Photos Of Monica & Shannon Brown During Happier Times

Source: Prince Williams / Getty

On Wednesday, it came out that singer Monica and her husband, former NBA star and BIG3 player Shannon Brown, were calling it quits after eight years together. It was certainly a shock to many that she reportedly filed to put an end to their union earlier this month. And even though their relationship started in a whirlwind, with the star meeting Brown on the set of one of her music videos and dating, getting engaged and eventually marrying him within six months afterward, they always seemed like a happy, down-to-earth couple. Monica had nothing but great things to say about him whenever asked about their relationship.

“We met on the set of my video shoot ‘Love All Over Me,’ she said in 2012. “That was the first time I had ever laid eyes on him, but I knew it wouldn’t be the last. It was instantaneous. He was very genuine. He’s so easy on the eyes. You kind of get over the outer appearance doing what I do after a while. It doesn’t take that long in this business, you see how ugly people are on the inside, so with him it was really interesting I think to me that the first time we met he was talking about his grandmother.”

“I fought a lot of it because I was a single mom with two small boys so I was fighting it. I stated praying for confirmation,” she added. “Sometimes as a woman you have to be OK with not knowing all the answers. I started asking for confirmation and I enjoyed every second with him instead of thinking so much and try to map out how it should be. I sat back and let him be a man and let him lead into what we are now.”

They definitely appeared to be a solid pair for these past eight years, but marriage definitely isn’t easy. The two married in 2010 and share a daughter named Laiyah, whom they welcomed in 2013. Monica has two sons, Rocko and Romelo, from a previous relationship. Take a look back at the couple during happier times by hitting the flip:

Source: Prince Williams/Filmmagic / Getty