The singer opened up about her career pitfalls and love life, including her past relationship with Lil Wayne.
Nivea is receiving a lot of love following the release of a heartbreaking new interview for Kandi Burruss' On That Note.
The 39-year-old singer, who currently stars on BET Presents The Encore, recently went on Burruss' show and courageously opened up about the ups and downs of her career that began in the early 2000s. She also got candid about her tumultuous love life, detailing why it caused more pain than happiness.
As many of her fans may recall, the "Laundromat" singer burst onto the scene with an appearance on Mystikal's hit single "Danger (Been So Long)." In 2001, she signed with Jive Records and released her debut solo single, "Don't Mess With My Man." It set off a career of moderate success and admiration from fans, but she struggled with substance abuse, failed romances, and balancing motherhood -- all of which led to her fading away from the public eye.
In the new hour-long interview with Burruss, Nivea candidly detailed her experiences, including her former relationships with rapper Lil Wayne and ex-husband The-Dream. She alleged that Wayne, whom she shares son Neal Carter with, convinced her to leave her manager and record label, promising to "take care" of her financially in return.
"He said, 'Come be with me. I got you,'" Nivea told Burruss. "We was young, we were young, and I think at the time he was one of those guys who wanted to be bigger or a more 'on top' person. We were so young."
"I'm just sitting there, like, being a housewife," she recalled, going on to explain to the Real Housewives of Atlanta star that she soon learned of Wayne's relationship with the other mother of his child, Toya Johnson. The rapper called off their year-long engagement in 2003.
Nivea then married R&B singer and producer The-Dream in 2004, and they had daughter Navy Talia Nash in 2005, followed by their twin sons, London and Christian Nash, in 2006. The couple divorced in 2007, leading to Nivea's reconciliation with Wayne. She explained to Burruss that Wayne reached out to her to work on a record during her marriage to The-Dream, but it was never released because he supposedly dissed her on the track.
The two were rumored to be engaged again when they announced Nivea's pregnancy in 2009, around the same time that Lauren London revealed she was also pregnant with Wayne's child. The singer shared that she and London became close during their pregnancies, and their relationship has lasted beyond their relationships with Wayne. This is clear to see as the actress was one of the first to respond to the interview with praise and warmth.
"Love you. You are pure magic and strength," London commented, on Nivea's Instagram post promoting the interview.
Johnson also sent a message of love, telling Nivea that she's "so proud" of her. Wayne and Johnson's daughter, Reginae Carter, echoed her mother's sentiments, writing, "I just love you so much, one of the strongest people I know."
Burruss also shared her thoughts on Nivea in her post promoting the interview. "I want to see her win so bad. After you hear some of what she’s been through you’re gonna feel the same way," she wrote. Additionally, she commented on Nivea's post, telling her that there are "so many people" who love and want to support her. She also told the singer that it's "time to drop new music," which already has fans holding out hope for a Burruss/Nivea collaboration in the making!
Watch the full interview with Burruss and Nivea below:
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