Matt Barnes and Anansa Sims have a new WE tv reality series, The Barnes Bunch, that chronicles their hectic blended family life. In a preview clip for the premiere episode, which airs April 19, the couple get real about their issues.
While in couple’s therapy, the pair is asked whether they’ve both been faithful throughout their relationship. After an awkward pause, they both respond affirmatively. When asked why they were hesitant to answer the question, they took the time to detail their relationship timeline, noting that while on an extended break, they’d been with other people.
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“There was a time we split,” Barnes explained.
Sims adds, “We weren’t together for all of 2020.”
Regarding the split, Barnes revealed that he initiated the breakup. He attributes it to him not being ready to commit. At the time, he’d been newly retired from the NBA, and within a year of dating Simms, they became pregnant with their first child. Their blended family of six, coupled with his unresolved trauma from a previous marriage, is what he says caused him to take pause. For Barnes, things were moving too quickly.
Their split was messy. There were allegations of threats, with Sims claiming Barnes was aggressive. Issues of custody and visitation over their son also became a problem. Somewhere, within a year, they reconcile. A year later, Barnes proposed. And they say they are good, but the reality series exposes there’s still work to be done.
Later in the therapy session, Barnes admits to being bombarded by women when he’s on the road working as an NBA commentator, something Sims was unaware of. While she says she worries about him potentially cheating, it’s not paramount. Instead, she finds herself overwhelmed with the demands of being a soon-to-be wife and mother. Barnes, she says, prioritizes alone time, even when he’s not on the road.
Later in the episode, Sims tells Barnes she’s uncomfortable with female fans getting too close. He assures her there’s nothing to worry about. But due to their previous breakup, which Sims says blindsided her, it’s important to keep the lines of communication open to avoid similar pitfalls. Watch the preview clip above.
