NBA player Malik Beasley’s wife, Montana Yao, all but confirmed reports that she was blindsided after seeing photos of him and Larsa Pippen holding hands.
“Wow… I don’t even know this man,” the model, 23, wrote on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, December 1. “This is wild y’all I’m seeing it for the first time just like y’all.”
Yao also wrote that “the truth always comes out one way or another,” adding, “I’ve always and will forever remain true to who I am and GOD has never let me down. … Appreciate all the love y’all for real.”
Beasley, 24, and the former Miss Malibu Teen USA met in 2018 and welcomed their son, Makai, in March 2019. While it is unclear when they married, she calls herself his “wife” on her website and social media.
Yao’s response came hours after the Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard’s name trended on Twitter over November 23 photos of him and Pippen, 46, walking hand in hand and linking arms in Miami. The pair wore face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic while shopping and picking up food together.
Beasley wore a black, orange and yellow tracksuit with matching orange sneakers for the outing, while the former Real Housewives of Miami star sported a revealing all-black ensemble.
Pippen was previously married to former NBA star Scottie Pippen, from whom she filed for divorce in 2018 after more than 20 years. The former couple share four children: Scotty Jr., 20, Preston, 18, Justin, 15, and Sophia, 12. (Scottie is also the father of Antron, 33, with ex-wife Karen McCollum, Taylor, 26, with ex-girlfriend Sonya Roby and Sierra, 25, with ex-fiancée Yvette DeLeone.)
After the photos of his mother and Beasley went viral, Scotty Jr., who is also a basketball player, “liked” several fans’ tweets showing support for him. One post read, “Dear Scottie [sic] Pippen Jr if you are reading this stay focused kid, dont worry about social media, i know thats ya moms but you gotta control what you can control.” A second tweet read, “Look at how disappointed in his momma he is … this breaks my heart,” alongside a screenshot of his Twitter “likes” section.
Us Weekly has reached out to Beasley and Pippen’s reps for comment.
Scroll down to see more photos from the pair’s Miami outing.