

Chanel Iman Gets Engaged To NFL Star Davon Godchaux. Here's Everything We Know About Their Relationship
Supermodel Chanel Iman's whirlwind romance with her now-fiancé, NFL star Davon Godchaux, showcases how a breakup can often be a hidden blessing for something greater.
For context, the model was previously married to New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard. Iman and Shepard --who share two daughters, Cali and Cassie Shepard-- were married from 2018 to 2021 when the Dope star filed for divorce in June of that same year.
Although there are limited details as to what caused the demise of their relationship, when Iman filed, she claimed it was due to "irreconcilable differences." Iman and Shepard's divorce would be finalized years later, in April 2023. Since their split, both parties have officially moved on. Shepard is dating reality star, Carolyn Moore.
At the same time, Iman has been in a relationship with Godchaux. During the couple's year-long union, they announced they were officially engaged and welcoming their first child in their blended family of three.
As fans commemorate Iman’s next chapter, xoNecole takes a look back into the 32-year-old's love story with Godchaux, from the pair's Instagram debut as a couple to their engagement.
Chanel and Davon Become Instagram Official
Iman and Godchaux were romantically linked in April 2022 after the duo uploaded affectionate photos on their respective Instagram accounts while attending Coachella.
The Mad Families star used a heart and upside-down smiley face emojis to describe her budding relationship with Godchaux. As for the New York Patriots defensive tackle, he immediately let it be known that Iman was officially off the market by writing the caption "Mines" with a tongue emoji.
Chanel and Davon Take Their Romance On The Road
Nearly a month after going public with their relationship, Iman and Godchaux gave fans a look into their Turks and Caicos vacation by documenting the getaway and sharing it on their Instagram pages.
Iman, who appeared visibly smitten, posted a photo of the couple hugging with the caption, "Spoiled with love." While Godchaux expressed how happy he was to have met Iman.
Chanel and Davon's Blended Family
In July 2022, things seemed to be getting serious between Iman and Godchaux after the star shared an image of the football player's son and her two daughters, Cali and Cassie, as they spent quality time together in Miami.
Chanel Supporting Davon On The Field
Fast forward to September 2022. As the football season kicked off, Iman was seen dressed in a Patriots jersey as she showed her support for Godchaux and his team.
"Let's go BIG DADDY #92. Let's go, @patriots," the model wrote while sharing an image of the pair posing on the field. Godchaux showed his appreciation in the comment section by declaring his love for her.
"I love u baby! Only the beginning," the 28-year-old said.
Chanel and Davon Spending the Holidays Together
Later that year, Iman and Godchaux reached a milestone in their relationship by celebrating the holidays together. The couple brought in Christmas with her family by opening presents and building gingerbread houses.
Despite the busy schedule, Iman was able to sneak in a selfie with her beau as they commemorated the special day.
Chanel and Davon's Quality Time With Their Children
The good times between Iman and Godchaux continued as the New Year occurred. The couple collaborated in a partnership with PJ Palace.
As for their relationship, Iman and Godchaux remained strong as ever as they traveled around the world from New Orleans to Dubai. In addition to the lavish vacations, the couple also spent time with their children. The family's most recent trip occurred in April 2023 when they visited Nick Resort Riviera Maya in Mexico.
Chanel and Davon Announce They Are Expecting
A few weeks later, Iman and Godchaux announced on social media that they were expecting their first child.
On May 3, in an Instagram post jointly shared on the couple's respective accounts, Iman revealed how ecstatic she and Godchaux were to meet their "new little one."
"Our family is growing, and we are so excited to meet our new little one," she wrote. Godchaux responded to the post by hinting that he would soon ask Iman for her hand in marriage.
"My love, my everything! Soon to be mine forever," he stated in the comment section. That same month, Iman and Godchaux would share with the public that they were expecting a little girl after participating in a gender reveal with Cali and Cassie during a photoshoot.
Chanel and Davon On Their Engagement
At the height of the couple's exciting news of expanding their family, Iman shocked her fans again on May 30 when the soon-to-be mother of three shared that Godchaux proposed to her during their babymoon in Italy.
While sharing various images from that special moment, Iman expressed her gratitude for all "the blessings" that have occurred in her life following "this new chapter."
"The blessings keep pouring, grateful for this new chapter and soon to be married and a forever to go," she said. In another upload, Iman added how much she loves Godchaux.
"Babymoon in Capri turned into the perfect engagement. I love you so much @chauxdown. You promised me the world and so far you have given me that and so much more!" she wrote.
On the other hand, Godchaux opened up about how nervous he was to propose to Iman, but he explained that the nerves would eventually subside because he realized that he wouldn't "want no one else by" his side.
"First of all, I can't even lie, I was nervous ahh hell and I never thought I would be getting down on one knee but LOVE will make you do some amazing things in life! Chanel I love you so much and I wouldn't have rather spend this moment with no one else by my side!" he stated.
"From the moment we met I knew it was something about you and how much you value having a FAMILY that was really important to me! We are in this together and will always be, I love you from the bottom of my heart! My love, My fiancé, My everything!! What does not kill us only makes us stronger!!"
Although Iman and Godchaux have yet to set an official wedding date, many appeared inspired by their journey because it showcases that there is life after the demise of a relationship.
Congrats to the lovely couple!
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Feature image by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images For Louis Vuitton)
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Masterdating: A TikTok Dating Trend That We Should Totally Get Behind
Imma tell y’all what — it seems like not one week goes by when I don’t see some sort of so-called term that has me like, “What in the world?” For instance, when I first stumbled upon “self-partnering,” honestly, I laughed. Then shared it with some other single people as well as married folks I know. And I kid you not, every individual was like, “What the heck does that mean?” When I told them that it was yet, one more way to seemingly define single living, basically everyone’s follow-up was, “Oh, brother.”
Why can’t (more) singles just be single and be okay with that? Good Lord. Why does there need to be some sort of relational play-on-words to make it sound like we’re with someone — even if we’re not?
Now masterdating? Even though it’s not even close to being a “real” word, it’s something that also brought a laugh outta me — although it was then followed by a genuine smile. The laugh because I almost immediately caught the play-on-words. The smile was due to the intention behind it all.
If you’re not familiar with what masterdating is and you’re curious about why you should even care, take a few moments to at least skim through what it’s about and why I think participating, as a single person, is a pretty cool (and effective) concept.
@knotlukas Masturdate: a date w oneself
What’s Masterdating All About?
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Masterdating. Okay, so let the word marinate for just a moment. What does it sound like? Yeah…exactly. And since a huge part of masturbation centers around self-pleasure, it’s cool to explore how “self-dating” could produce similar (as far as pleasure is concerned in a broader sense) results. Because masterdating is all about spending quality time with yourself, pampering yourself, treating yourself— and yes, taking yourself out on dates.
Any of you who may think that masterdating is a consolation prize — and a pitiful one at that — for not being able to go out with another human being or get that dream $200 first date that social media was all in a tizzy about last year (bookmark that) — personally, I think that you’re the demographic who needs to try out masterdating first and the most. Why? Off top, I’ll share my three good reasons.
3 Reasons To Strongly Consider Masterdating
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1. It’s an intimate way to get to know yourself better. I’ve been working with couples for a pretty long time at this point and if there’s a pattern that I see arise, OFTEN, it’s that two people are oftentimes so busy trying to “find their person” that they didn’t even know who they were. As a direct result, they found themselves in a relationship with someone who only complemented the “kiddie pool version” of who they were.
That’s why it can be so beneficial to spend time getting to know yourself on the “deep end” of things: what makes you tick, what your passions are, what you want most out of life, what are your interests beyond obvious things — and masterdating can help you to discover all of this. Whether it’s traveling alone or taking out a weekend to drink some wine and journal, the more you get to know yourself, the clearer you’ll be about who complements you on a romantic and friendship level.
2. It will definitely help to boost your confidence levels. I guess since I’m an ambivert, I don’t really get why people freak out at the mere thought of going to a restaurant or movie alone. Personally, I think it requires a helluva lot more energy and gumption to wait around and plan stuff with other people (#Elmoshrug). However, whether you’re an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert, there’s no way around the fact that the more comfortable you get with doing things alone, the more your confidence levels will increase — no, soar — because of it.
One article that I read on the topic said that doing things alone can make you more creative, improve your mental health, and help you to be totally okay with being alone (so that you’re not “needy” for other people’s attention). A psychotherapist from a New York Times article on the benefits of spending time alone said, “Getting better at identifying moments when we need solitude to recharge and reflect can help us better handle negative emotions and experiences, like stress and burnout.” And when you’re able to stare negativity in its face without flinching, how could that not make you bolder, more self-secure, and hopeful about your life?
3. It will teach you to value your time more effectively. In every facet of your world, you’re gonna operate from a healthier place if you’re operating from a “full cup” rather than an empty one. When it comes to this topic, think about it — if you’re constantly waiting on someone to call you to go out or wishing for a dream date with some guy, all you’re doing is wasting precious time that you could be spending taking a cooking class or hell, hiring a chef to make you dinner at your own home.
Indeed, waiting has two sides to it: when it’s in the form of patience, it is indeed a virtue, yet when it’s wrapped up in the notion that you’re not really living life unless you have an audience…it is totally working against you. Choose wisely.
10 Solo Date Ideas To Help You To “Master” Masterdating
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So, what if you’re someone who has either never considered actually masterdating before or you don’t really know what to do beyond dinner and the movies? Here are a few ideas to consider:
1. Attend a workshop or masterclass that you’re interested in. If there’s something that you’ve always wanted to learn, sign up for a workshop or masterclass. The cool thing about this option is there are probably some in your city, as well as some that you can find online (like here) that are convenient and affordable.
2. Binge-read at a local coffee shop. Aside from their coziness and oftentimes inviting scents, I once read that a lot of us gravitate to coffee shops because we can be around people without having to actually socialize with them. So, if you want to “hang out” while still being able to enjoy a bit of solitude, take a book that you’ve been trying to finish to a local coffee shop, order your favorite latte, and sit in a big-ass comfy chair. Usually, you can sit there for hours, and the staff will be just fine with it (another bonus).
3. Have a spa day in the next town. You can never go wrong with a spa day. And while going with a friend can be fun, sometimes there’s too much talking transpiring to be able to fully chill out and relax. So, go off of the grid, get a change of scenery, and hit up a spa in the next city (or town). There are lots of studies out here supporting that day trips or “daycations” can actually be really good for your long-term health and well-being.
4. See a community play. Some of the best solo dates that I’ve ever been on consisted of taking in some of the local arts in my city. What’s really cool about this particular option is, oftentimes, they are extremely inexpensive, if not totally free of charge (in exchange for making a donation or putting money into a tip jar).
5. Plan a trip. Whenever people say something along the lines of, “If you don’t expect anything, you won’t be disappointed,” I know that they low-key have some (additional) healing to do from past disappointments. There’s simply too much intel out here to support that anticipation (of good stuff) makes us more motivated and optimistic, keeps our dopamine levels up, and makes life more exciting overall.
Since traveling alone is more cost-effective, gives you the freedom to do whatever you want (when you want), and increases the possibility of meeting new people and having new experiences on your journey — why not devote a day this weekend to planning a solo trip? All the way around, it’s good for you.
6. Try your hand at your own “$200 date.” Uh-huh. Roll your eyes if you want to, but it’s real easy to talk left about how a man should be able to just drop $200 like it’s nothing…until you actually try to do it. So yes, while taking yourself out on this type of date could serve as a bit of a reality check, it can also “scratch the itch” of waiting on some dude to do it for you. It’s also way less emotionally draining because, at least when you’re taking your own self out, it’s guaranteed that you’ll enjoy the company…right?
7. DIY some pampering. When you get a chance, check out “5 Reasons You Should Unapologetically Pamper Yourself,” “Want To Love On Yourself? Try These 10 Things At Home.,” “I’ve Got Some Ways For You To Start Pampering Your Soul,” and “When's The Last Time You Actually Pampered Your Vagina?” The bottom line here is pampering is all about, not mere self-maintenance; it’s all about treating yourself to levels of EXTREME SELF-INDULGENCE. So, if nothing else tickles your fancy on this list, at least consider doing that, chile.
8. Feed your creativity. Something that I used to be really good at is art. That said, one of my goddaughters is insanely talented, so she has reminded me to tap back into it. Also, a big part of what got me into the writing world is poetry; I actually used to be a house poet at a local spot. Sometimes, my best quality time moments with myself have been revisiting these creative sides of me — and this is definitely easier to do (and enjoy) alone.
9. Try some stargazing. When’s the last time you took a blanket into your backyard, laid down on it, and just stared at the stars for hours on end? While some say that stargazing can teach you to be mindful, others say that being in that form of nature reduces stress, while others believe that looking up at the universe at night can increase your attention span. All solid reasons to give it a shot, if you ask me.
10. DO. ABSOLUTELY. NOTHING. Let me tell you something that nobody will ever be able to make me feel bad about: doing absolutely nothing. I’ve got data to back me up. Good Housekeeping shares that doing nothing can help you decide how you want to respond or react to certain things. I like howThe Guardian says that taking this approach helps you to regain control of what you give your attention to.
TIME magazine says that it can ultimately make you more productive.BBC offers up that it can help you tap into your ingenuity.Henry Ford Health says that it can make you kinder and a better problem-solver. So, if you want to invest in yourself, do nothing sometimes.
Closing Thoughts from the Lovely Javicia Leslie
While some of y'all may know Javicia Leslie from being the former Batwoman, I discovered her back in the day from the indie series Chef Julian (and yes, "Julian" was right to say that "Mo" looks like Tatyana Ali...the real ones know). Sometimes I'll hop on her IG to see what she's got going on and this story popped up within a few hours of me penning this...so, I took it as hella confirmation.
TREAT YO SELF. WAIT FOR NO ONE.
WAIT FOR NO ONE. TREAT YO SELF.
RINSE AND REPEAT.
_____
Sooo…what kind of masterdating plans do you have for this coming weekend? While going out with others has its perks, hanging out with yourself has a ton of ‘em too. Enjoy!
No…for real. ENJOY!
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