They were a power couple—La La Anthony, the vibrant MTV VJ, and Carmelo Anthony, the rising NBA star. In a heartfelt birthday tribute in 2019, she expressed, “No matter how much you’ve been ‘blamed’, ‘overlooked’, ‘underestimated, ‘scapegoated’… You’ve stayed solid.” But that “solid” safety net is now missing for La La.
La La learned the value of hard work and resilience long before she became a household name. Growing up in a Puerto Rican household in Brooklyn, she faced financial struggles from an early age. By the age of 15, La La was already working multiple jobs. Though her family was, as she says, “rich in love,” she was still running away from a broken heart, but life caught up with her.
La La is opening up once again about her life being bittersweet post-split. She openly discussed the financial and emotional strains she has been under since their breakup in a recent Richer Lives episode. “You’re on your own at that point… and that puts a different responsibility, sometimes a different amount of pressure,” she said.
She acknowledged the comfort of knowing she had someone to rely on, even if she had been financially independent. “Before, I was always financially independent, but in the back of my mind, I knew, well, if anything happens, at least I have this person,” she stated. She acknowledges, “I don’t have anyone to call,” as she navigates life without that safety net. “There’s pressure there, but I don’t mind it.”
via Carmelo Anthony and La La Anthony Instagram
During an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, La La said things began to shift when Melo was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks in 2011. “Now that I look back, that was kind of the start of the demise of the marriage.” The increased media attention and constant public scrutiny in New York made things more complicated for the couple. She later admitted that she was in “bad” emotional place during the breakup because “it came out of nowhere…I was bad because it was public,” she shared during a 2021 interview with The Angie Martinez Show.
Reminiscing about her time with Melo, she cherishes the shared incredible memories, but it just wasn’t meant to last forever. It ended up being a tough lesson, but she doesn’t regret it because it gave her the greatest blessing-—her son, Kiyan Anthony.
Two parents, one objective: La La Anthony on prioritizing her son
Kiyan Anthony, ranked no. 32 nationally by ESPN, recently committed to Syracuse University, following in his father Carmelo Anthony’s footsteps. La La was also present to witness that moment. She said that she doesn’t want to be a mother who misses their kid’s special moment because of their work schedule. “I schedule everything around my son so everything around my son so whatever he has like, when I leave here I’m going to Augusta ’cause he has a basketball tournament.“
La La calls Melo as the “greatest dad ever”. She talks about navigating the “new space” of co-parenting. “You got to learn it,” she said. The couple attend their son’s game together and emphasize candid, open communication. La La continues to create a loving atmosphere even after the divorce and actively shows Kiyan that he was “made from love.” Although she wishes she had protected him from the pain and public scrutiny, she remains committed to setting a strong, positive example of what a family can still look like after separation.
Whether it’s navigating fame, heartbreak, or motherhood, La La continues to evolve. She advises all those who are struggling with divorce to not “lose who you are…and who you were before the marriage.”
The post Once Blaming $7.5 Billion Franchise, La La Admits Losing Safety Net in Carmelo Anthony Divorce appeared first on EssentiallySports.
