Former NBA star Iman Shumpert has added an interesting twist to his ongoing high-profile divorce from singer-actress Teyana Taylor.
According to TMZ, the former Cleveland Cavaliers player argues that his earnings have significantly dwindled compared to his soon-to-be ex-wife’s income. In his opinion, this, he argues has created a substantial pay gap between the two.
Income Gap, Shumpert Claims
Taylor’s estimated net worth is $5 million, Celebrity Net Worth reports. Shumpert’s estimated net worth $16 million, according to the same source.
In the court filings this year, he claimed there is a stark income disparity between him and his wife.
The documents, according to TMZ, indicate that Taylor’s gross monthly income before taxes is approximately $93,885, which is nearly double Shumpert’s $47,981.
Despite this, the athlete-turned-actor claims he has been consistently paying $8,000 a month for their two children, 8-year-old Junie and 3-year-old Rue, and continues to cover major medical expenses.
Shumpert, himself has had a lucrative NBA career and pocketed over $48 million from contracts alone. However, his professional basketball career ended in 2021 after a brief stint with the Brooklyn Nets.
The 2016 NBA champion’s filing comes as the couple is negotiating child support arrangements amidst a nasty divorce battle marked by financial disputes and allegations from both sides.
Taylor, who as a teenager taught Beyoncé how to do the Chicken Noodle Soup dance before going on to choreograph her “Bring the Alarm” music video, quietly filed for divorce in 2023.
She has accused Shumpert of leaving her to handle $200,000 in home renovation costs and withdrawing nearly $4 million from their shared accounts. These claims add to the complexity of their legal separation, TMZ reported.
Taylor claims Shumpert’s jealousy and insecurity over her rising fame, despite his substantial NBA earnings was becoming an issue in their marriage.
The actress and singer, known for her roles in projects like “Coming 2 America” and “The Book of Clarence,” has steadily increased her public profile and income, furthering the gap between their earnings.
The divorce proceedings have not only been about money. Taylor has also expressed concerns over Shumpert’s cheating behavior and its impact on their children.
In March, she filed documents requesting a child psychologist’s testimony, citing an incident where Shumpert had an unidentified female friend and her daughter staying over during his weekend with their kids. Taylor claimed this confused their eldest daughter, Iman (nicked name Junie), 8, and blasted her husband for not recognizing the potential emotional harm it could cause to their family.
Not only that, Taylor says that Shumpert has not paid any child support for their two daughters, Junie and Rue, 3, according to Daily Mail.
Shumpert, on his part, maintains that he has always been committed to his children’s well-being and is willing to continue paying for their major medical expenses, provided other health care costs are split equally. He asserts that he has been paying $8,000 per month to support his children, deeming this a fair amount given the significant income disparity and his reduced earnings post-NBA, despite scoring a role in the hit series “The Chi.”
This high-stakes legal battle continues to unfold, with both parties saying their own objective is to protect their interests and those of their children. Much of the information regarding the divorce proceedings has been published by TMZ.
In January 2024, Taylor blasted the gossip site for putting her business out.
“If you’re going to keep leaking my documents, show it all [and] come correct!” she wrote in a tweet that was later deleted according to REVOLT. “Stop taking bits and pieces and putting 10s on 2s! I’ve been very graceful, cordial and protective of all parties involved in this whole process. Sadly, that energy has not been reciprocated at all!”
The outcome of Shumpert’s negotiation about child support payments remains to be seen, as the judge overseeing their divorce has yet to make a decision.
