When TMZ reported that R&B singer Monica had filed for divorce from professional basketball player Shannon Brown in March 2019, not everyone was surprised. They have gone through a lot during their eight-year marriage, from multiple cheating allegations to rumors that the T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle star was the other woman at the start of their romance.
As we look back at everything that happened during their relationship, we noticed that we missed a bunch of red flags, as well as so many signs that, sadly, their marriage was doomed from the start.
1. A speedy engagement
Monica and Shannon met in the summer of 2010 when the former Los Angeles Laker played her love interests in the music video for “Love All Over Me.” Just a few months later, she was flashing a huge engagement ring on Twitter.
Because their relationship went from zero to 100 in the blink of an eye, the R&B singer knew she was going to receive a ton of backlash. So she posted a message on Twitter to acknowledge everyone who had an opinion about their quickie romance. She added, “But we know who we are […] We pray to an awesome God together,” she wrote, in part.
Despite feeling hopeful about their relationship, trouble was brewing almost immediately.
2. Was Monica the other woman?
When she and Shannon began dating, many people were immediately confused. As recently as June 2010, Shannon was still involved with a woman named Sharde (pictured, right), whom he also shares a son with. Sharde was even by his side during the Lakers championship parade in June 2010, according to The YBF. A week later, he was on set to play Monica’s love interest in her music video.
Just a few short months after the championship parade that Sharde attended, Shannon was engaged to Monica. So was the “Angel of Mine” singer the other woman all along? Shannon addressed the allegations in an August 2010 since-deleted tweet (via The YBF). He wrote:
“Monica is my girlfriend, confidant and a strong successful woman that has been through a lot herself but she is in no way, a home wrecker. As a parent, I understand that parenting requires a partnership with my son’s mother however the relationship between us fizzled a long time ago.”
Maybe he was telling the truth and things between him and Sharde were simply platonic. But this wouldn’t be the last time he was labeled a two-timer.
3. Did their age difference cause a problem?
By the time they got engaged, Monica was 29-years-old, and Shannon was only 24. To some people, this doesn’t seem like a big deal. But if you factor in Shannon’s career as a professional basketball player with access to a lot of money and groupies, this was a recipe for disaster.
She told The Breakfast Club in 2016 that other basketball wives warned her about the stories and lies that would flood the gossip magazines, but nothing could prepare her for what she would have to deal with.
4. The first sign of trouble
Shannon told Monica on the first day they met that he would marry her. Months later, in November 2010, he fulfilled his promise in a secret wedding ceremony in Los Angeles, People reports. They had a second wedding ceremony for family and friends in July 2011.
The professional basketball player told Hip Hop Non-Stop (via People):
“It’s true. That’s my wife, I’m her husband, you know. We’re going to continue to make positive things happen.”
The positivity didn’t last long, though.
Right after they celebrated their two-year wedding anniversary, a woman by the name of Corie Zenobia exposed some old messages Shannon allegedly sent her on Twitter in 2011. In the messages, Shannon was pursuing the woman, but there was never any confirmation that they actually met up.
Still, it wasn’t looking good for Monica, and this was just the first of many cheating allegations that would plague their marriage.
5. More cheating allegations
In Sept. 2013, Monica gave birth to their daughter, Laiyah Shannon Brown. Their baby girl joined Monica’s two sons from a previous relationship, Romelo and Rodney Hill, and Shannon’s son from a previous relationship. It marked a happy time in the Brown household, but it was a brief moment of joy.
In April 2016, a woman contacted the blog Industry On Blast and accused Shannon of sliding into her DM. The woman said the basketball player flew her out for two days so they could hook up, and he allegedly admitted to her that he wasn’t happy in his marriage.
That same year, Industry On Blast also reported Shannon had gotten a woman named Tammy pregnant and was the father of her two-year-old child, though the blog later claimed the woman was a “psychotic stalker” via Rolling Out.
Monica denied the allegations. Shannon, on the other hand, posted a picture of his wrecked vehicle on Instagram and said if he could survive that car accident, he could live through all of the lies printed about him in the media.
6. Did her intuition try to warn her?
During a 2016 appearance on The Breakfast Club, Monica said she was hesitant to get serious with Shannon when they first met. Because of her past experiences and dealing with infidelity with other men, she had her guard up. Shannon reportedly told her at the start of their relationship, “Let me show you who I am or I’m about to cut this off.”
At the time, they hadn’t had any issues in their romance, but things were still brand new. She was still very nervous about moving things forward, but she couldn’t understand why she was so afraid. Was her intuition trying to warn her?
7. Going ringless
2018 brought a major shift to their marriage. Monica was spotted out and about without her wedding ring, while Shannon was too busy slanging his meat all over Instagram to notice.
On March 26, 2019, he posted a cryptic message on Instagram, reminding himself to protect the peaceful place he had created in his life. The very next day, it was reported that Monica had filed for divorce earlier that same month, citing irreconcilable differences on her petition.
8. She wanted the meat, but was she lacking trust?
On an episode of T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle, Tiny Harris, Toya Wright, and LeToya Luckett planned a girls trip to a winery, but Monica was hesitant to go. Why?
She kept insisting that she didn’t want to just sit around and “talk” with her girlfriends. Instead, she wanted some “meat” included on the trip. Meat = men.
In one clip, Toya says, “Don’t kill the vibe. We’re going to enjoy this girls trip, and you’ll go home and get your meat later, okay?”
Monica made it seem as if she really wanted her husband and the rest of her friends’ significant others to join them to help spice up the trip. But now, some people think Monica wanted Shannon to join them so that she could keep an eye on him. A lack of trust? Perhaps.
What’s Next?
While their marriage may be over, Monica has a lot to look forward to. She has plans to release a new album in 2019 and she is staying focused on raising her children, while Shannon is currently playing in the NBA’s Gatorade League for the Grand Rapids Drive, though it’s unclear if he’ll return for the 2019-2020 season.
A lot of people knew her marriage to Shannon was doomed from the start, but we still wish them the best as they move into this new phase of their lives.
Do you think Monica did the right thing by filing for divorce?