Jeezy is revealing an eight-year-long battle with depression and how he’s accepting vulnerability.
The 46-year-old rapper and author — who filed for divorce from Jeannie Mai last month — shared on the “Tamron Hall Show” this week that he did not know he was dealing with mental health issues, including anxiety at times.
“I learned that vulnerability is power,” Jeezy, born Jay Wayne Jenkins, told Hall. He originally shared the realization in his memoir, “Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe,” released on Aug. 8.
“I thought that something was wrong with me, thinking I come from poverty and this is how it is.
“I didn’t understand trauma and all these different things,” he continued. “So as I started to get the wordage for it, and started to understand and grab tools, I started to become better.”
The “Soul Survivor” rapper told Hall his depression during that eight-year period felt like waking up and wanting to “go back to sleep forever.”
“I was leaning into my vices. And that’s what street life does to you,” he said. “You get numb. And I wasn’t able to get in touch with my emotions, and I was wondering why.”
Jeezy filed for divorce from Jeannie Mai, 44, in September after two years of marriage. The filing said “the marriage of the parties is irretrievably broken” and “there is no hope for reconciliation.”
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Jeezy is seeking joint legal custody of their daughter, born in January 2022, according to the divorce documents. The two had a prenuptial agreement that he expects will be enforced, according to the filing.
Mai, former talk show host of “The Real,” and the rapper quietly wed in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. They got engaged while quarantining a year prior.
If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 to reach someone with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. They’re available 24 hours a day and provide services in multiple languages.
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