“Basketball Wives LA” star Imani Showalter has finally begun dating again. Showalter is the ex-fiancé of NBA star Stephen Jackson, whom she has three children with, and was quite vocal on season one about not having dated since the couple split. Things changed last fall when Showalter met Grammy-nominated gospel singer Marvin Sapp, who also pastors the Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapid, Michigan. Sapp was in Los Angeles judging Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound choir competition on Oct. 28 at the Staples Center and Showalter was introduced to him before the show.
“The two exchanged information and immediately started corresponding after the show. A week or so later Marvin flew her to Grand Rapids to visit him and so she could experience his church,” said a source.
The couple has been nearly inseparable since Showalter’s first visit, with Sapp flying Showalter out on various concert dates and preaching engagements. She traveled with the 44-year-old preacher to Chicago for a concert at New Life Covenant Church in late December. She was also by his side when he co-hosted the Stellar Gospel Awards in Nashville over Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend.
“They’ve been spending quite a bit of time together. They’re definitely falling in love and I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up getting married,” the source added.
Sapp is a father of three and a widower. His ex-wife Malinda died of colon cancer in 2010. While members of Sapp’s church were originally fine with their pastor dating the TV star, they recently became alarmed when Showalter tweeted photos of herself in a bikini to show off her recent weight loss on Twitter via @IamMelissaImani.
What's your take on this?
