- Jessie J welcomed her first child with Chanan Safir Colman
- Chanan is a professional basketball player who plays for a pro team in Israel
- He has a true passion for basketball and even teaches a youth training camp every year
2023 has proved to be a beautiful year for Jessie J, as it’s the year she became a mother! The 35-year-old British pop star revealed that the father of her son, whom she welcomed in May, is none other than boyfriend Chanan Safir Colman, in Instagram post. It included a slideshow video full of photos of the two of them along with a caption that wished him a “Happy 1st Father’s Day.”
“Ah f*** it. 🤤 I can’t keep secreetssssss with ALL AH DIS LOVEEEE INSIDE OF MEEEE 😭🥹Happy 1st 🇩🇰 Father’s day baby • Damn it looks good on youuuu 😍🫧🤍,” the caption read. The post came just days after she shared a different post that announced the birth and included a video of her dancing at the hospital. “It’s the socks, gun fingers and twerk that does it for me. Ohhh yeah and the final product of course 🥰🥹🙌🏾,” Chanan responded.
It was first reported that Jessie and Chanan were expecting their first child together via a gorgeous slideshow she posted to her Instagram on Friday, Jan. 6. “I am so happy and terrified to finally share this…” she captioned the adorable post, which featured photos and videos of her pregnancy progressing. “Please be gentle with me. … Honestly, ya girl just wants to ugly cry in public in a catsuit eating a chocolate covered pickle with no questions asked.”
Two days after she shared the big news, the new parents were spotted on a stroll through Los Angeles’ famous Rose Bowl Flea Market while hand-in-hand. So, who is the handsome hunk who entered parenthood with Jessie? Read on to learn five things about Chanan.
Chanan Colman Is An Israeli Raised In Europe
Chanan’s family is from Israel but was born and raised in Denmark, according to his 2017 interview with Sports Rabbi. “Chanan Colman is a laid back guy, raised by a Jewish mother in Denmark, Copenhagen, and that’s me,” he told the outlet. “My mother moved from Israel to Denmark at the age of 9 when my grandmother got a job there so she moved at a very young age. She met my father who was traveling the world at the time and ended up staying there. Copenhagen is an awesome great city; it’s very easy to be a kid in some parts of Denmark.”
Chanan’s ‘Queen’ Is His Mother
Aside from Jessie J, the most important woman in Chanan’s life is his mother. On her birthday in Sept. 2022, he wished her a happy birthday by calling her a “queen” and saying some super sweet words about her. “It’s queens day y’all!!” he began the post, which included photos and video with his mom.
“Happy birthday Ima. You are by far the strongest, most caring, loving and forgiving human being I know,” he continued. “I remember it like it was yesterday, first tv interview in Israel. The reporter asked me who my idol/inspiration was. And while I knew the expected answer was Michael Jordan or someone of that nature, the answer was and always will be easy ‘my mother’!”
He concluded, “What you’ve been through is one thing, but how you always overcome your battles and come out on the other side with a smile on your face and a lifted chin is wild. We never had much but never missed anything!”
Chanan Is A Professional Basketball Player
Chanan is a professional basketball player who got his start in the major leagues in Denmark. As of this writing, he plays for the team Hapoel Haifa, which belongs to the Israel Basketball Premier League. Although he’s a star, the thought of making it big didn’t even cross his mind until he was in college.
“I stayed in Denmark and then went to college where I played one year of college ball. I was supposed to go to Florida State, but ended up taking SAT way to late, so they ended up putting me in a Junior College right next door,” he recalled to Sports Rabbi. “By the time I finished my first year I was playing for the Danish National Team, so other teams in Europe knew about me. Then I got an interesting offer in Finland, went there for two seasons and was very successful.”
He also said it was his mom who convinced him to play basketball, even though his dad is the one who used to play the sport. “I used to play soccer, but one day my mom said that my dad used to play basketball, so she said let’s go and try it out,” he explained. “I was horrible at the beginning especially during the first five years that I played. I even quit for a while. Then I had some success in school because I was better than some of the kids and then it just became fun. Once it became fun, I got even better.”
Chanan Speaks Three Languages
Having such a diverse background, Chanan said he speaks three languages — but confessed that he wishes he was stronger at speaking Hebrew. “My first language is Danish and when I was very young I spoke Hebrew. So in total, Danish, Hebrew and English,” he told Sports Rabbi. “Unfortunately,” he continued, “I was teased in kindergarten about Hebrew because it sounded funny, so when I was younger I put my fingers in my ears and refused to listen. Eventually my mom gave up, though now we both regret that very much.”
Chanan Has Loads Of Experience With Kids
Chanan has plenty of experience interacting with kids of all ages. He has a very young nephew that he has traveled the world with — from San Francisco to Spain — that he absolutely adores, as told by his several Instagram posts about him. Plus, he runs basketball training camps for the youth. In August 2022, he wrapped up his ninth year heading a basketball clinic and gushed about how grateful he was for the experience in the caption of his goodbye post.
“Year 9 in the books and it felt just as special as the 1st. Thanks to all the parents for letting us borrow your kids. Thanks to the campers for buying in to what we were teaching , listening, learning and having fun,” the basketball star wrote alongside a photo of him addressing dozens of eager kids in a gym. “Thanks to sponsors and partners for supporting us year after year. And last but not least a huge thanks all the coaches and workers for taking time and dedicating their off season/summer vacation to making these kids better basketball players and giving them a special experience.” Next, he’ll be a basketball dad!