Divorce is hard enough. Going through it under the glare of the media, that’s a different ballgame. For the 2000s kids, it was a different world when the face of TRL and a Knicks superstar were a power couple in New York. But the Big Apple also came with big lenses. So the dissolution of La La and Carmelo Anthony’s marriage was a lot to digest for the average fan. Anyone with an Internet connection dove way too deep into the breakdown of their relationship. Almost five years since that phase of her life ended, La La opened up about the emotional toll it took, and how her mom came to her rescue.

On the IRL Podcast with Angie Martinez, La La Anthony reflected on her divorce from Melo. And it wasn’t the end of their marriage and their son losing a united family that made it “The hardest part ” of La La’s life. After ‘La La’s Full Court Life’ showed us their romance and wedding, the curiosity about their separation was equally heightened.

“Then you have that part, like, to where they’re watching you. ‘She looks sad. She looks depressed.’ Like they’re watching everything. So then you have like the fake smile, like, ‘No, I’m good. Everything’s okay.” La La told host Angie Martinez. It’s also very real. Headlines between 2017 and 2019 closely kept an eye on La La’s hand for the presence of her wedding ring, while rumors of Melo cheating on her started floating. That kind of scrutiny took a toll on the BMF star, who said that the truth is, “you’re like, f—– dying inside, and you’re just like, ‘I’m all right.'”

LaLa and Carmelo met through TRL and began dating in 2003. Their son, Kiyan, was born in 2007, and they wed in 2010. After being on and off, she filed for divorce in 2021, citing irreconcilable differences. It was a big deal in the media back then that, within a few days of filing for divorce, they were a united front at Kiyan’s basketball game.

Contrary to rumors of infidelity by both parties, La La blamed Carmelo Anthony’s trade to the Knicks for their divorce. The Brooklyn-born-and-bred actress didn’t cope with New York’s bright lights on their personal lives since Melo went from the small market of Denver to dominating Madison Square Garden.

Back then, focusing on Kiyan was an ideal escape for her. As it turns out, in one of the most difficult phases of her life, La La needed familiar support.

La La Anthony’s mom to the rescue

Carmen Surrillo, La La Anthony’s mom and Kiyan Anthony’s grandma, is made of a different substance. She raised La La as a single mom by working hard and making smart financial decisions. Even with La La’s comfortable career, her mom keeps a check on her excessive spending.

During her divorce from Carmelo Anthony, La La was putting on a brave front outside but breaking down in private. As she said, “nobody gets married with the thought of getting divorced… You marry somebody thinking that’s who you’re going to be with for the rest of your life, and this is your life. So when that changes, it’s like, ‘Oh, what do I do now? I wasn’t prepared for this. This is not what I thought was going to happen.'”

When Martinez points out that the outsiders generally respond to that with a reminder you’re not the first person to get a divorce, the 43-year-old said, “My mom tells me all the time.” Surrillo also ends that reminder with, “And you won’t be the last.” Back then, La La felt scolded – like, “Alright, damn.” Now she’s grateful for her mom’s brand of support.

These days, La La is kinda-sorta dating. And she’s resolved not to publicise it till she’s comfortable with the media glare. Even if things go south, her mamma will always have her back.