Jeezy Breaks Silence After Filing for Divorce from Jeannie Mai: 'Comes with a Heavy Heart'

The rapper filed for divorce from the host of 'The Real' in September

Jeezy is speaking out about ending his marriage to Jeannie Mai Jenkins for the first time since filing for divorce in September.

On Thursday, the rapper, 46, released a statement about the decision he and the host of The Real, 44, made to end their marriage after two-and-a-half years.

“The decision to end this chapter in my life was not made impulsively and comes with a heavy heart,” the Grammy-nominated artist said. “Despite this, my love and respect for Jeannie remains and the time we spent together holds a cherished place in my heart.”

Related: Jeezy Files for Divorce from Jeannie Mai Jenkins After 2 Years of Marriage

Jeezy (whose real name is Jay Wayne Jenkins) also referred to his daughter Monaco, whom he and the TV personality welcomed in January 2022. He says, “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,” the hip-hop star’s statement concludes.

Jeezy filed for divorce from Mai Jenkins on Sept. 14 in Atlanta, Georgia. According to documents obtained by PEOPLE, the filing says the former couple is "currently living in a bona fide state of separation," and that their marriage is "irretrievably broken" with "no hope for reconciliation."

The pair, who began quietly dating in 2018 before tying the knot in March 2021, had a prenuptial agreement in place, per the documents.

Related: Jeezy Celebrates Turning 46 After Suddenly Filing for Divorce from Jeannie Mai

According to the documents, the “Put On” rapper wants to share joint legal custody of their daughter.

The recording artist is also the father of two other children. He and Tynesha Dyke welcomed their son Jadarius in 1996, and daughter Amra Nor was born in 2014 to him and his then-partner, Mahlet “Mahi” Gebremedhin.

Mai Jenkins recently broke her silence about the divorce, as well. Last week, the former makeup artist posted to Instagram to share a statement.

The star posted a photo of handwriting in a notebook. The words read, “Sometimes, you need to take a break and disconnect, to heal.”

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Related: Jeannie Mai Jenkins Says Daughter Monaco Is Her 'North Star' amid Divorce: 'I'm Thankful to Have Her'

On Tuesday, Jeezy spoke out about how he was unknowingly struggling with depression and anxiety for years during an interview on The Tamron Hall Show.

"I learned that vulnerability is power,” the “Soul Survivor” rapper told the host while referring to his new memoir, Adversity for Sale. “I thought something was wrong with me, thinking I come from poverty, this is just how it is."

"I didn’t understand trauma and all these different things so when I started to get the words for it, I started to understand and grab tools, I started to become better,” he continued. “I started my journey and that’s why I’m expressing it and putting it in the book because I didn’t know I was depressed for like eight years of my life straight."

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