Jeannie Mai Roasted Over Resurfaced ‘Dark Meat’ Comment on ‘The Real’ Amid Jeezy Divorce

Jeannie Mai is getting roasted over a highly controversial comment she made about how she prefers dating white men over Black men in a resurfaced clip from The Real. It comes days after her estranged husband, rapper Jeezy, filed for divorce from the talk show host on September 14, and social media users are having a field day over the wording she used.

What Did Jeannie Mai Say About 'Dark Meat'?

"Love Black guys. But for me - dark meat on the side, white meat keeps me lean and mean. That's what I like," Jeannie, 44, quipped with a laugh when The Real panel were discussing dating habits.

"I'm saying, I really do think black men are attractive. I do," she continued before two of her Black cohosts called her out for the "dark meat" comment. "What are you reading it as? I just mean when I think about men, I like dark men I do," Jeannie explained.

One of her fellow panelists said she took it to mean, "You like your main man to be white and your side piece Black," as the audience went wild with applause.

Jeannie tried to backtrack, explaining, "What I meant is I used to date Black men. I think they're attractive. But what I decided to stick to, is it just kept me happiest, was my man Freddie, who happens to be white," referring to then-husband Freddy Harteis.

Has There Been Backlash Over Jeannie Mai's 'Dark Meat' Comment?

The clip went viral on X -- formerly known as Twitter -- and users called out her "dark meat" claim. "In light of Jeezy filing for divorce against Jeannie Mai, I wonder if this video of his wife calling black men 'dark meat' was a factor in his decision," one person asked, while another added, "Jeezy was crazy for even dating a woman who would say 'dark meat on the side, white meat keeps me lean and mean' on a nationally televised talk show." One user commented, "Jeezy should’ve ran! Fast!" while another person wrote, "What an awful thing to say."

When Did Jeezy File for Divorce From Jeannie Mai?

The “Seen It All" rapper, 45, filed for divorce from Jeannie on September 14, 2023, in Georgia’s Fulton County Superior Court, according to court documents obtained by Life & Style. He claimed their marriage was “irretrievably broken” with “no hope for reconciliation.” Jeezy asked for joint legal custody of their daughter with “final decision-making” to “be established in accordance with the best interests of the child as determined by the court.”

The filing came eight days after Jeannie gushed about Jeezy and his new memoir becoming a New York Times best seller in an Instagram post, where she called him her "husband" and wrote, "I’m endlessly grateful for your voice in this world. Honored to walk beside you, my love." The pair married in March 2021 after two years of dating and welcomed daughter Monaco in January 2022.

Who Is Jeannie Mai's First Husband Freddy Harteis?

Jeannie and Freddy were married from 2007 through 2017, divorcing the year after their separation. He's a rancher and hunter who appeared on the Sportsman Channel television series, Hollywood Hunter, starting in 2011. Freddy went on to star in the Sportsman Channel’s reality show The Maverick beginning in 2019. After Jeannie started her job on The Real in 2013, Freddy made numerous appearances on the program during their marriage. They ultimately split over his desire to have kids while Jeannie did not want children, although she changed her mind after meeting Jeezy.