Richard Jefferson is not just a retired basketball player. No, the former NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers wears many hats. The latest among them is a broadcaster for ESPN. But even despite making a smooth transition, there’s one aspect of life that hasn’t panned out for Jefferson — relationships.

He’s been engaged twice. But is he married? If so, to whom? Let’s answer these questions and more today as we dissect the former champ’s love life!

Is Richard Jefferson married? What’s his relationship status?

No, Richard Jefferson isn’t married. In fact, he never walked down the aisle. But he’s been engaged twice. So no prizes for guessing how many times he’s called it off. The former NBA swingman was set to wed Kesha Nichols in a July wedding at Manhattan’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel. But just before the wedding, rumors claimed he “jilted” her at the altar. 

However, the truth is that the split happened days—or even a week before the ceremony. And Jefferson insists saving both parties from a shaky marriage was better than rushing into vows he wasn’t ready for. To that end, he’s now single and focused on his ESPN analyst role. 

Who is Richard Jefferson’s ex-fiancée, Kesha Nichols? What does she do for a living?

Kesha Nichols isn’t just a headline. She was a professional cheerleader for the New Jersey Nets during Jefferson’s seven-year tenure there. Today, she’s the founder of Sugar & Spice Production, a New York–based dance collective. Tabloids painted her as a weak, “jilted bride” abandoned minutes before walking down the aisle.

But Nichols rejects that narrative. “That’s my philosophy, just keep dancing for life,” she told Good Morning America of her resilient outlook. She clarifies there wasn’t a humiliating breakup email—only an email “confirming what we already talked about.” Though she calls the entire ordeal itself “humiliating,” she maintains that she harbors no bitterness towards Richard. “I have no hard feelings. I will always care about him. … My heart is broken. I’ll miss him as a friend,” Nichols said, showing both strength and grace in the face of public scrutiny.

Why did Richard Jefferson call off his wedding to Kesha Nichols?

Stress and tension—that’s how Jefferson puts it. He recognized their relationship had become strained beyond repair. After a contentious Fourth of July weekend in Los Angeles, he decided a wedding wasn’t the answer. He gave Nichols a full week’s notice that he couldn’t go through with marrying her. Then, once she was en route to New York, he sent an email to be crystal clear. “Sometimes you might write an e-mail to get your thoughts down right,” Jefferson explained to The New York Post. So, yes, despite what you may have heard, Jefferson didn’t dump Nichols with an email. Nor did he leave her hanging on the altar.

 But a well-intended gesture meant to ease her transition soon backfired. Jefferson arranged a six-figure settlement for Kesha after their wedding was called off. Many called it hush money, but he insists it was simply the responsible thing to do. Reflecting on the breakup, he said, “There was a lot of stress and tension in the relationship. We’ve been through a lot, but we just couldn’t continue.” In interviews with Dan Patrick and Howard Stern, he also dismissed rumors about his sexuality: “I’m not gay. That couldn’t be any further from the truth. I have nothing to hide.”

Ending the engagement early may look harsh. Yet Jefferson argues it spared everyone more pain down the road. “If you aren’t 100 percent certain about something, you shouldn’t do it,” he told Stern. And while that’s sound advice for something like a tattoo, for a marriage? It’s downright gospel! 

Now, he’s single and thriving in his broadcasting career. Nichols, meanwhile, continues to grow her dance empire. Both have moved forward—wiser, more honest, and dancing to their own beats.