NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 29: Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert attend the Thom Browne Fall 2022 runway show on April 29, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
In September, fans learned that Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert were separated from Teyana herself. Then, just one day before Thanksgiving, new details about their split and seven-year marriage have surfaced.
According to multiple outlets, including TMZ, Page Six, and Complex, Taylor secretly filed for divorce in January using their initials. In the court docs, she reportedly accuses the father of her two daughters, Junie and Rue, of being a jealous narcissist.
She says their marriage, which began in 2016, is “irretrievably broken.” Teyana is seeking temporary and permanent primary physical custody and joint legal custody plus child support in Georgia. Taylor also reportedly revealed that Iman left their family home in October and hasn’t spent significant time with their daughters since.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Nov. 27 to include statements from Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert’s lawyer.
According to TMZ, Teyana says she was being “graceful” in her September statement when she denied their separation involved infidelity.
Looking back on their marriage, Teyana’s filing says Iman treated her “cruelly and [displayed] extreme narcissistic behavior throughout the majority of their marriage.”
Iman shared a cryptic post on Instagram, seemingly referencing reports early Thanksgiving Day. The post features a viral photo of Joe Budden looking at his phone.
Hours after the Insta-post, Iman’s lawyer released a statement on his behalf, per TMZ.
“Mr. Shumpert hopes parties and counsel can work toward a fair resolution, keeping the best interests of the children of paramount concern,” the statement said.
Teyana followed up by posting a statement to her Instagram Story on Black Friday. She denied giving any statements to the press and said all quoted statements came from “private court documents that were leaked to the public.”
“It is very heartbreaking that someone would take out the time to make such a private matter public for the world to see. However, protecting my family is one thing I’ve ALWAYS done & fr my children I will continue to do so. Please if y’all love y’all play nieces Junie & Rue like y’all have shown, please allow myself & my family some privacy to resolve this matter in peace,” Teyana wrote.
See her full statement below.
TMZ reports that January wasn’t the first time Teyana filed for divorce. She reportedly felt “manipulated and controlled” by Iman and filed in response. However, she had her legal team pull the filing one day later.
By the time she reportedly filed again in January, she had been “unable to handle the emotional rollercoaster,” per TMZ.
According to TMZ’s sources, Iman Shumpert recently responded to her January filing. In his court docs, he reportedly listed their full names — rather than their initials as she had done. That choice reportedly made their private business very public.
As for what led to the divorce, Teyana’s filing claims Iman exhibited jealousy about his wife’s fame and felt insecure as her husband.
She said these issues have happened throughout the years, including in 2015, when he signed a $40 million NBA contract. She says he remained jealous about her relevancy despite being the higher-paid spouse in the relationship. Iman has also reportedly sent her negative text messages about her fame and got aggravated when paps sought solo pictures of Teyana.
Taylor claims her estranged husband would pick fights, including on special occasions like her birthday, and later apologize. The star says she tried to remedy their marriage by “intentionally [dimming] her light,” including turning down recording opportunities and acting roles. She also reportedly tried supporting Iman’s Hollywood dreams by using her connection to land him gigs.
Still, Teyana Taylor alleges none of it was enough. Iman allegedly “remained in an insecure state as his NBA career continued to wind down.” He reportedly reacted to her efforts with “further cruel treatment and selfishness,” including cheating scandals.
