Tika Sumpter and Nicholas James’ Love Story

Tika Sumpter is the stunning actress and model best known for her roles on One Life to Live, The Game and The Haves and Have Nots. She is also known for her relationship to actor and fellow co-star Nicholas James. How did the two get together?

Here’s the truth about Tika Sumpter and Nicholas James’ love story.

Tika and Hosea?

Tika joined the cast of the hit show The Game in 2010, where she played Hosea Chanchez’s love interest. They definitely had chemistry on the screen and even appeared together at some events and red carpet appearances. When Essence magazine labeled a photo of them with the hashtag “adorable,” all heck broke loose.

Everyone assumed they were Hollywood’s latest “it couple.” An online user took things a step further by editing Tika’s Wikipedia page with info about Tika and Hosea getting married. Tika finally addressed the rumors in a 2015 interview on The Real by saying not to believe everything you read on the internet. She added that she and Hosea were never married, and when she does tie the knot “the whole world will know.”

A surprise (and secret) pregnancy

Tika continued living her life under the radar and began dating a mystery man away from the public eye. During a Valentine’s Day trip to San Diego, she was craving a Big Mac, fries, and a Coke, which was something that had never happened to her. After the meal, she fell asleep, and when she woke up, her boyfriend jokingly asked if she was pregnant. She told him she wasn’t sure, so she asked him to go get a test. 

He brought back a generic-brand test, and Tika saw the results right away: she was officially a mommy-to-be. She didn’t believe the results at first, so she went to the store and bought a name-brand test, which confirmed the first test. She said, “I still have the stick. I had to show it to my mom because she didn’t even believe me when I told her.”

Although she was excited, she decided it was best to keep the news on the low. She even hid her pregnancy from some friends. It wasn’t until August 2016 — at seven months pregnant, she announced she was expecting. She told Fit Pregnancy and Baby, “She’s my first child, and I wanted to experience every moment of this pregnancy for myself and enjoy it without everybody else being in it with me.” 

Of course, she was also worried about people on social media asking her, “Who’s the dad?” And Tika just wasn’t ready to go public with her boo at that time. When asked if marriage was in their future, she replied, “Our relationship is not dependent on a ring.” She said they both loved each other and that’s all that really mattered. 

Tika Sumpter’s boyfriend is revealed

Eventually, Bossip confirmed Tika’s baby’s daddy was none other than her The Haves and the Have Nots co-star, Nicholas James. Sources close to the couple confirmed they met on set and kept their relationship a secret, partially because they were an interracial couple. 

Apparently, a lot of people weren’t too happy about seeing a black woman and white man finding happiness and bringing a child into the world. According to BET, there were a few people sounding off and expressing their displeasure with the idea of Tika dating Nicholas. One person tweeted, “I’m lowkey blowed tika sumpter having a baby for a white dude, all that melanin down the drain.”

She eventually confirmed to Wendy Williams that she indeed met Nicholas on set and he made her laugh the entire time. She told him, “Call me if you guys go out or something,” and he called. Tika said they were at a predominantly black club, but Nicholas was so comfortable. She admitted they ended up kissing that night. 

She told Newsweek they instantly connected. She explained that it was like, “’Oh I think you’re hot. You think I’m hot. You think I’m smart and cool? Let’s hang out.’” From there, things progressed, and that’s when reality set in. Tika said they had to learn to understand each other’s cultures and the differences.

Tika Sumpter and Nicholas James’ baby girl, Ella-Loren, was born on October 8, 2016. However, Tika still didn’t publicly acknowledge Nicholas.

Tika Sumpter and Nicholas James get engaged

On Christmas Day 2016, Tika’s man led her on a scavenger hunt through their house. She figured he was going to propose, but instead, he presented her with a Peloton bike. And then, she found a letter behind their daughter. Tika explained that it was “a letter of beauty,” and then he proposed. Tika said, “It was just simple and awesome.” Her man told her the letter had been “burning a hole in his pocket for a while,” but he knew this was the right time. 

Tika showed off her beautiful engagement ring on a January 2017 episode of The Real. And finally, on Father’s Day 2017, Tika revealed, confirmed, and acknowledged that Nicholas was indeed her fiance and her daughter’s father.  In her post, Tika called Nicholas an amazing father, and added, ”I could not have asked for a funnier, more present and loving partner.”

What’s next for Tika Sumpter?

In 2018, when speaking about interracial dating on In This Room, Tika wondered why brown-skinned women are also questioned about who they date and fall in love with because in her mind, “Love is love for everybody.” 

Tika spoke openly about raising a biracial child to Newsweek and explained the difficulty of trying to meld two cultures together. She admitted that while it’s wonderful to have a child mixed with two races, it’s also “crazy and scary at the same time.” Her instincts kick in and all she wants to do is protect her baby girl. What has been helpful is her new role on the show Mixed-ish. Tika said the show helped her talk to her daughter about certain issues and build confidence within herself.

As of now, Tika Sumpter and Nicholas James haven’t shared any details on their wedding plans, but we wish them and their family nothing but the best.

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