MaLinda Prince Sapp, the wife of gospel artist Marvin Sapp, died in 2010 at the age of 43. According to Variety Records, Sapp’s record label, MaLinda, died following a lengthy battle with colon cancer. She worked professionally as a counselor and administrative pastor at her husband’s Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Sapp is the father of three children with his late wife, Madison Sapp and MiKaila Sapp, as well as Marvin II Sapp.
Marvin Sapp Raised His Children After the Death of His Wife
During his 2018 interview with Keyaira Kelly, the “Here I Am” singer opened up about his experience as a single father raising three children. Sapp shared that the greatest obstacle he encountered while taking an active role in his children’s upbringing was the fact that he was forced to do everything on his own, something that did not come naturally to him. Due to his wife’s death, the gospel singer found himself in a situation where he “really had no choice” but to fulfill his obligations to his children. Sapp remarked on how, prior to MaLinda’s death, he was a fun father while his late wife provided stability for their family.
Later in life, he took on additional responsibilities, most notably for his two young daughters, ages eleven and thirteen. The singer described how he found himself unexpectedly in a position where he needed to learn about his daughters’ physical changes in order to assist them. Sapp explained to Kelly that he needed to learn about “that stuff” from Google, which proved to be extremely beneficial.
He explained: “Google has been an incredible friend to me, and I often tell people that Google is the next best thing to God,” he explained. The gospel icon was not merely doing his best. He also solicited timely feedback from his daughter on “numerous occasions,” inquiring as to whether he was assisting them appropriately. Sapp asserted that he carried out his parental responsibilities admirably and joked that he would give his efforts an A-, “just enough” to keep himself humble. When asked what he gained from the experience, Sapp admitted that he discovered he was capable of handling the responsibilities of his children, having previously doubted his abilities.
Marvin Sapp’s Dating Rumors
In October 2012, the entertainer was rumored to be having an affair with Imani Showalter of Basketball Wives. According to reports, Sapp met her at the Los Angeles Staples Center, where he served as a judge for Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound Choir. Marvin Sapp raised his children alone after losing his wife to cancer. Sapp maintained contact with Showalter following their initial meeting and later flew her to his church in Grand Rapids.
The musician and his alleged love interest were reportedly inseparable, with Sapp chauffeuring Showalter to his numerous concerts and preaching engagements. Additionally, Showalter, Sapp’s rumored girlfriend, was present when he co-hosted the 2012 Gospel Music Association’s prestigious Gospel Awards in Nashville. Showalter, like Sapp, was a single parent with three children from a previous relationship with NBA star Stephen Jackson. The musician’s meeting with the television personality was also a hot topic on social media, with their fans expressing their opinions on the rumored relationship.
Marvin Sapp Wiki
Marvin Sapp is The former pastor of the Lighthouse Full Life Center Church and former gospel singer for the group Commissioned. He also pursued a solo career, releasing chart-topping albums such as Thirsty and Here I Am. As a teenager, he sang in gospel groups. In 2010, he became the second-highest charting gospel artist in Billboard history. With his song “Never Would Have Made It,” he topped the Billboard Hot Gospel charts. With his late wife, MaLinda Prince Sapp, he has three children. In 1991, he dropped out of Aenon Bible College after being invited to sing with Commissioned by fellow gospel singer Fred Hammond.
