Cardi B's rep confirmed to ET that she filed for divorce from Offset and said it 'has been a long time coming.'
Cardi B is getting ready for a surprise release -- her third baby! The GRAMMY winner is pregnant and expecting her third child amid her divorce from her estranged husband, Offset. On Thursday, the 31-year-old rapper announced her baby news with an iconic reveal; a beautiful shoot with a backdrop of New York City.
"With every ending comes a new beginning! I am so grateful to have shared this season with you, you have brought me more love, more life and most of all renewed my power," Cardi captioned the post featuring two images of her cradling her baby bump in a revealing red dress.
She added, "Reminded me that I can have it all! You've reminded me that I never have to choose between life, love, and my passion! I love you so much and can not wait for you to witness what you helped me accomplish, what you pushed me to do! It's so much easier taking life's twists, turns and test laying down, but you, your brother and your sister have shown me why it's worth it to push through!"
The unborn child will join Cardi's older children with Offset, 6-year-old daughter Kulture and 2-year-old son Wave. The former Migos member, 32, is also father to Jordan, 14, and Kalea and Kody, both 9, from previous relationships.
While fans have been speculating that Cardi has been pregnant after the rapper's recent appearances where she displayed a noticeable baby bump, the pregnancy comes amid the headline-making news that Cardi has filed for divorce from Offset.
According to Page Six, Cardi is seeking primary custody of Kulture and Wave.
The divorce filing came seven months after Cardi confirmed her recent breakup from Offset in December 2023. The "Press" rapper took to Instagram Live and revealed to fans that she has been "single for a while" but was unsure how to share the news with her fans.
During the live session, Cardi said, "I don't know if y'all have been getting clues from me from my Live, I mean... or from my Instagram Stories, where I put certain music. When it comes to events and stuff, I don't think it's true, I don't care to find out because I have been single for a minute now."
The GRAMMY winner acknowledged her struggle with breaking the news, saying, "I have been afraid to... not afraid, but I just don't know how to tell the world. I feel like today has been like a sign. The last time I got on Live, I kind of wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how to tell you, so I changed my mind."
Cardi emphasized that she was ready for a fresh start in 2024, expressing excitement for a new life and a new beginning.
Before Cardi filed for divorce, the couple's relationship status seemed hazy. On New Year's Eve, Cardi and Offset were spotted at a Miami club together, during which Cardi later confirmed they had sex -- though she also said it did not mean they were back together.
"I feel at the point of where we at in our relationship -- we've been together for seven years, we've been married for seven years -- I don't consider that we're back together," she said at the time. "The answer to getting back together is not a good night at the club and f**king the night long. We need to work on our sh*t. We need to work on our communication. There's things that he needs to work on. There's things that I need to work on."
More recently, the two were photographed holding hands at a Met Gala after-party in May. Despite the subtle PDA, Cardi said in an interview with Rolling Stone later that month that they still have matters to resolve -- and, according to her, she's partly to blame when it comes to her priorities.
"We have our own bad stuff," she told the magazine. "We're from two different worlds. Sometimes I cannot be… not that I cannot be a wife. It’s just like, my career takes my life. You know what I’m saying? My career comes first, then my kids come second. And then sometimes I don’t realize that I'm putting so many things before my relationship."
She later seemingly amended that ranking, telling Rolling Stone, "My kids come before anything."
Ultimately, Cardi acknowledged, "I sometimes feel like I do probably put my relationship last."
When asked what she's decided to do about their marriage, Cardi candidly responded: "I think it through. We think it through, because we do love each other. It's not even about love. We’re best friends. And it's like, 'OK. Well, there was a time that I didn’t have a best friend, or I didn’t have a support system.' It's not even about 'How do you leave a partner?' How do you stop talking to your best friend?"
While Cardi and Offset have had a tumultuous relationship at the worst of times, they have come a long way since their turbulent early days.
The duo has also collaborated creatively, with Offset directing the music video for Cardi's first solo single in three years, "Like What (Freestyle)." The song and visual dropped in March.
In a profile piece with Variety published last May, Offset praised Cardi and said their relationship was "icon status."
"She always got my back, right or wrong. We both are on the same mission to make each other better. Social is her strong point, so I listen to her social advice. And me, it's the music, but I play behind the scenes; it's my wife, so I want to make sure she win," he said about his spouse, whom he called "my bestie."
"We are a great team," he added. "We're a powerhouse at this point."
Cardi also spoke with Variety for the profile, sharing, "What I appreciate about my husband is that no matter what issue I am having personally or professionally, I know he will take care of me and our family. It's handled. I know that I have a man who has my back for real. I fully support him in this next chapter of his music career."
Check out the links below for a full timeline of Cardi and Offset's near-decade-long relationship.
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