Kelis Accused Nas Of Abusing Her During Their Marriage

“There was a lot of mental and physical abuse,” Kelis alleged.

By
Sylvia Obell
by Sylvia Obell

BuzzFeed News Reporter

Kelis claimed Nas physically abused her during their marriage in an exclusive interview with Hollywood Unlocked released Thursday.

View this video on YouTube
youtube.com

“Did he hit me? Mhmm. Did I hit him back? Mhmm,” shared Kelis while revealing that there was a lot of physical and mental abuse in their relationship. She said that Nas would always be the one to start the fights, but that she was not the type to back down from a confrontation.

In the interview, Kelis said that Nas had (and may still have) a drinking problem, would often get physical with her after a night of partying, and then forget the entire incident by morning.

Shareif Ziyadat / FilmMagic

"There are times we would literally have the worst night ever and we'd wake up the next day and it was like it never happened," she said.

Kelis recalled almost reporting the abuse back in 2009 when she saw the photo of Rihanna — after she was assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown — because she saw herself in that photo.

Hollywood Unlocked

“When the Rihanna and Chris Brown pictures came out I thought about coming out because I also had bruises all over my body," she said. "But I didn’t say anything because I’m private. But seeing her the way she looked and then looking at myself… I felt embarrassed.”

She also added that she kept quiet because she and Nas were married, not just dating, and she wanted to make it work. The former singer also said that she didn't want the abuse to become the center of her career.

Kelis kept quiet through their five-year marriage and their 2010 divorce. At the time, Kelis was painted as a "gold digger" due to the hefty settlement she received.

Shareif Ziyadat / FilmMagic

"I’ve waited nine years to say anything. I have never talked about this man. The amount of airing out that I could do and don’t do is what our kids will find out,” she said.

Now, almost 10 years later, Kelis is breaking her silence. She and Nas have been back in court over a custody battle involving their 8-year-old son, Knight Jones.

Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images, Gabe Ginsberg / Getty Images

According to TMZ, Kelis took Nas to court in February asking for an increase in child support. The site reported that they reached a joint custody settlement in March. However, in April, Nas asked a judge to penalize Kelis for violating their custody agreement during Passover. The rapper says it was his weekend but that she didn't comply.

In the interview she had this to say about it: “A parent isn’t about showing up when you feel like it. You can’t not show up for months and then show up and try to make up your own [visitation] schedule.”

This news is truly shattering for fans of both Nas and Kelis. There was a time when they were one of hip-hop's most beloved couples. Kelis noted that reaching that level of notoriety at such a young age played a role in their demise.

Shareif Ziyadat / FilmMagic

"He's the same man he was when I married him. I changed," she said. "I was 22 when I met him. What you take at 22 and what you take at 28 are very different."

She added that fame made Nas worry about his image, and he would get upset with her over things like who she spoke to — Jay Z was mentioned — but she never cared about appearances. "That's why you all think he's great and everyone thinks I'm a raging bitch," she said.

BuzzFeed News has reached out to Nas for comment.

UPDATE

This post has been updated to include more comments from Kelis.

Topics in this article

Skip to footer