Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, 8 years ago, Kyrie was involved in a relationship with Kehlani. In the beginning, everything was going better than expected. While Kai claimed that nothing else mattered to him when he was with her, the R&B singer deemed it as a relationship based on great friendship. “I think this is the first time that I’ve ever been able to really be myself at all times,” Kehlani told ILY magazine back in February 2016. However, things soon started to fall apart as she was accused of cheating on the NBA star after a picture of her with ex-boyfriend rapper PartyNextDoor went viral on social media.

And just as netizens do every time, without any confirmation, they started harassing Kehlani on all platforms, bombarding her with cheating allegations and brutal criticism. It got to a point where the singer thought about a severe extreme, one that involved ending it all. The onslaught of hate messages was unbearable. In an Instagram post that she later deleted, Kehlani shared a picture of herself with an IV attached to her arm captioned, “Today I wanted to leave this Earth… Being completely selfish for once. Never thought I’d get to such a low point.” Then, denying all the cheating allegations, Kehlani claimed she was a good person.

Kyrie Irving defended Kehlani, but it still couldn’t save their relationship

After witnessing the ruthless reactions from the fans, Kyrie came to his then-girlfriend’s aid and clarified she had not cheated on him. “It’s been hard to see what’s been going on and not address the truth. I do not justify the picture or what dude did to try and spark all of this non sense that could have been avoided, but me and Kehlani were not dating when the picture came out.” Sympathizing with Kehlani and her family in this tough time, Kyrie showered her with love and compassion.

However, the two would end their relationship that very year, realizing that it might be best for both if they were apart. Kyrie and Kehlani continued to be friends. Two years later, in 2018, Kyrie even issued a public apology. “I’m sorry, I know this is long overdue.” Kyrie silenced the critics. He let the world know that Kehlani is a beautiful person and she wasn’t defined by people’s judgment for an act she didn’t even commit.

Last year, Kehlani opened up about the horrid memories. She claimed that she was surprised at how faithful the sports fans were to their favorite superstars. More importantly, the singer was just 20 years old at the time and despite already opening up about her depression and anxiety, grown men tried to put her down on social media. Their relationship didn’t last very long. But fortunately, both Kehlani and Kyrie came out of the situation stronger, and continue to admire each other to this day.

Kyrie Irving is currently living his best life. Only four wins away from his second title, he has resurged his on-court career, amid all the personal issues. And in his personal life, Kyrie is doing wonders as a father of three children and a loving husband to wife Marlene Wilkerson. On the other hand, Kehlani seems well settled too and she’s in a relationship with Kiara Russell.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow in what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.