During an April 2024 sit‑down with Athleisure Mag, Anansa Sims laughed, “My full‑time job right now is my kids”. With twins David and Dean enrolled in high school basketball and Anansa’s eldest trio juggling three sports apiece, she quips that afternoons feel like an SNL sketch—running cleats in one hand, grading papers in the other. But with so much love poured into her family, the question lingers: Is there room left for Anansa to find love for herself? That’s the story unfolding before our eyes.
Over the years, Sims and Matt Barnes have woven together a blended family, blending Anansa’s three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren from her first marriage with Barnes’s twin boys from a previous relationship. They moved in together in 2018 and have since welcomed two 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren of their own. After splitting briefly in 2019 and re‑engaging in December 2022, their recent split has left the future of marriage or dating between them uncertain. So what’s next? Are they ready to embrace romance again, or is that chapter still on hold?
Sims got real about something a lot of moms feel but rarely say out loud. On The Jasmine Brand, she opened up about the doubt that crept in after becoming a mother. “I remember being told, ‘Nobody’s gonna want your three kids,’” she shared. It’s the kind of comment that sticks. “That is something that’s said to hold you back, to make you overthink,” she admitted.
Despite those fears, Sims’s DMs tell a different tale. “I’ve got five 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren, and my DMs are all over the place,” she said, laughing off that old narrative. Turns out, most people are actually into her being a mom. “Nine times out of ten, they’re like, ‘I love that you’re a mom.’” And while her mom cheers her on—“Anansa, you’re educated, you’re beautiful, you’re a kind person”—Anansa’s still learning to believe it. “I’m like, ‘Mom, mom, mom, you’re just saying that.’” So while the confidence is rising, love might still be something she’s figuring out on her own timeline.
On May 10, 2025, Sims’s Instagram Story exploded: “Why, Matt?? Eight different women in January 💔”—complete with alleged spotlighted names and timelines—before she closed with, “Y’all can have him.”. Within hours, the post vanished, but screenshots circulated, igniting a social‑media firestorm. Critics debated the veracity of her claims, while supporters rallied behind her raw honesty.
This wasn’t their first public blowup, either. Back in 2018, they had a short-lived breakup before getting back together. But this time around, things hit differently. With such detailed accusations and such raw emotion, it’s hard not to wonder if the chapter on Anansa Sims and Barnes might finally be closed. For now, her hands might be full, but so is her heart — and maybe that’s exactly where her next chapter begins.
Matt Barnes: Healing first, loving later
Matt Barnes has been open about how his struggles with emotions played a big part in the breakup with Anansa Sims. In a heartfelt chat with martial arts coach Jason Wilson, he said, “Through my actions, I literally just lost my family…I was the strong provider. I wasn’t there emotionally. I wasn’t empathetic. I wasn’t willing to share those emotions.” He even shared how his ex described him as “‘You’re a wall,’” and that really hit home for him. That wake-up call led him to start counseling, realizing that “little Matt from back then is still hurt and still trying to find his way,” even though grown-up Matt thought he had it all figured out.
Matt’s candor exposes deeper emotional battles he’s been facing—battles that probably contributed a lot to the problems with Sims. While he didn’t speak directly about the recent drama, his openness made it clear just how hard things have been for him. He admitted, “I don’t want to say I don’t know how to cry because I’ve cried before, but I haven’t cried in probably 30 years.” Confronted with that truth, Barnes sought therapy with Dr. Sheri Meyers. He acknowledged that “little Matt from back then is still hurt,” even though “grown‑up Matt thought he had it all figured out”.
Looking ahead, Barnes caught everyone off guard on The Truth After Dark podcast when he opened up about marriage. He said, “I will say marriage… I’m not afraid. It’s not out of the picture for me… I want to be older… Let me be… 50, 55, maybe even 60…” You can tell he’s in no rush—he wants to take his time, heal, and grow before diving back into anything serious. It makes perfect sense that Matt is pacing himself after going through such public breakups and bearing those emotional scars. He is currently focused on achieving inner peace before he is prepared to let his heart open once more.
USA Today via Reuters
Critics, however, think Barnes’ narrative leans heavily on being one-sided. Some commentators note that Anansa Sims fired back that his narrative overlooks her pain and the 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren’s trauma. While it is refreshing to see Barnes being so open, his account does not tell the whole story.
