Award-winning rapper Jeezy made the news in September when it was reported he had filed for divorce from television show host Jeannie Mai. And though he had initially kept mum about their separation, the Soul Survivor rapper recently broke his silence in a statement to XXL on Thursday.
“The decision to end this chapter in my life was not made impulsively and comes with a heavy heart,” the rapper wrote in the statement. “Despite this, my love and respect for Jeannie remains and the time we spent together holds a cherished place in my heart.”
The 46-year-old rapper added: “Our beautiful daughter is the best gift from our relationship and I am committed to assuring she feels the love and stability she deserves. During this period, I kindly request that you respect our family’s privacy as we focus on healing.”
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Jeezy, whose real name is Jay Wayne Jenkins, became romantically involved with Mai, 44, in 2019 before they got married in March 2021. They also share a 1-year-old daughter.
During a recent appearance on Sherri Shepherd’s daytime talk show, Sherri, Mai also opened up about their separation. “I’m not going to lie,” Mai started. “It takes every day to just to really sit and just be quiet with your thoughts, take care of me. But one thing I know is, you give God your pain, he will give you his power, period. So, every day, I’m like, ‘Here you go. You got room for more? Here’s some more.’ Just taking it day by day.”
Jeezy breaking his silence about their divorce also comes after he touched on how he had no idea he was battling depression and anxiety at a certain point in his life. The Put On rapper opened up about his past struggles during an interview on The Tamron Hall Show on Tuesday.
“I learned that vulnerability is power,” the 46-year-old said as he made reference to his Adversity for Sale memoir. “I thought something was wrong with me, thinking I come from poverty, this is just how it is.”
“I didn’t understand trauma and all these different things so when I started to get the words for it, I started to understand and grab tools, I started to become better,” he added. “I started my journey and that’s why I’m expressing it and putting it in the book because I didn’t know I was depressed for like eight years of my life straight.”
