Before Jeannie Mai, Jeezy Dated Keyshia Cole – What Caused Their Split?
Before his engagement to Jeannie Mai, fans can’t remember a time when Jeezy was so public with his love life. He’s been linked to several women throughout his career, but his most notable was with R&B singer, Keyshia Cole.
The two dated for about two years before they split – with both doing press about each other afterward. Both allege the other wanted more out of the relationship, leading to their breakup.
Keyshia Cole and Jeezy’s relationship
Jeezy and Cole were tapped to be the industry’s king and queen of Atlanta. The city is where Jeezy was born and raised, while Cole grew up in Oakland but has made Atlanta her home since her burst onto the music scene. Other reports surfaced that she moved to Atlanta permanently when the two began dating.
The pair reportedly dated for two years from 2005-2007. They kept the details of their relationship under wraps throughout their time together. It was later revealed that it was Jeezy’s choice to keep things private.
They collaborated on Jeezy’s 2006 single, “Dreamin.”
Why Keyshia Cole and Jeezy split
Both Jeezy and Cole claimed the other pushed wanting to get married, which contributed to their split.
Jeezy told VIBE Magazine in 2008, “Keyshia asked me to marry her, bought me a ring and everything. She not gonna tell you different,” he said. “I was grown enough to tell her, ‘Look baby, that isn’t what it is right now. I’m trying to get my sh** together. I’m trying to get my money, take care of me and mine.’”
Cole says it was actually Jeezy who proposed. “After this guy proposed to me, I was like, dang, this is everything a woman lives for: to be married, with a ring, to be able to represent something,” she told Essence Magazine.
“But for me, it was the opposite. I was scared. I’m just not ready for that. I’m not done with my goals in life. I just couldn’t submit. But I loved him. That’s the crazy thing about it.”
How does Keyshia Cole feel about Jeezy and Jeannie Mai’s engagement?
Cole has moved on since her breakup with Jeezy. She was married to former NBA player Daniel “Booby” Gibson before they split. She is now dating hip hop artist Niko Hale and the two are new parents to a baby boy.
During an episode of her FOX Soul talk show One On One, Cole said that despite her relationship with Jeezy not panning out, she’s happy that he’d found love and credits Mai with bringing out the best in him. She’s excited for Jeezy as he’s been private with his romantic relationships in the past and has taken a different approach with Mai.
I’m super proud of Jeezy and Jeannie. She’s a sweetie. She’s always been sweet. But I’m super proud of the fact that he actually has taken that step to love openly because I know that the thing was, it was something he didn’t feel like he could do because of where he comes from. So to know that that’s happened and that he’s happy, it’s not about the color or the complexion. You Black or you white, whatever you are, Asian, Chinese, whatever you are, love is love. I think that everybody deserves to be happy. I’m super happy for both of ’em actually.
Mai announced her engagement to the rapper and philanthropist in a People Magazine exclusive in Apr. 2020. Jeezy initially planned to propose during a scheduled trip to Vietnam with Mai’s family present, but their plans were altered due to coronavirus. Instead, he planned a Vietnamese themed date night and proposed at their home.
