Teyana Taylor & Iman Shumpert SPLIT After 7 Years of Marriage
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00:00 After seven years of marriage, Deanna Taylor and Iman Shepard have called it quits.
00:06 Deanna took to Instagram on Sunday to confirm the breakup news, sharing, quote,
00:10 "In all fairness, Iman and I separated and have been for a while.
00:14 To be 1000% clear, infidelity ain't one of the reasons for our departure.
00:19 We are still the best of friends, great business partners, and are one hell of a team
00:24 when it comes to co-parenting our two beautiful children," adding, quote,
00:28 "Most importantly, we are family and in the 10 years together, 7 years married,
00:33 we ain't ever played with or about that."
00:36 The singer said that she and the former NBA player kept their breakup private
00:40 and that allowed them to, quote, "successfully and peacefully separate
00:44 without all the outside noise."
00:46 The pair tied the knot back in 2016 and shared two daughters together.
00:50 AXS Hollywood last chatted with Deanna during an appearance on AXS Daily back in 2020.
00:55 At the time, Deanna opened up about being pregnant with her second child.
00:59 Let me tell you, you made a few statements.
01:03 You made a few statements and undeniable is the reason why you won
01:09 Music Video Director of the Year from the BET Awards.
01:15 There's a moment with you and Kehlani.
01:20 There's a moment. I'm going to try to recreate it.
01:23 I'm going to be you and you be Kehlani.
01:28 And y'all were like this.
01:34 [Laughter]
01:38 You talk about making a statement.
01:41 I feel like it's where a lot of young people find themselves.
01:45 And I'd say maybe a lot of older people find themselves coming back to this kind of expression,
01:52 this kind of exploration and being okay.
01:55 Not just okay, but loving themselves while they go on that journey.
02:00 You know what I mean?
02:01 Right. No, I think that's 100% true.
02:07 I think most importantly, it's just about -- it's a visual.
02:11 It's entertainment.
02:13 Which is the reason why I'm also excited to really start getting into movies.
02:17 Because I feel like sometimes videos are taken very literally.
02:20 We can go and watch a whole movie and know that this is made for me.
02:24 But then you watch a video and it's like, oh, my God.
02:27 She's in love with Kehlani.
02:29 Right, right, right, right, right.
02:30 Yeah, you know, I swear to God, everybody swore up and down that me and her was humping after that video.
02:38 You know what I'm saying?
02:39 And I'm like, this is literally work.
02:40 It's entertainment.
02:42 The performance.
02:43 The performance was spectacular.
02:46 But you know what I'm about to say?
02:47 That means we did what we had to do.
02:49 If it had to be put in a certain type of way.
02:51 But I do want people to start kind of putting videos -- respect the videos the same way they would respect a movie.
02:59 You know what I'm saying?
03:00 Because, you know, the song is the song and the visual is the visual.
03:04 And I want to give great visuals.
03:06 And I don't like to have ass visuals.
03:08 You know what I'm saying?
03:09 So it's just like kind of just give videos the same respect that we would give to TV shows and movies.
03:14 Now, this is one of those instances, right, where people can take the video literally.
03:18 Literally.
03:19 Exactly.
03:20 This was like the first time that we heard that you guys were even looking to expand the family.
03:25 So it was cool to see.
03:26 What was it like for you, though, on set?
03:28 And like all of this stuff that you've got to do, right, as mom, as wife, as director, as performer, and now also pregnant woman, what was it like for you?
03:39 I mean, honestly, it was amazing because I actually did "Wake Up Love" and "Bear With Me" on the same day.
03:45 Like I did those on the same day.
03:47 So I was five months pregnant dancing around in that chair.
03:50 What?
03:51 You know, yeah.
03:52 But "Wake Up Love" was--
03:54 You made this move?
03:56 Yeah, all that.
03:57 Like I was in that thing.
03:59 But, you know, the dope part about "Wake Up Love" was that one thing about me as a director is I'm a big fan of just letting the cameras roll.
04:10 And I remember Junie jumping onto the bed, and so she pulled up my shirt and, you know, came to kiss my belly.
04:17 I just thought it was everything.
04:18 I was like, OK, this is so cute because that's the first thing she do.
04:21 If I'm laying there and she see me, I'm like, OK, let me get my shirt ready because that's how she almost told me the first time.
04:27 She was like, let me kiss that bae.
04:29 So I was like, I already know she going to come with her new shirt.
04:32 Yeah, she said it while I was on Instagram Live.
04:35 I was going to say, on Live.
04:36 And she said it on Instagram Live a week before the video was dropping.
04:40 So I'm like, for five whole months straight, I've been holding out doing this.
04:44 I didn't even know.
04:46 And a week before the big announcement, you going to say, let me kiss that baby?
04:50 Right.
04:51 And the funny thing is, the people who were on Live were like, what she just say?
04:55 Exactly.
04:56 And I kind of--
04:57 You can see it in the comments, like, what she just say?
04:59 Yeah, exactly.
05:01 Some of the collaborations on this album have also been pretty amazing.
05:05 I mean, people who we haven't heard from in collaborations in a while--
05:10 Lauryn Hill.
05:12 Yeah, they not just giving out features.
05:16 No.
05:17 Erykah Badu.
05:19 Yeah.
05:20 Kehlani, I mean, it was like a real situation.
05:24 I feel like you and Erykah Badu have been linked for much longer than we knew.
05:33 Yeah.
05:34 This record has really, really brought us close.
05:37 That was our first real phone conversation.
05:40 The day I reached out for the song, it was meant to be.
05:43 And I wasn't even pregnant yet.
05:45 Nowhere near.
05:46 You know what I'm saying?
05:47 So it was like the way God had things lined up was crazy, because I asked her for that.
05:53 And then when I found out I was pregnant, she was one of the first people that I called.
05:57 Really?
05:58 Yeah, she was one of the first people that I called.
06:00 And I almost feel like if it wasn't for this song, I wouldn't even really have her in my life.
06:08 Because, of course, I would still be sitting here being a fan.
06:12 I'm still a fan.
06:13 But I'm just saying, I would just be another person that just followed Erykah Badu and just love her.
06:19 So I had to shoot my shot.
06:20 I had a couple free throws, and I made all of them.
06:23 So that was the first bucket.
06:25 Yeah, and the second bucket was once we got closer.
06:29 I asked her about the Dula thing.
06:32 We called it Erykah Badu-la.
06:34 Love it.
06:35 Because not only are you expanding your family, you have this incredible album and incredible visuals that went along with it that you directed.
06:43 That's a whole other thing.
06:45 But you've also got this Mac collaboration.
06:48 Yes.
06:49 Mama is busy.
06:51 You know Mama's booked and busy, baby.
06:53 Mama gots to keep working, OK?
06:55 Quarantine ain't slowed nobody down.
06:57 It sure the hell didn't.
06:59 That made you want to work harder.
07:00 It's like, OK, what's the plan?
07:02 Right.
07:03 As far as the Mac thing, the Mac collaboration, that's the first thing I ran to.
07:07 I was like, OK, we need some nude lips.
07:09 We need-- you know, but nude lips that a brown girl could put on, and that nude actually looks really good.
07:15 Not the one that looks good on a lipstick, and then you put it on, and you're like, uh-uh, I got to wipe this off.
07:20 Uh-uh, I'm walking around like this.
07:22 That red ain't sitting right.
07:23 That nude ain't sitting right.
07:24 That gloss ain't sitting right.
07:26 That gloss is white and caked up.
07:28 It can get real crazy.
07:30 Yeah, yeah, on the lip.
07:31 I wanted to make this collaboration where the power was in the lip.
07:34 OK, wait.
07:35 So before I let you go, this is my last question.
07:37 I know everybody's like, wait, do we have more time?
07:39 Coming to America?
07:41 Yes.
07:42 Coming to America?
07:44 Coming to America, baby.
07:46 Big Mama booked.
07:47 All these people that I look up to, to have been able to work with them, see them, meet them, and they actually appreciate and know my work is like really--
07:55 everything to me.
07:56 Like, Wesley Snipes is my father in the movie.
07:59 You know?
08:00 And then I have a scene where, you know, it's like me, him, and Eddie all in one scene, and it's just like--
08:07 I'm just really gagging.
08:09 Like, it seems where it's like--
08:11 I can't give away the movie, but it seems where the moment is about me.
08:15 But every single cast member that you can think of, from the new cast members to the original cast members, are all in this room.
08:23 And I have to walk through all these people.
08:26 Baby.
08:28 The nerves.
08:29 I'm like-- because one thing about me is I turn it on.
08:33 When it's time to work, it's time to work.
08:35 Let's go.
08:36 I've never been so nervous in my life.
08:39 Listen, I get it.
08:40 That room would get anybody, I think.
08:43 Deonna, it is so good to see you.
08:45 I'm so glad to join your family.
08:46 Likewise.
08:47 You're doing well.
08:48 Thank you.
08:49 You have our prayers for an uneventful pregnancy and delivery.
08:53 Thank you.
08:54 Thank you.
08:55 And we will be waiting to hear a good report back.
08:57 All the love to you, lady.
08:58 Thank you so much, and I appreciate the love, Scott.
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