Jeezy appeared on “The Tamron Hall Show” this week to talk about his new book, “Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe,” but all fans could think about was his divorce from Jeannie Mai.
The rapper filed for divorce from his wife of two years, but he seemingly hasn’t talked in interviews about the two breaking up.
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In his memoir, a New York Times Best Seller, Jeezy talks about his life growing up as an Army brat and eventually falling into the trap of the streets. His father was a Marine, therefore, when Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins grew up, he often traveled around the world to bases in Hawaii, Japan and other destinations.
The rapper said in his book that every time he showed up to a new base, he “always felt out of place.” Jeezy told Hall that he felt like “a fish out of water,” but while in those places he found out his calling. “What I did realize when I got there [was] that I had a skill of leadership,” Jeezy said, “because all the kids wanted to follow me, and that’s because I had something about me that was real.”
That all changed after Jeezy’s parents got divorced, and he, his mother and his sister moved back to Georgia. “In the ‘hood, I didn’t feel out of place. Everybody was going through something and dysfunctional families were the norm. [expletive], in the ‘hood, being bad was almost a good thing, because it was a way to fit in,” read an excerpt from his book.
Jeezy said his bad behavior led many to not believe in him, such as his grandmother, who told him, “Boy you going to jail because she never understood that I was being ambitious. She just thought I was being bad,” Jeezy told Hall.
The 46-year-old justified his bad deeds by claiming he was trying to find a way to get his mother and sister out of the hood after his parents got divorced.
“I was really trying to go out there and be the man of the house at 13 years old,” he explained.
The “Seen It All” rapper said it wasn’t until he got older that he realized he was suffering from anxiety due to the conditions in which he was living.
“I learned that vulnerability is power,” Jeezy told Hall, which led him to say that he also suffered from another mental strain in his life. He said, “I didn’t know I was depressed for like eight years of my life straight.”
Jeezy said he felt like he would “wake up and want to go back to sleep forever.” He said during that time period, the “street life” made him lean back into his vices. The rapper said, “Once you lose 2-3-400 people like gone forever, you know, you just get numb.”
He said during the time he was “Young Jeezy,” he was “cold,” but he thanked God for his kids for helping him get in tune with his emotions.
A clip from Jeezy’s interview was shared online, where fans applauded him for his ability to be so open about his struggles.
One said, “He has/is clearly doing the work. I can hear the words. Therapy works. Kudos to you, Black man.” Another added, “I love this conversation. We don’t talk enough about anxiety. This stuff is realllll! I love the quote “Vulnerability is power.” It’s so important for us to be okay with being vulnerable. Thank you.”
While fans are singing the rapper’s praises, some other viewers felt that his story about growth after many life traumas has led to his unexpected divorce from Jeannie Mai.
“So you married Jenni because you were broken, and now that you feel that you are healed it’s divorce time?” said one fan. Another individual added, “Seems like his trauma is contributing to him divorcing his wife. Marriage will face challenges, I hope he can tell the difference of when he needs to heal vs leave.”
The interview was taped in early September, two weeks before Jeezy filed for divorce. Fans noticed that Jeezy at times had still been wearing his wedding band, while noting that Mai’s wedding ring was missing from her finger during an appearance on the “Sherri” daytime talk show last week.
Some even suggested that the “Snowman” was pulling a “Jada Pinkett Smith” and doing the divorce for the book’s press run. Only time will tell if the pair’s relationship is salvageable or if the two are doing what they believe is best for their family.
Jeezy and Mai share one daughter, Monaco, born in January 2022. This makes Jeezy’s fourth child and Mai’s first.
Mai took a break from social media following news about the divorce. She returned to posting on Instagram last week, but as of Oct. 17, she had removed Jeezy’s last name Jenkins from her bio.
