Model Anansa Sims recently shared what some women would be afraid to say: she felt insecure about dating with multiple kids. Sims recalled being told nobody would want her as a single mom while appearing on the Drop The Lo podcast with hosts Evelyn Lozada and her daughter, Shaniece Hairston.
“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.
The 46-year-old didn’t disclose which of her exes made those comments. The model was previously engaged to former NBA player Matt Barnes, whom she dated on and off for five years before getting engaged in December 2022. The former couple had two children together during their relationship. Before Barnes, Sims was married to David Patterson Jr., with whom she had her first three kids.
During the interview, Sims explained that although she had initially attracted men, it hadn’t been an issue.
“I’ve got five children, and my DMs are all over the place,” she laughed, noting that being a mom attracts prospects the majority of the time. “Nine times out of ten, they’re like, ‘I love that you’re a mom.’”
Additionally, the mother of five has the support of her iconic mother, Beverly Johnson, who she says hypes her up. Sims said her mom tells her, “Anansa, you’re educated, you’re beautiful, you’re a kind person.” She added, “I’m like, ‘Mom, mom, mom, you’re just saying that.’”
In February, Sims ended her longtime relationship with Barnes after publicly accusing him of sleeping with eight different women in January alone. The former athlete came out to admit he fumbled, although he didn’t address the cheating allegations.
“I literally lost my family by being exactly what you talked about. Like, I was the strong provider, but I wasn’t there emotionally. I wasn’t empathetic. I wasn’t willing to share those emotions. That was stuff that my ex would tell me: “I don’t… you’re a wall,” Barnes said on his podcast, ALL THE SMOKE with Matt Barnes & Stephen Jackson.
That said, Sims wasn’t buying his version of the story and came online to blast him. “Don’t post half-truths about me and our past relationship to gain sympathy from the masses,” the model wrote in an Instagram post. “I’m in the trenches doing the hard work, making sure all of our kids are ok. You’ve made no effort to emotionally support all of our children through this traumatic transition you caused, but you’re willing to be “vulnerable” for strangers on the gram for profit?”
The former couple had a blended family of seven children—two from Barnes’ previous relationship, three from Sims’ prior marriage, and two together.
