By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices
When Hillary Rodham Clinton's husband was on the path to the White House, she created a frenzy for standing by the future President William Jefferson Clinton -- after allegations of infidelity nearly rocked the campaign trail.
While many women are known to roll with the punches when it comes to their spouse's sexual history and/or extra-marital affairs, many men don't.
All-Star athlete Gary Sheffield is one who stands by his woman.
The Major League Baseball star finally addressess the R. Kelly scandal the he and his wife DeLeon Richards were embroiled in 2003, in his new autobiography, 'Inside Power' -- in stores now.
"While we were still living in Atlanta, people began calling DeLeon, talking about a videotape with her and R. Kelly," the 39-year-old Tampa native writes in the tome, written with Marvin Gaye/Tavis Smiley biographer David Ritz. "They were demanding millions in hush money. DeLeon was pregnant with Jaden and emotionally at the most vulnerable point in her life."
Sheffield revealed that another blackmailer had joined in on the action -- this time a preacher wanting Richards to join his ministry, and the couple to employ him as their spiritual counselor in exchange for his silence.
"Both D and I understood the implications of what we were doing: The minute this jack-leg preacher was caught, news of D's former relationship with R. Kelly would hit the papers."
The former New York Yankees Right Fielder, who has experienced his fair share of media scuttlebutt over his near 20 year career, remained undaunted by the threats. "I just want to bury this jerk who thinks he can hold us up," he consoled his wife after she expressed concern.
"Other women, wanting to protect their reputation at any cost, might have suggested paying a blackmailer. Not DeLeon. She said 'My faith is in God. I'm walking through this with my head held high."
"I'm not saying that the false news reports didn't give us restless nights and bad days," he clarified. "We struggled with our anger and resentment."
He said the Holy Word provided the most solace for the couple, who were just getting settled into their New Jersey digs.
"We were comforted by the absolute knowledge that God's love for us and His Blessing of our marriage were indestructible. The Calmness pointed to the Proverbs where it says, ' Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.' Morning came. Joy arrived. Faith saw us through."
Sheffield who is the father of six children --two with Richards -- is the only player in Major League history to make the All Star team with five clubs. The former Milwaukee Brewer, San Diego Padre, Florida Marlin, Los Angeles Dodger, and Atlanta Brave is now donning his seventh jersey as a proud new Detroit Tiger this season.
Richards, a gospel singer currently selling a new album available online, recently was interviewed by AOL Black Voices Producer Angela Bronner and revealed that she still doesn't know if a sex tape with Kelly exists. "But I was young, I was in a situation that's no different than anybody else out there that could've made the same mistake," she rationalized. "And so for that, I've asked God to forgive me and having [sex] outside of being married." (Read story here.)
Comments: (318)
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By: spark on 4/12/2007 11:20PM
deleon is such a ho!!!
she know kels gotta tape of him banging that out.
its just a matter of time before it sees he light of day.
wonder what shef gonna have to say about that.
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By: verne on 4/13/2007 8:25AM
I don't understand why Karuf discusses this in the same vein as an extramarital affair. DeLeon and Gary were not married when she had a relationship with R. Kelly. I would also like to comment on "spark's" comment. I don't understand why you feel the need to speak in such derogatory terms about her. Okay, she slept with R. Kelly while she was in a relationship with him before she married her husband..and I know you're thinking she is supposed to be a gospel singer...well, she has not done anything more than any of the rest of us....The world is full of christians who have had pre-marital sex. It doesn't mean that you don't love the Lord...it just means that we are all humans and sometimes we fall by the wayside...but we can get back up again. God Bless this couple.
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By: J.T. on 4/13/2007 11:03AM
I agree with Verne everybody makes mistakes and even christians back slide every now and then, it doesnt make god love them any less.
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By: newkarma on 4/14/2007 6:29AM
Blessings to you and your beautiful wife. Don't pay those parasites not ONE RED CENT!! R. Kelly is one creepy lil' man. Does he need to record EVERYTHING??!
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By: Sha on 4/14/2007 6:33AM
I agree, we all far short of his glory sometimes but unlike "the world" we are forgiven when we repent. God is not like man, he forgives and forgets, that's why he sent his son to died for our sins. Now it's obvious that she did not know that she was being recorded because she states that she is not even sure that there is a tape out there. Why does she have to be a "ho", who are you to say that, do you know that woman, were you there in the bedroom with her, NO! Be careful what you do and say about people, especially God's people. Also comments like these are that reasons that whites think it's also ok to say about us, because we degrade one other, first have self-respect and then you'll have respect for others.
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By: Dank on 4/14/2007 7:09AM
If you don't have anything encouraging to say, shut your damn mouth! Get a life!
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By: black rain on 1/07/2008 12:16AM
This is so funny, she wouldn't sleep with Shef befor marriage but everyone else dug her out. She was all about making him think she wasn't what she was, a gold diggin nappy headed ho.
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By: Educated on 4/14/2007 7:39AM
This story is really important for all those young women who are acting like groupies right now. Even when you want to change your life around later, the whore stuff that you do as a young woman can come back to haunt you. I am glad that this couple is able to get passed this situation and stay together so there is not another black child in a broken home. Richards deserves forgiveness because she changed her ways and is a respectable woman now. I wish she would write a book about this experience or go on Oprah so other young women can hear how horrible this experience is and maybe they won't make the same mistake. Blessings to all women who fall and are trying to get back up!
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By: Kell on 4/14/2007 7:41AM
Most of the replys from women are compassionate. Understandably! But why are people bringing God into this issue. Was she thinking about God when she was in front of the camera bumping and grinding???? I tell you what, let your husband find out about someone banging you on video tape and see what happens. Let see how much praying and forgiveness goes on up in that house. Oh, you can say what you want, rationalize and even theorize. But what will most likely happen is that he will take his hand and go right upside your head. That is real talk, forget about all that celebrity crap. Real people do real things and in the our world no books will be written nor will any articles on the internet be printed. And who in the world is Gary Sheffied anyway? His wife looks good though.
By the way they need to change that photo of the couple looking so happy, that picture is probably a few years old. His expression is more like R. Kelly and R. Kelly is more like his!
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By: JUNGLESNAKE on 4/14/2007 9:09AM
To Black Rain, maybe she found God before she met Shef and wanted to show that she found God. We all have something in our a past that we would like to foget but bu her marrying a "celebrity" the media and silly people will not leave her alone or let her forget. Judge not sayeth the Lord
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