Jeezy Addresses Divorce From Jeannie Mai in Interview With Nia Long, Why Therapy Couldn’t Save Their Marriage

Jeezy‘s divorce from Jeannie Mai “has not been an easy journey,” according to the rapper. On Tuesday, the 46-year-old rapper released a tell-all conversation with Nia Long in promotion of his new album, I Might Forgive… But I Don’t Forget, which was released on Nov. 3, the month after he filed for divorce from Mai, his wife of two years.

“This has not been an easy journey. I can tell you that I’m sad. I can tell you that I’m disappointed. I can tell you that I’m uneasy,” Jeezy said when Nia asked about his split. “But God has put me on a different path, and that path is going to entail for me to take care of myself and to love myself and to be in the best situation that I can thrive as someone who’s been through all of the things that I’ve been through.”

Jeezy noted that, while he doesn’t “like to fail at anything,” he “can only be responsible for myself, and I can only do what I can do.” What he’s doing is walking the road of self-discovery, something he noted he “can’t expect someone else to do.”

Before addressing his split specifically, Jeezy, who said he and Mai went to therapy before calling it quits, spoke about relationships in general, explaining, “I think love is two people healing together and giving each other the space to do so.” 

“At the end of the day, I don’t want my kids to just think I was a great artist. I’m a great man. I’m a great person. I’m a great father,” Jeezy, who is a dad to four, including 1-year-old Monaco with Mai, said. “…. I’m all the things, and I’m also somebody who’s failed. I’m also somebody who’s lost. I’m also somebody who, my life plays out in public a lot.”

“People always see the bad things. I’m always somebody who wants to do the right thing and sometimes the masses don’t want that,” he continued. “Sometimes I’ve been told to keep your mouth closed and don’t tell people anything. And now, just opening up and having these conversations, there’s a lot of times where I’m like, ‘Wow,’ when you see people not getting the message right. You go, ‘They just really don’t understand.'”

After Jeezy’s divorce filing, a source told ET that he and Mai weren’t on the same page when it came to “certain family values and expectations,” adding, “They had different views, and each felt like their needs weren’t being completely met.”

“Things haven’t been great between Jeannie and Jeezy for a few months,” another source told ET, “but she is still very surprised that he filed for divorce.”

In an October Instagram post, Mai broke her silence, writing on Instagram, “Sometimes you need to take a break and disconnect, to heal.”

That same month, in an interview with ET, Mai revealed how she’s doing in the wake of her split.

“I’m taking it day by day and thankfully being able to have a show like this and be able to do something that you enjoy doing takes your mind off things,” Mai said of Raid the Cage, the new game show she’s hosting. “I’m just focusing on Monaco and focusing on things that I’m passionate about. When you’re surrounded by people, you just get to laugh and look at things that you enjoy doing in life.”

Jeezy spoke out shortly thereafter, telling ET in a statement, “The decision to end this chapter in my life was not made impulsively and comes with a heavy heart.”

“Despite this, my love and respect for Jeannie remains and the time we spent together holds a cherished place in my heart,” his statement continued. “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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