Daniel Gibson opens up about divorce from Keyshia Cole

Words and Images by DeWayne Rogers

Styled by Kris Cole

Grooming by Ella Mokamba

Daniel Gibson is at a crossroad. He knows it. And so does the rest of the world. So pivotal are his next steps that they could affect everything: his marriage, his family, even his redemption. But let’s take it back a few months. When the rumors began to circulate that there was possible trouble brewing in the marriage between Gibson and R&B songstress Keyshia Cole, not a word was uttered by Gibson nor his camp. At the time, his silence was viewed as an indication that he was above the fray and wouldn’t be responding to every little rumor floating around on the Internet. After all, it was nothing more than a little rumor, right?

But in March, those rumors crystallized into something so much more as Cole took to the airwaves and substantiated the hearsay. She and Gibson were officially no more.

However, it didn’t stop there. According to Cole, not only were they no longer a couple, but she also faced the worst betrayal possible: Gibson had turned his back on his vows and cheated. If that weren’t enough, the alleged misdeeds were said to have happened in her own house … and in her own bed.

The blogosphere went into a frenzy. Did Gibson really cheat on Cole? Was it with a stripper? Did Cole’s perceived attitude push him to cheat? There were so many questions, and the only one who was talking was Cole … that is, until now. After months of contemplation, Gibson has stepped out of the shadows to face those tough questions that have seemingly gone unanswered. In the moments leading up to the following interview, Gibson appeared to be at ease — as if he had long awaited this moment — the moment when he could set the record straight.

One of the first things that people want to know is, what went wrong between you and Keyshia Cole?I think that life happened. In certain situations, you are a match made in heaven. But at the same time, nothing is perfect — and nobody is perfect. Then in some situations, you aren’t going to be as perfect as some people expect you to be. What happened with me and her was that our relationship was out there for everyone to see. So whenever we were going through our problems, it became public and everyone saw the ups and downs. With us, I think it was just a matter of us growing apart over time. I can’t say that there was one thing that broke us up, but what I can say as a man; when you are in a relationship, and you say those vows, I take full responsibility for everything that didn’t go right.

It’s admirable for you to step up and take responsibility. As it relates to there not being one event that led to your separation, that’s not really how it’s portrayed. You are viewed as the bad guy, and it is believed to be 100 percent your fault as to why this marriage didn’t work. Is it completely your fault?I take that responsibility — I do.

But you’re giving me the easy answer right now.I’m giving you the real answer because I feel like you’re never supposed to allow your marriage to fall apart. Whether it’s the blogs saying I cheated, or if I don’t like your attitude, at the end of the day, when you’re married to somebody, and you say “I do,” it says for better or for worse, and regardless of what comes in your relationship, you’re supposed to work through it. For example, even if you wanted to say that I cheated, you’re still supposed to figure out a way to make that work. So I’m not backing down from anything that people have to say about me, and I’m not taking the easy way out. But I am taking full responsibility for that not being my wife.

Read more on this article, at RollingOut.com