Not Foreva? Cardi B And Offset’s Split Saga
The showbiz world has seen its fair share of fiery breakups over the years. But even so, few celebrity romances have ended on a more discordant note than Cardi B and Offset’s in recent times. It’s been hard to look away! Mind you, while the barbs and stinging comments have dominated the headlines, we can’t ignore what the split’s done to their respective careers and personal lives. The high-profile saga has had an interesting effect to say the least.
How it all began...
This eye-catching showbiz romance first began back at the start of 2017. At the turn of that year, Cardi dropped her latest track “Lick,” collaborating on the song with Offset.
Then, just a few weeks later, the pair sparked plenty of gossip when they were spotted together at Super Bowl LI. As we later found out, that was indeed their first date.
“I wanted to have fun”
Offset reflected on that when he was a guest on The Tonight Show in 2021. The rapper recalled, “My first date, I went big. I wanted to do something that wasn’t normally done, you know what I’m saying?”
“I wanted to have fun, so I took [Cardi] to the Super Bowl.” Cardi also shared her views during an interview with GQ, explaining how the date had been put together.
“It got really serious”
Cardi said, “I told my publicist to tell [Offset], because I was very shy, ‘Listen, if we’re gonna go on a public date together, you cannot make me look like a dumbass after this.’”
“And he was like, ‘No, I really like her. I’m really feeling her.’ We were talking, we were making out [on the date]. After the Super Bowl, it got really serious because I feel, like, all eyes [were] on us.”
Making things “official”
Cardi had a point — she and Offset went on to make headlines again when they were seen at an afterparty for the Met Gala in May 2017. The rumors regarding a potential romance were quite rampant at that stage.
But their relationship wasn’t made official to the public until the fall of that year. In front of a shocked crowd, Offset decided to propose to Cardi at a gig in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, an apparently out-of-the-blue offer which she gladly accepted.
A surprising twist
All was not as it seemed here, though. While fans continued to wait for a wedding date announcement going into the next year, Offset let something slip in June 2018.
During an appearance at the BET Awards, he called Cardi his “wife.” Then, within a few hours, TMZ discovered that the famous pair had actually tied the knot in September 2017. Yep, a month before the public proposal!
Low-key wedding
After this information came to light, Cardi did eventually confirm that she and Offset had arranged a secret wedding. As far as celebrity marriage ceremonies go, this one had been very low-key.
The music star wrote on X, “One morning in September we woke up and decided to get married. I said ‘I do’ with no dress, no makeup, and no ring!”
Building a family
Following this secret ceremony, Offset and Cardi took the next big step in their relationship. Yep, they went on to become the parents of two kids. Their first child, Kulture Kiari Cephus, was born in July 2018.
From there, Kulture’s younger brother Wave Set Cephus arrived in September 2021. But while their family was steadily growing, cracks had already started to form between the two famous rappers.
The cheating allegations
Offset became embroiled in cheating allegations back in January 2018. But the rumors sparked a perhaps unexpected response from Cardi. Speaking to Cosmopolitan the following month, she said, “I know I look good, I know I’m rich, I know I’m talented.”
“I know I could get any man I want — any basketball player, football player. But I want to work [it] out with my man, and I don’t got to explain why.”
“I ain’t no angel”
Cardi then attacked the media over their coverage of the situation. “I’m not your property,” she sternly told the publication. “This is my life. I’m going to take my time, and I’m going to decide on my decision.”
“It’s not right, what [Offset] did — but people don’t know what I did, ’cause I ain’t no angel.” When it came to her “decision,” it seemed as though Cardi and Offset had indeed worked it out.
A pre-Christmas breakup?
Yet more drama emerged towards the end of 2018. Just weeks before Christmas, Cardi took to her Instagram page to reveal that she and Offset were no longer an item.
The musician wrote, “We got a lot of love for each other, but things just haven’t been working out between us for a long time. It's nobody’s fault, I guess we just grew out of love.”
Back together
“But we are not together anymore,” Cardi asserted. “It might take time to get a divorce and I’m going to always have a lot of love for him, because he is my daughter’s father.”
By January 2019 though, Cardi and Offset had decided to bury the hatchet and reconcile. Talk about an emotional roller-coaster! And the twists and turns kept coming the following year, too, leaving fans bewildered.
“There’s always rumors”
Cardi touched on the state of her marriage in a candid chat with Elle in 2020. She noted, “I don’t really like talking about love much, but I feel like I have to do it, just because I want people to know a little bit.”
“There’s always rumors about me and my husband, and I feel like people would rather start rumors because they want me to be heartbroken. They want me to be hurt.”
Familiar territory
“I do know that my relationship has a lot of drama and everything,” Cardi said. “But there’s a lot of love, there’s a lot of passion, there’s a lot of trust, there’s a big friendship.”
“It’s always us against the world.” Despite those words, though, Cardi found herself in an all-too-familiar position in September 2020. More cheating allegations emerged around Offset, which prompted her to leave him again.
Another twist
On that occasion Cardi even went so far as to file for a divorce. Yet she and Offset were back together again going into November 2020. It was hard to keep up with it all!
After that spell, the drama appeared to subside — that is, up until yet another round of cheating rumors emerged in June 2023. This time, the roles had been reversed, with Cardi finding herself under the microscope.
Setting the record straight
Offset accused his wife of infidelity, which she fiercely denied on social media. He then retracted his comments during an interview a month later, now claiming that Cardi hadn’t cheated.
And all of that convoluted history brings us to December 2023. After everything that had transpired between the couple, it seemed as though their turbulent love story was finally coming to an end for real this time.
Unfollowed
At the start of that month, Offset and Cardi stopped following each other on Instagram, with the latter making some intriguing posts via her Stories. She wrote, “You know when you just outgrow relationships?”
“I’m tired of protecting people’s feelings...I GOTTA PUT MYSELF FIRST.” Off the back of those messages, Cardi was a little less cryptic on Instagram Live a few days later.
“I’ve been single for a minute now”
Cardi revealed, “I’ve been single for a minute now but I have been afraid to like — not afraid, I just don’t know how to tell the world. But I feel like today has been a sign.”
“The last time I got on Live, I kind of wanted to tell you guys. But I didn’t know how to tell you, so I changed my mind. But it has been like this for a minute now. I just took it as a sign.”
“A new beginning”
“I wanna start 2024, like, fresh, open,” Cardi continued. “I don’t know. I’m curious for a new life, for a new beginning. And yeah, I’m excited.” What had prompted the rapper to end things for good this time, then?
While she didn’t say outright, Offset had been dragged back into the headlines by fellow musician Blueface prior to the post. He’d accused Cardi’s hubby of having an affair with Chrisean Rock.
A different feel
Now, given the previous splits, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this was another storm in a teacup. But something felt different this time. And that feeling was further fueled by Cardi in the days after her Instagram Live revelations.
Taking to the social media website again, she unleashed a furious tirade straight at Offset. To put it bluntly, Cardi was ticked off and she wanted everyone to hear about it.
“Been doing me dirty”
With tears in her eyes, Cardi raged, “This… [guy] really likes to play games with me at my most vulnerable time. When I’m not the most confident. He likes to play games with me because he knows that I’m not an easy girl.”
“You’ve really been feeling yourself, because of your album. And you really been doing me dirty after so many years that I helped you. Not even a thank you that I got from you.”
“I’m so tired of it”
“And it’s so crazy that I have to go to the internet because whenever I tell you something you don’t say [anything] to me,” Cardi added. “And I’m so tired of it.”
So just like that, it all appeared to be over. But how have the pair responded to the split in the months since? Where are their heads at as they try to navigate the tumultuous waters of heartbreak?
No shrinking violet...
Well, it’s been interesting to watch Cardi through the lens of her fashion choices since the breakup. While some might feel the need to retreat into their shell after the end of a relationship, the rapper absolutely hasn’t done that.
In fact, she’s dressing as boldly as ever, posting some jaw-dropping shots on her Instagram page. Cardi even captioned one such post “I’m better now.” Could that have been in reference to her single status?
Channeling royalty?
Cardi’s creative self-expression post-Offset has even drawn comparisons to the late British royal Diana, Princess of Wales. When the future King Charles III admitted that he had been unfaithful during their marriage, she responded in stunning fashion soon after.
Diana slipped on a beautiful black outfit that was dubbed the “revenge dress,” with many speculating it was her way of getting back at Charles. Might Cardi be channeling the late royal here?
A telling hairstyle?
Yet it’s not just the clothes that have caught people’s attention. In the immediate aftermath of the breakup, Cardi was snapped rocking a new hairstyle: it was a short, sharp cut.
Now, many folks couldn’t help but think this was the “Foreva” musician’s way of paying homage to some of Nia Long’s characters in Black cinema. The actress often portrays women who split from their partners, and that’s the style she usually flaunts.
Dropping new music
Meanwhile, Cardi has also released some new music since leaving Offset, with tracks such as “Enough (Miami)” and “Never Lose Me” showcasing her talents. On top of that, a music video for the single “Like What (Freestyle)” came out during that spell, too.
This proved to be a significant development, as it had been Offset himself who directed the video. You might legitimately wonder: did that collaboration aid the healing process, or make things even harder?
Controversial comments
Amid the fashion choices and new music, though, Cardi also made headlines in another way after becoming single again. In a video shared by The Neighborhood Talk Instagram page, the musician offered her thoughts on equality in romantic relationships.
As a noted feminist, few could’ve predicted just what Cardi would go on to say. She said, “This is what I believe in, right. If you’re the type of [woman] who wants a [guy] to take care of you, you have to pick a balance.”
“What do you do?”
“You can’t just be a [woman] who’s like, ‘Oh, my man takes care of me, he [does everything],’” Cardi continued. “What do you do? What are you contributing? You can’t be complaining, ‘Oh I cook, I clean every day.’”
“Okay, but you don’t work, you don’t contribute to the house. I [also] feel like it’s very controversial when [some women] say, ‘Oh, I don’t go 50-50 [with my partner on finances].”
Identity shift?
Cardi said, “So if you and your man make the same amount of money, but only your man is the one paying all the bills, how are you ever going to save up to buy a house?”
“Or buy a business? He’s never going to be able to afford to.” All of those comments then led to the headline-grabber. After expressing that guys and girls should work together, Cardi stated, “I’m not a feminist anymore.”
Evolving stance
To say Cardi’s words sparked a fierce online debate would be putting it mildly! It’s fair to say that plenty of social media users got involved, both agreeing and disagreeing with her views.
On a broader note, though, it begs a question: was this evolving stance on gender equality and empowerment only sparked as a result of leaving Offset? Or did Cardi feel that way before, but didn’t want to share it?
A growing influence?
Breakups can be emboldening; it’s interesting to speculate whether Cardi had felt a sudden urge to come clean about her views on this subject. But here’s one more thing to keep in mind since the split.
As we highlighted earlier, Offset did work with the rapper in crafting a music video for one of her new tracks. And what’s more, his continued involvement in Cardi’s career didn’t stop there.
“Drop the album”
Offset took to Instagram Stories in February 2024 to make a fascinating post about his estranged wife’s music. In the clip, he seemed to be listening to some of her new material.
He wrote, “Stop being scary and drop the album... [This stuff] goes crazy.” It’s easy to forget that Cardi only has a single album to her name, with Invasion of Privacy coming out back in 2018.
Adding to the complexity
Could it be argued that Offset’s words on the music helped push Cardi to release newer material to the public after splitting up? Or might this just be a coincidence?
If it’s the former, that certainly adds another degree of complexity to their relationship, showing he’s still invested in her success. Mind you, that brings us on to another point of interest here.
Fueling rumors
After posting the messages on Instagram Live in December 2023, Cardi did meet up with Offset a short time later. Yes, the pair still spent the Christmas holidays together alongside their two kids.
Due to that, there was some speculation that they’d managed to overcome their differences and were an item once more. Then, as the New Year approached, their actions continued to fuel the rumor mill.
The New Year’s Eve get-together
To celebrate New Year’s Eve, Cardi and Offset both attended the same party in Miami, Florida. Before they knew it, the estranged couple found themselves in each other’s arms as 2023 came to a close.
To go into more detail about what happened that night, Cardi took part in a live chat on X on New Year’s Day 2024. And she didn’t hold anything back.
“Really awkward”
Cardi explained to the users, “I want to be clear to you guys, because you guys are making your assumptions, and I just wanted you to hear it from the horse’s mouth.”
“Was I clubbing with my baby father yesterday? Yes. Did [we] get [intimate with each other] yesterday? Absolutely, baby. We were both in the same club, and it was just really awkward.”
More than a fling?
“Like, I’m in my section, [Offset’s] in his section,” Cardi continued. “So it’s like, ‘Man, just come over here. Let’s just chill. We’re having a good time.’” Was this any more than a fling, though?
Unsurprisingly, plenty of folks believed that this was a sign that the pair’s romance could be getting back on track. But Cardi addressed that point as the live chat went on.
“We need to work on our communication”
Cardi stated, “The answer to getting back together is not a good night at the club and [being intimate all] night long. We need to work on our [problems], we need to work on our communication.”
“There’s things that [Offset] needs to work on, there’s things that I need to work on.” And her measured words didn’t conclude there, as she then made another brilliant point about their existing dynamic.
“I don’t want to keep that cycle going”
“It’s a fun night, then guess what, the next day we’re arguing, the next day I’m blocking,” Cardi added. “The next thing you know, we aren’t talking for four days. I don’t want to keep that cycle going.”
But not long after that, rumors began to flare up again in February 2024. You see, Offset was spotted with Cardi in Miami on Valentine’s Day: they appeared to be on a date.
The saga continues
Cardi and Offset were seen leaving a local restaurant, before jumping into the same vehicle. He was apparently carrying a present. There’s been no update as to whether or not they’ve reunited since then.
So for now, the love story is still in a weird state of flux. They’re not together, yet their personal lives and careers remain intrinsically linked. This compelling saga isn’t over yet: we can’t wait to see what happens next!