SWV & XSCAPE: THE QUEENS OF R&B -- “Premiere Event” -- Pictured: Cheryl "Coko" Gamble -- (Photo by: Jordan Strauss/Bravo)
Following her cousin’s untimely passing, Coko Gamble stepped up to the plate and took in her 12-year-old children—a set of twins named DJ and Nevaeh.
Now, the SWV songstress is speaking on this major development, as well as the circumstances that led up to it.
Coko alluded to the news earlier this year with an Instagram post, as she shared an upload showing her posing with the 12-year-olds. In her caption, Gamble wrote, “My new normal,” though she didn’t provide any further details at the time.
During a recent sit-down with PEOPLE, Coko further elaborated on what led up to her decision to take in the kids. She specifically revealed that her cousin, Sheila Laney, passed away due to complications stemming from Lupus.
“She had lupus, and we feel like she knew that she was sick already and wouldn’t be here much longer because she was getting things in order. We were like, ‘Of course, sure, no problem,’ and she was getting paperwork in order and everything. Shortly thereafter, she got really sick and passed away, so here we are today.”
Regarding her decision to take DJ and Nevaeh in, Coko noted, “It’s family.” She also called the matter a “no-brainer,” as she and Sheila “were just that tight.”
“I would want somebody to do that for me. [I’m] pretty sure my mom would’ve wanted somebody to do that for her, so when she asked it was like a no-brainer, absolutely. I have the room. We were just that tight. She knew we had her back, and we knew that she had ours, if anything ever happened.”
Later in the interview, Coko shared further information on the 12-year-olds.
“Nevaeh is autistic, and DJ, he’s just brilliant.”
She added that, as her own children are “grown,” there’s definitely been a huge shift in her household, as things have been “loud” and “busy” lately.
However, she, her mother, and her son Jayye all step up to help out, and she says the dynamic is “like teamwork.”
“It’s been very loud. I’m used to it being quiet because my kids are grown. It’s been very active, and we stay busy. Because my mother, myself and Jayye, he’s here, my youngest son. My mom gets up in the morning with them. I do Nevea’s hair, Jayye picks out the clothes. It’s like teamwork.”
While she notes that it’s “challenging” at times, Coko adds that she’s fully prepared for what her “new normal” holds. After all, while she initially had plans to “go off into the sunset” and head towards a quieter life, “God had other plans.”
“It’s challenging, but I think we needed this because I was ready to just prepare to take my mother and let’s go off into the sunset. But God had other plans for us.”
Shoutout to Coko Gamble for stepping up and taking in her late cousin Sheila’s children during their time of need, and we wish the family well!
