Former NBA player Matt Barnes has officially tied the knot with model and entrepreneur Anansa Sims.
Neither Barnes nor Sims has yet to officially announce their nuptials, but ESSENCE confirmed the wedding this week after a pair of images from the intimate event were shared on Instagram stories, captioned “Congrats to Mr & Mrs Barnes.”
In one snap, Sims and Barnes are seen hugging their 7-year-old son, Ashton. In the photos, Sims is wearing a beautiful white wedding gown, while Barnes is clad in a classic tuxedo, and a large wedding cake sits behind the trio on a table. In the second photo, Barnes and Sims kissed as they embraced one another.
It’s been a long, winding road to matrimony for the couple, whose tumultuous relationship has been heavily documented. Last February, Sims broke off their engagement, accusing Barnes of cheating on her with eight different women in January alone. Barnes later opened up about losing his family, expressing his regrets, and taking some degree of accountability during an episode of his “All The Smoke” podcast, where he also said he “hadn’t cried in 30 years.”
āI was the strong provider. I wasnāt there emotionally; I wasnāt empathetic. I wasnāt willing to share those emotions. That was stuff that my ex would tell me. Likeā¦ āYouāre a wall,’ā Barnes shared.
The gesture wasn’t well-received by Sims, who took to social media demanding Barnes share the whole truth and do the hard work.
The first signs of a reconciliation between Barnes and Sims were their shared Christmas post, featuring their blended family. The couple shares two sons, Ashton Joseph Barnes, born in 2018, and Austin Matthew Barnes, born in 2024. Barnes also has twin sons, Carter and Isaiah, 17, from his previous marriage to Gloria Govan. Sims has a daughter Ava Brielle Patterson, 14, and sons David III, 13 and Dean,11, from her marriage to David Patterson, Jr.
Barnes also recently shared a post celebrating Sims’ birthday. “Hā¢Aā¢Pā¢Pā¢Y Birthday Beautiful ā¤ļø,” the retired NBA star captioned the post.
Barnes and Sims first met at UCLA in the ’90’s, where both were students.They began dating after reconnecting in 2018, but had a very public breakup later that year, which led to Sims filing a restraining order. After rekindling their relationship in 2021, the pair became engaged in 2022, while celebrating Christmas together. In 2024, WEtv launched a reality show, ‘The Barnes Bunch,’ showcasing their blended family and busy lives.
In the new year, marriage marks a new chapter for the pair.
