal a new relationship or simply a love of basketball remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Miss Jackson’s dating life continues to captivate the public’s attention, even years after her split from Nelly.
