Viewers watched Gloria Govan and Matt Barnes balance love and basketball on Vh1’s hit reality show, Basketball Wives, earlier in the year. Although not yet a wife, Govan was the only woman on the show in a seemingly functional relationship but she often came under scrutiny by some of her fellow cast mates who felt she was too naïve. Govan was frank about her feelings toward the women, telling VIBE that she thought they were jealous and bitter while Barnes took to his Twitter to express his disdain.
The couple was vocal about not returning for season two and excited about their wedding, which was originally scheduled for August 21. But then the game changed. When news surfaced online last week that the wedding was cancelled, it spiraled into a windmill of gossip that convinced most people the couple had split. However, Barnes and Govan revealed to VIBE that they’re still together, still plan to marry and have even decided to return to Basketball Wives, but under certain conditions. VIBE caught up with the couple to get the scoop. —Starrene Rhett
VIBE: The word went from the wedding being cancelled to you guys breaking up. What happened?
Gloria Govan: I think because we postponed the wedding, people just took it and ran with that and started challenging each other to see who can come up with the most ridiculous story. I think that’s how it started. I know Matt had let his groomsmen know as I had let a lot of my family members know that we were postponing the wedding, via text message and I think that also sparked a lot of our—one of Matt’s old teammate’s wedding that we were also suppose to be attending [but didn’t]—I think that also sparked a lot of the rumors that got out.
Why did you decide to postpone it?
Gloria: Matt and I feel like marriage is something that should not be rushed into. It wasn’t any outside party. We’re committed and dedicated to working on our relationship and we’re still together but again, we felt like this wasn’t something that was in our hearts at the time. Marriage is something that is definitely our goal but again, we’re not rushing into something that we just feel like isn’t right for us at the time so we’re just taking the time to work on our family.
You guys are moving to L.A. How did Matt end up with the Lakers?
Matt Barnes: I was a free agent. I was under contract with Orlando and I opted out of my contract thinking I was gonna go back to Orlando, and some things just fell apart there and I didn’t go back to Orlando. It came down to the Lakers and the Heat and the deciding factor was that I’m close to home in L.A. I went to college in L.A. and grew up a huge Laker fan so it was a great opportunity to be a part of a championship organization.
With the move in progress is it safe to say that there’s no new wedding date yet?
Matt: Yeah. There’s no new wedding date yet.
What’s your response to the rumors about your break up and alleged infidelity?
Matt: That’s something we set ourselves up for. We opened our family life up to the world, doing this TV show and we’ve always seen it from afar with celebrities going through their stuff and troubles where everything is well documented. And I know from being in professional sports for a while that a lot you see and hear is not true. Gloria heard everything—just crazy stuff—but we know what’s going on and our family knows what’s going on so that’s what’s most important.
Speaking of Gloria, Matt, there was a popular blog that posted an alleged testimony from an alleged inside source, saying that your relationship had ended because you realized that Gloria was a gold digger and that she got pregnant on purpose to trap you and had alienated you from your family. What’s your response to that?
Matt: It’s another rumor. My brother has lived with us at certain points. We’re in Sacramento every summer. My dad hangs out with Gloria and the kids because most of the day I’m gone working out so it’s just Gloria and my dad and the kids. And then my sister and Gloria hang out. So like I said a lot of rumors are gonna be flying left and right and that was one of the reasons we postponed the wedding because me and her weren’t ready [but] it was no outside influences or anything like that.
What’s your response, Gloria?
PAGE 2: Gloria Govan & Matt Barnes On Returning For ‘Basketball Wives’ Season 2
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