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Louise Thomas
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La La Anthony has revealed why she’s keeping her married last name, even though she and her ex, former NBA star Carmelo Anthony, divorced in 2021.
The 42-year-old spoke candidly about her ex – who she shares 17-year-old son, Kiyan, with – during a panel at Fanatics Fest on August 17. While on the panel, she gushed about her son’s plans to pursue a career in the NBA, which she said is a reason why she’s keeping her famous last name.
“The moment of being able to buy Kiyan’s NBA jersey will be crazy,” journalist Taylor Rooks, who was moderating the event said, as reported by Page Six. In response, La La said: “That’s why I haven’t changed my last name yet. I’m gonna keep it around for a little while!”
According to ESPN, Kiyan is a shooting guard on his basketball team at Long Island Lutheran High School. He’ll be graduating in 2025, with ESPN having him ranked as the top high school basketball player in the state of NY. Although he hasn’t declared what college he’s going to, he’s already received offers to join the basketball team at multiple schools, including at University of Southern California, Florida State University, and Ohio State University.
During her appearance at Fanatics Fest on Saturday, she was asked “how hard” it would be to root against the New York Knicks – which Carmela used to play for – if her son is drafted on a different team. In response, she said: “Not that hard!”
She added: “I’m sorry I’m going where my kid goes! Wherever my kid is at, that’s who I’m rooting for.”
La La acknowledged that there’s a big difference between how she supported her ex’s career in the NBA, and how she’s been there for her son’s experiences as a basketball player.
“It’s different when it’s your kid,” the former TV host explained. “It’s just a whole different ball game. It feels like a brand new journey that I’m going on with him.”
She also clarified that while Kiyan has famous parents, he’s not necessarily interested in being in the public eye, with his mother noting that he hates being on camera.
“He has seen it his whole life so he is used to it but he is also an extremely humble kid,” she added. “So it’s amazing how grounded he has been able to be through it all because I couldn’t imagine growing up with parents that were in the spotlight or like … people wearing [Carmelo’s] jersey and people going crazy everywhere he goes. But he’s so calm and so humble and just wants to do the work and be such a student of the game.”
La La and Carmelo tied the knot in 2010, before splitting up in 2017. However, they reconciled in 2018 and went on to have an on-and-off again relationship for three years, amid rumors that Carmelo was unfaithful. La La later addressed the speculation during a 2022 appearance on The Breakfast Club, confirming that cheating was one of the main reasons why her marriage ended. In June 2021, the actor officially filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for her split.
However, La La has since made it clear that she and her ex are on good terms. During an interview with E! News in December, she acknowledged that she and Carmelo continue to put their child first, since they want him to know how much his parents still care for each other.
“At the end of the day, the center of everything is Kiyan,” she explained. “We want to show Kiyan that his parents love each other and we’re a family. We want to be good representations of that to Kiyan.”
She also acknowledged that she wants her son to know that his parents can be “in the same room together and hang out and have fun.” She once again applauded her and Carmelo’s approach to raising their child together.
“We do great at co-parenting. I always say Kiyan was made with love and we want to continue that love throughout his entire life. I couldn’t ask for a better partner and the co-parenting space,” La La added.
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