Rapper Jeezy revealed he was molested by a female babysitter as a child during a video, uploaded to his YouTube channel, titled I Might Forgive… But I Don’t Forget.
During a conversation with Nia Long, the 46-year-old performer (born Jay Wayne Jenkins) reflected on the ‘trauma’ that made him lean on God and his religious upbringing to cope.
The musician recalled how his nanny, who was older than him would do ‘things that don’t normally happen to kids,’ which included inappropriate ‘touching’ him.
When Long asked directly if he had been molested, Jeezy, who filed for divorce from his estranged wife Jeannie May in September, said: ‘Right, basically.’
‘I was introduced to sex at a very young age,’ he continued.
In the same interview, the father-of-four detailed another traumatic experience from his childhood when he witnessed his friend’s dad shoot his wife multiple times during a playdate.
‘It just stuck with me,’ Jeezy explained. ‘Before I was eight, I had already accepted this was the norm. I was already desensitized.
Those experiences made him always want to ‘protect’ himself ‘because nothing felt safe.’
Ultimately, he claims to have left home at just 13 after his mother allegedly ‘pulled a gun’ on him during an argument.
The painful revelations come just a month after he broke his silence over his ongoing divorce.
‘The decision to end this chapter in my life was not made impulsively and comes with a heavy heart,’ he declared, according to Just Jared.
The Soul Survivor rapper also included a kind word for his ex Jeannie, who denied rumors of an affair with Mario Lopez just days after Jeezy’s divorce filing.
‘Despite this, my love and respect for Jeannie remains and the time we spent together holds a cherished place in my heart,’ he 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,’ continued the rapper, whose legal name is Jay Wayne Jenkins.
The hitmaker concluded with a request for privacy for his family.
Jeezy and Jeannie Mai share a one-year-old daughter named Monaco, whom they welcomed in January 2022.
In his initial divorce filing, the rapper requested joint custody of their child.
He also stated that the exes have a prenuptial agreement in place that should guide the divorce outcomes.
The songwriter also described their marriage as ‘irretrievably broken,’ and he added that ‘there is no hope for reconciliation.’
A week prior, Jeannie spoke out in the wake of the divorce filing. Although she avoided referencing her split from Jeezy directly, she shared a photo of a notepad that read: ‘Sometimes, you need to take a break and disconnect, to heal.’
Jeezy’s divorce filing in September threw his wife’s fans for a loop, and several shared their shocked and quizzical reactions on her social media accounts afterward.
The split seemingly came out of the blue, as she had been seen supporting the musician in August when he performed at the Tabernacle concert hall in Atlanta as part of the hip-hop tribute show City Sessions: 50 & Forever Featuring Jeezy & Special Guests, which was put on by Amazon.
She was also seen showing an affectionate side on social media when she congratulated the Put On rapper for his new memoir’s commercial success.
‘Today I celebrate a remarkable milestone achieved by my husband, @jeezy, whose memoir Adversity For Sale has soared to the New York Times bestsellers list,’ she wrote on September 6, just over a week before Jeezy filed for divorce.
‘I’m endlessly grateful for your voice in this world. Honored to walk beside you my love,’ she added.
Jeezy and Jeannie Mai began their relationship back in 2018, and they went on tie the knot at their home in Atlanta in March of 2021, with their daughter arriving less than a year later.
Last month, a source told Page Six that Jeannie was ‘devastated’ over her split from Jeezy.
‘The truth is Jeannie wants her marriage to work, and wants her family to be one solid unit,’ they said
‘She deeply loves Jeezy, and she wants to work things out. She did not get married to get divorced,’ they continued. ‘This was not a part of the plan. This is not how she ever imagined things would go down.’
The source added that she hoped for some kind of reconciliation despite her estranged husband’s divorce filing, but his latest statement suggested that there was no relief in sight for her.
They appear to be living through a particularly awkward home life, as the two were still living together in the Atlanta home as of last last month, according to TMZ.
The publication noted that the estranged couple avoid interacting whenever possible, though they sometimes run into each other when leaving or arriving at home.
In addition to the daughter he shares with Jeannie Mai, Jeezy has three other children: 27-year-old son Jadarius Dykes Jenkins (from his relationship with Tenesha Dykes), 23-year-old son Shyheim Jenkins and nine-year-old daughter Amra Nor Jenkins (whom he shares with his ex-fiancée Mahlet Gebregiorgis).
Jeannie’s marriage to the rapper was her second. She was previously married to Freddy Harteis from 2007 until their 2018 divorce.
