Jeannie Mai is opening up about a painful chapter in her life, revealing how she overcame a “heartbreaking” divorce and is remaining hopeful about love going forward.
“It’s one of the greatest pains that any human has to endure, honestly,” Mai, 47, shared on the Thursday, January 29, episode of iHeartRadio’s “Question Everything” podcast. “Divorce is just — it’s experiencing death alive.”
Jeezy (real name Jay Wayne Jenkins) filed for divorce from The Real alum in September 2023 after two years of marriage. Mai said that despite the hardships they faced post-split, it was an experience that brought her a lot of clarity and has also been the “greatest awakening.”
“You never wish to corrupt something that’s so planned and intended to be forever,” she said, revealing that she still cherished the good times they shared together — including welcoming a daughter, Monaco, in January 2022. Monaco turned 4 this month.
Jeannie Mai and Jeezy. Paras Griffin/Getty Images
“I’m never gonna regret that I got married because I’m so thankful to have experienced love in so many different ways,” she said. “Now I just have to — instead of experiencing love, ’cause I’ve got that down — I have to define what healthy love looks like for me.”
Mai was previously married to Freddy Harteis from 2007 until their divorce in 2018. She went on to marry Jeezy, 48, in March 2021, and they welcomed their only child together the following year.
The mom of one said that she is grateful her daughter was so young when she and Jeezy parted ways and went through a contentious legal battle.
Jeezy and Jeannie Mai were married for less than three years when they decided to go their separate ways. The pair, who met in 2018, announced their engagement in April 2020. Later that year, their romance made waves when Mai revealed she couldn’t wait to “submit” to her new husband. “In order for us to […]
“I am so lucky that Monaco was only 1 when this happened,” Mai explained. “She’s not gonna remember what that turmoil is like. That’s not something I want her to ever have to think about. My job is to define peace for her.”
The How Do I Look? alum told host Danielle Robay that she still ultimately enjoys “what love brings,” explaining how beautiful it is to watch “two humans come together and release their guard.”
As for whether or not she would ever walk down the aisle again, Mai said, “I actually would because I really don’t wanna ever put a block on myself.”
“You can never put a container around love. You can never say, like, ‘Oh, I’m only going to find love,’ if I’m saying I’m never gonna get married again.”
The TV personality, who hosts and executive produces the Amazon cooking competition series America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation, has continued to focus on her well-being while juggling motherhood and career opportunities after starring in her first movie, Christmas in the Spotlight, in November 2024.
Mai exclusively told Us Weekly that it was a worthwhile pursuit that challenged her professionally and personally.
“I could not believe how different it is from hosting,” she shared at the time. “It’s very humbling to kind of remind yourself that you can learn new things. And I’ve been hosting for so long. I could do it blindfolded. I really loved seeing myself be tested in something totally new.”
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