- 9/16/2023
Jeannie Mai & Jeezy Split_ Looking Back At Their Love Story
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00:00 Genie, Mai and GZ are going their separate ways.
00:03 AXS Hollywood has learned that the TV personality and the rapper are divorcing more than two
00:07 years after tying the knot.
00:09 According to legal documents obtained by NBC News, GZ filed paperwork to end his and Genie's
00:13 marriage and is requesting joint custody of their one-year-old daughter, Monaco.
00:17 AXS has reached out to reps for the pair for comment.
00:20 The breakup news brings Genie and GZ's four-year love story to a close.
00:24 Back in August 2019, the pair confirmed they were dating amid romance rumors.
00:28 Genie sat down with AXS months later, and she shared why their relationship came at
00:32 just the right time.
00:33 "It's so therapeutic to be in a relationship where both of us met at a very important time
00:37 of our life where we just want to heal from our past and we want to choose what our next
00:42 40 years are going to be like.
00:44 It's different when you date in your 20s and it's very different when you date in your
00:46 30s.
00:47 You kind of figure out what the decisions are.
00:48 But when you're in your 40s, you decide what you want and you make that life what it is."
00:52 "You're exactly right.
00:53 And we're actually a prod...
00:54 It's not often, you know, when they say you feed the right person.
00:56 No, I always say it's the right timing."
00:58 "It's all about the timing.
00:59 You're going to have a great person, but if they come at a time in your life --"
01:02 "You may not be ready."
01:03 "You may not be ready, then you're just going to mess it up."
01:05 "Okay, I feel like --"
01:06 "Okay, enough of you.
01:07 Stop talking to me.
01:08 I get it.
01:09 I get it.
01:10 I get it.
01:11 Timing.
01:12 Timing.
01:13 You got a long way to go."
01:14 "It's cupping season.
01:15 Okay."
01:16 "But no, you just met his family."
01:17 "I did.
01:18 We went home for Thanksgiving.
01:19 We had the first Thanksgiving in Atlanta, and it was dope.
01:20 I mean, we're talking like started as an intimate dinner, turned into like a dope-litty party.
01:22 We had a DJ.
01:23 We had the electric slide.
01:24 His aunt -- Okay, at home in the Bay, when I have Thanksgiving, we make oxtails.
01:29 His aunt made me oxtails and chitlins."
01:31 "Come on."
01:32 "Sweet."
01:33 "Thank you, Mom.
01:34 That was amazing.
01:35 Yeah."
01:36 "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
01:37 You ate chitlins?
01:38 Hold on.
01:39 We need to get the camera back.
01:40 We need to get the camera back.
01:41 We need to get -- Get close on Genie Mai.
01:42 You ate chitlins?"
01:43 "Yes, sir.
01:45 And I like them a lot.
01:46 A lot.
01:47 I do."
01:48 "For y'all at home who don't know what chitlins are, that's the --"
01:52 "Yeah, it's good.
01:53 It's good.
01:54 It's good.
01:55 It's good.
01:56 It's good.
01:57 It's good."
01:58 "It's very good.
01:59 Oh, yeah, three pies.
02:00 Got me a sign.
02:01 I love --"
02:02 "Very good.
02:03 Very good."
02:04 "But here's the best part.
02:05 When you meet somebody, like you said, where you guys now have a purpose together, we managed
02:06 to go visit two organizations that we're really passionate about.
02:07 So we went to Wellspring, which is a shelter for trafficked women.
02:10 Jeezy and I actually spent days with -- a day with these ladies, heard their stories,
02:14 made cookies with them."
02:15 "Oh, that's great."
02:16 "And then we went to another home that was for inner city kids.
02:20 And this is called Turning Point.
02:22 And he was able to gift them with flat-screen figures TVs, you know, because my man be doing
02:26 things like that.
02:27 And we played with the kids.
02:28 And that was momentous for me.
02:30 The family was a moment, but then also us seeing our vision of what we want to do together
02:35 to serve."
02:36 "Good for you.
02:37 That's awesome."
02:38 "That's a Thanksgiving you'll never forget."
02:39 "To serve, yeah."
02:40 "Absolutely, Cornyn, yeah."
02:41 The pair got engaged the following March.
02:42 Jeezy had originally planned to pop the question during a trip to Vietnam, but after their
02:45 travel plans were canceled, he proposed during a special date night at home and brought Vietnam
02:49 to her, filling their space with Vietnamese food and decorations.
02:53 One month later, Jeannie told Access how engaged life was treating her.
02:56 "It's bliss.
02:59 We're just enjoying every single day of it.
03:02 I think that as much as we love to just like, you know, cuddle up in it and really, you
03:11 know, enjoy what we've now created, this next chapter of our lives, we also want to be very
03:19 mindful about the times and about what's going on around us and what we can do individually
03:25 and as a couple to make sure to really unite our societies and our thoughts and just not
03:33 to get too caught up.
03:34 And, you know, engagement is a beautiful thing, but what we're really passionate about is
03:39 being able to unite our love for our communities and our love for people and mankind and what
03:45 we can do to put out there to just create a positive message across the board."
03:49 When Jeannie joined Access Daily for a fun Halloween episode, she revealed that she and
03:53 Jeezy were planning to have two wedding ceremonies.
03:55 "My mom, being Vietnamese, wants a very Vietnamese traditional wedding.
03:58 She wants Jay, my fiance, to wear the Vietnamese garb and to do some of the Vietnamese practices
04:04 like the tea ceremony.
04:05 I obviously want, you know, a fun throwdown with like pizza afterwards and like I want
04:12 to have a couple of Dance with the Stars dances in our reception.
04:16 So we've decided that we're going to have two weddings.
04:18 We're going to have one the way me and Jay want and then we'll have one for Mama Mai
04:22 just because if we don't, we're going to hear it for the rest of our lives."
04:26 "Does two weddings mean two dresses?"
04:28 "Oh yeah, I think absolutely, if not more.
04:31 I mean, I'm a fashion girl, so this is my chance to just go out there and have fun.
04:35 And Jay loves fashion too, so I'm sure not only will there be wedding dresses, but I'm
04:39 sure we're going to have like, you know, the after party outfit, the after hours outfits.
04:45 We want to really have fun with this because it's our big day."
04:47 "Wait, hold that ring back up.
04:48 Jeannie, hold that ring back up.
04:50 And hello, hello."
04:51 "Jay is a rapper."
04:52 "Rapper's done well."
04:53 "You two come from such different worlds.
04:58 What has it been like to integrate into each other's lives with friends and family members
05:03 and things like that?"
05:04 "Coming from my own culture, recognizing people's backgrounds and their heritage is very, very
05:09 important to me.
05:11 Now more than ever, we recognize that we need to celebrate not only diversity, but understand
05:16 people's individual stories because not one person's story represents the whole culture,
05:20 right?
05:21 So for Jay, when we first met, one of the most pivotal days for me is when I asked him
05:25 to take me back to Hawkinsville where he grew up with his grandmother.
05:29 So coming down to Atlanta, you know, going deep into the South and going to Hawkinsville
05:33 was such an amazing symbolic day for me because I recognized where Jay came from and what
05:42 he grew up around and what his family members are like.
05:45 Super warm, loving, beautiful, fun people.
05:49 And he was going to do the same for me.
05:52 He was actually going to come to Vietnam and learn about my culture, learn where my parents
05:56 came from.
05:57 Pandemic hit, and that's why he proposed to me by recreating what Vietnam could look like
06:02 here in our own homes.
06:03 So we're very big on celebrating one another's culture.
06:06 I always say that it's not about being interracial.
06:10 It should really be looked at being interresponsible.
06:13 He needs to be responsible to making sure I learn and understand where he came from
06:17 and what I need to know.
06:19 And the same for him.
06:20 I need to know about my people and what makes me, me.
06:24 For Valentine's Day 2021, GZ surprised Jeannie on the reel with the sweetest flower delivery.
06:29 And she told Access that was just one of many examples of his romantic side.
06:32 There are 28 roses in each vase.
06:37 It's a symbol of the first day we met, November 28th.
06:41 Why double the roses?
06:42 Because every day since I've been double the man.
06:45 Your mother once told me that with the right amount of water and care, orchids will grow
06:50 forever.
06:51 Let's grow forever.
06:52 Happy Valentine's Day.
06:54 So in love.
06:55 Let's talk about the Valentine's.
06:57 Oh my gosh.
06:58 Your fiance.
06:59 Has he always been this romantic?
07:01 Yes.
07:02 Yes.
07:03 You know what?
07:04 Will Packer, a good friend of ours said it best.
07:06 He called GZ the romantic sniper.
07:09 And like I said, very first date that I had with Jay after like a six hour sushi dinner
07:16 and we went salsa dancing afterwards.
07:19 He turned to me and instead of giving me a kiss like I thought most guys would after
07:24 a great date like that, he looked at me and he gave me a homework assignment.
07:28 He said, I want you to think about the rest of your life with me and what would you want
07:33 to do?
07:34 Let's see if we can match up our vision board together.
07:37 And from that day forward, I knew what I was dealing with.
07:39 So this, this is my king.
07:41 Yes.
07:42 He's that guy.
07:43 That's super player right there.
07:45 Right?
07:46 Sushi, salsa.
07:47 Oh, and then a life plan.
07:48 Let's match the vision boards.
07:50 Dang.
07:51 Next level.
07:52 Bravo.
07:53 And we really do have vision boards.
07:55 He's that guy.
07:56 He knows exactly what he wants, but it also, it explains his success today.
07:59 It explains why he's, you know, just a mogul in real estate and an entrepreneur, a servant
08:04 to his community.
08:05 He, he, he knows what he wants and he, and he lays out the land and, and I'm just thankful
08:09 to that.
08:10 He's, he's my equal.
08:11 I, you know, I'm that same woman.
08:13 That's always, you know, laid out exactly what I want in life.
08:15 Why can't we also do that in dating?
08:17 Why can't we also do that in, you know, a future with a partner?
08:20 You should be able to really lay out exactly who it is that you're looking for and say
08:24 no to everything else.
08:25 I like that.
08:26 That's so smart.
08:27 And one of the things I know you guys just did together was a buy a new home, correct?
08:32 We built a new home.
08:34 Oh, crazy.
08:35 Excuse me.
08:36 Yes.
08:37 Yes.
08:38 So on my YouTube series, hello, honey, I'm actually going to show the endless houses.
08:42 I felt like little red riding hood because I was just going through these houses and
08:46 this one was too big and this one was too elaborate.
08:50 This one was too small.
08:51 So we sat down, we said, you know what, let's just build our dream home.
08:55 Let's invest in land.
08:56 Let's build our home.
08:57 And here it is right here.
08:58 Yeah, this is, that's actually just part of the kitchen.
09:01 We built that just enough.
09:03 50,000 square feet.
09:04 Oh, I love it.
09:05 That's the biggest kitchen I've ever seen.
09:08 No, no, not at all.
09:10 But, but I feel very thankful.
09:12 And the, the reason why we have a home like that for two people is that Jay and I, we
09:16 really look forward to our matrimony, bringing our families together.
09:19 So you're going to have mama Mai and all her Vietnamese cooking.
09:22 You're going to have her say his sister, Trina, Papa Jenkins, everybody alongside for the
09:26 ride.
09:27 And so everybody, we've already told the whole family.
09:29 We said, when we're not here and when we are here, we want you guys to stay in the rooms
09:33 because you know what it is, Mario, when a house is full with love, with familia, that's
09:38 when it's really a home.
09:39 In April, 2021, Jeannie and Jeezy got married in an intimate ceremony in Atlanta.
09:44 The Lose My Mind rapper later told Access that his top memory from the day was getting
09:48 the first look at his bride.
09:49 Oh man, just seeing her come down the aisle, you know, I was like, I had some friends tell
09:55 me, yeah, man, like that's going to be the moment.
09:57 And I just remember locking eyes with her, just going like, wow, you know, we had an
10:02 amazing time getting to know each other.
10:04 And she's amazing.
10:05 Like she's, she's a wonderful person inside and out.
10:09 And I was like, you know, wow, like, you know, when we first started dating, I knew this
10:15 would happen.
10:16 And I didn't know you was going to look this beautiful.
10:20 And you know, it's just a real moment being in front of fans, I mean, with friends and
10:24 family, close friends.
10:25 And just seeing my dad happy and just knowing that, you know, my sister and her parents
10:31 was there, her close friends, my close friends, and them actually seeing, you know, us just
10:37 taking this next chapter and writing this amazing book.
10:41 So yeah, I was seeing her walk down that aisle was a real thing.
10:46 She looked stunning.
10:49 Did you take your breath away when she walked down?
10:51 Absolutely.
10:52 I had to get myself together.
10:54 And it was crazy.
10:55 One of my great friends and mentors that I met through Worth the Conversation was John
11:03 C. Maxwell.
11:05 And he married us and I just looked at him when she walked down the aisle and he looked
11:11 at me and I was just like, okay, keep it together.
11:14 Keep it together.
11:15 And I was amazing.
11:17 Jeannie told AXS that she was just as wowed by Jeezy's wedding day look.
11:21 I did not know what he was going to wear.
11:23 Like he didn't know what I was going to wear in that customary.
11:26 But I asked him like, babe, what color?
11:28 Can I just match the flowers towards you?
11:29 Like give me anything?
11:30 He's so secretive.
11:31 He wouldn't tell me anything.
11:32 So that was the first time I saw him.
11:34 And when I, I don't see Jeezy wearing pink.
11:37 I've never, that's not a hue that he has in his, in his collection of black gold diamonds,
11:44 like nothing.
11:45 So I was so pleasantly surprised because he looked just beautiful.
11:51 He looked, he looked handsome and it was actually a blush, a champagne blush that was the pink,
11:57 which made it even just more just, he looked so divine and fresh.
12:04 And handsome.
12:05 And he was my husband.
12:06 That was the best part that I was walking towards.
12:09 She also shared how she and Jeezy had gotten closer since becoming husband and wife.
12:13 We grew very, very much closer.
12:16 We were already, we're really close when we were dating, but I think the things that we
12:19 learned in order to really unite our marriage is exactly what kind of relationship we wanted.
12:25 The things to fill in, you know, the little holes of being alone or maybe being insecure
12:31 if somebody has to travel or have, you know, a lot of time away from home.
12:36 We had to, we discuss everything.
12:39 We discuss how we want to have dinner together, how we want to have dinner together as a habit.
12:43 What do we do if he's on tour?
12:45 What do we do if I travel?
12:47 So that is the most mature thing about a relationship for me, because usually in a relationship,
12:52 you kind of go through it and then you get hit with hurdles of whether or not it worked
12:56 or not.
12:57 You go through a few fights, you go through, you know, a few, you know, somebody holds
13:01 back.
13:02 Somebody's like, well, you're going to be this way.
13:03 I'm going to be this way back to you.
13:04 No, this is a relationship where we're like, okay, traveling season is coming up.
13:08 You're going to go on tour.
13:09 I've got to go, you know, shoot the reel or whatever it may be.
13:12 How do we want this to happen?
13:13 How do we want every day?
13:14 How do we want to have our meals together?
13:16 How do we want to pray together?
13:17 How do we want to go to bed together?
13:19 That's something that's very new for me and my favorite part about this marriage.
13:23 In September 2021, Jeannie and Jeezy announced that they were expecting their first child
13:27 together.
13:28 A TV host told Access how she realized she wanted to start a family with Jeezy.
13:32 It's not something that I ever knew I wanted.
13:35 It was something that I deserved, but I never gave myself the credit to think that way.
13:41 And so now coming into my forties and doing a lot of work, this is not something that
13:46 I just woke up realizing, doing a lot of therapy and being, you know, safe to be vulnerable
13:51 around someone like Jeezy.
13:52 I've realized that, no, that's just a fear that I'm projecting on myself from my youth
13:58 and I can change that today by opening myself up to the, to dare to dream.
14:02 And one of those things is becoming a mother.
14:04 And I'm so happy that I have a partner who supports that.
14:07 We both kind of decided that we wanted to have a child together.
14:10 We didn't plan for that in the beginning.
14:12 And here I am now on the other side saying, no, I deserve to be a mom.
14:16 I can do this.
14:17 You're going to be wonderful, Jeannie.
14:18 Awesome.
14:19 I can tell.
14:20 Good for you.
14:21 And, and how is, how's dad feeling right now?
14:25 How is he?
14:26 Mario.
14:27 I mean, you, you can do this a number of times.
14:29 Now I want to say, is it true or fact that dads go through the same symptoms as moms
14:35 do?
14:36 Because I'm on third trimester now.
14:37 My pickles are gone.
14:38 The mood swings are over here.
14:39 And why is he in my favorite spot every time I'm trying to go climb up in there and get
14:46 my nap in?
14:47 Like, I don't understand.
14:48 Wow.
14:49 He did.
14:50 He had the same symptoms.
14:51 Yeah.
14:52 He must've did a Jedi mind trick on you.
14:53 Cause I don't remember those right there.
14:56 The proud parents announced the arrival of their child, a baby girl named Monaco, the
14:59 following January.
15:00 Jeannie told Access how finding love with Jeezy helped her see a vision for a family
15:05 and open up about life as a mom.
15:07 Finding love and finding what healthy, solid relationships can look like in order to even
15:11 foster a family.
15:12 That was something I never saw.
15:14 And you know, too, once you have the child, then the work begins with your partner.
15:19 Then you guys really start to really get to know each other.
15:22 Oh yeah.
15:23 And then you dig deep on how to heal and how to really like remaster the childhood that
15:27 you didn't have for your own.
15:29 Oh man, look at me guys.
15:30 Look at you go.
15:31 I'm so happy for you.
15:32 You're giving a Ted talk right here.
15:34 I'm so happy for you.
15:35 Thank you.
15:36 So it's so awesome.
15:37 But being a mom, is it what you thought it was going to be?
15:40 Oh my goodness.
15:41 Oh, that's the best in the sink.
15:42 That's the best.
15:43 Jeannie, I need to eat her up.
15:44 Oh my god.
15:45 Oh my goodness, it's so good.
15:46 All you need is a spoon, you guys.
15:47 It's like a little pudding cup.
15:48 Oh my god.
15:49 I'm so happy for you.
15:50 It's like a little pudding cup.
15:51 Oh my god.
15:52 So funny.
15:53 I do, I am the most annoying mom.
15:56 I do all the things.
15:57 We are making out all the time.
15:59 When I kiss her, she is literally in chewing mode, open mouth, and I'm going in for the
16:02 kisses.
16:03 I bite everything.
16:04 Is that like just an issue?
16:05 No, it's just- I bite on the thighs, I bite on the knees, I put her whole foot in my mouth.
16:11 When I sleep with her, I don't even know if I'm letting her have like breathing access.
16:15 I'm just like suffocating her.
16:16 Look at her little bow.
16:17 Okay, what about the clothes?
16:18 Are you dying for the clothes?
16:20 How old is she now?
16:21 Oh my god, she's 11 months.
16:22 She's about to be one year, her first one year, and I'm drinking the Kool-Aid, you guys.
16:27 I love being a mom.
16:28 I can't believe it, and I don't want to go back.
16:31 I want to stay in this zone.
16:32 That's great.
16:33 And I am a really good mom.
16:34 Jeannie also shared how culture is an important part of how she and Jeezy are raising Monaco.
16:39 Being black and Vietnamese for Monaco, she's about to learn a good dose of culture because
16:43 that's really important for us.
16:44 She's going to learn her black side.
16:46 She's going to learn what it's like for her dad and how he accomplished what he got to
16:51 be who he is today.
16:52 Then he's going to learn from his Vietnamese mom who likes to save a lot of money.
16:58 And yes, even though I'm ordering the homemade cake ingredients for your birthday, your dad's
17:03 ordering a yacht.
17:04 And that doesn't mean you're always going to get that.
17:08 That is not how we roll in this household, but just because you're new right now, you're
17:11 going to enjoy it for now, and then we're going to go back to the basics.
17:13 Oh, that's funny.
17:14 So it's like, it's different.
17:15 I mean, Jeezy and I are very different, but that's what adds like the color into her life,
17:20 you know?
17:21 Axis also caught up with Jeannie in July, and she shared the latest about mom life and
17:24 parenting with Jeezy.
17:26 Monaco's first word was Mama Mai, my mom's name.
17:32 My favorite thing about motherhood is just being a mom, man.
17:35 Like there is no other answer.
17:37 It's exhilarating.
17:38 It's adventurous.
17:39 And you, I like myself better as a mom.
17:42 Biggest surprise about motherhood is I'm bomb at it.
17:45 Yo, I am.
17:46 I am a really good mom because I own up to my mistakes.
17:51 I'm patient.
17:52 And I not only Google everything, but I use my intuition and I check with my super wise
17:57 friends.
17:58 So I got it all covered.
17:59 Newest milestone Monaco has reached.
18:01 So she speaks Vietnamese.
18:02 I mean, can we just start there?
18:04 In America, to teach a child another language and everybody else is speaking English is
18:09 huge and her accent is bomb.
18:12 Like she was on the plane today and she looked at the buttons on the back of the seat and
18:16 she said, "Bum, bum," which is like two syllables and an accent and she nailed it.
18:21 Favorite thing about parenting with Jeezy.
18:23 Jeezy's so cute as a dad.
18:25 Like he goes bike riding with the kids because we have other kids between us and he puts
18:29 Monaco on the back seat of his bike and I never see him look happier than when he's
18:36 at peace just riding his bike with Monaco on the back.
18:38 And it was like, it's like a dream moment for him.
18:41 Cutest or funniest thing Monaco has done.
18:43 Okay, I know this is nasty for y'all, but I don't know why.
18:47 It's just something cute.
18:48 But when you have, you realize as a parent that you have eyes on the back of your head
18:52 when you can just feel that your kid is up to something.
18:55 So lately Monaco has been figuring out that she can dig in her diaper if she's wearing
19:00 a onesie and depending on what's in there, she comes out with a little surprise.
19:05 So I can feel when she's up to something because she has a face.
19:09 So one time she was sitting at the couch and I was behind her and I could see at the couch
19:13 her eyes just turn into this like devilish grin as she was digging in her diaper.
19:17 And of course I came and found the nastiest mess, but I knew it was cute because I still
19:21 thought it was so adorable and I love every part of it.
19:24 Is Monaco more of a mama's girl or a daddy's girl?
19:28 I would like to say that she fancies her mommy a little bit more.
19:32 I mean, like I'm bomb, I got so much flame, I got fashion, I got games, I got songs.
19:37 But her dad is so chill and she is her dad's twin.
19:40 I said, you know what, it doesn't matter how much she loves her mom because when you look
19:45 like this, I mean, come on, do I even have a chance?
19:49 [MUSIC]
19:59 (upbeat music)
20:02 (upbeat music)
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