By Jon Blistein
Cardi B revealed what she cherishes and what she finds challenging about her long, complicated relationship with Offset, describing it in her new Rolling Stone cover story as less a connection between married partners, than an intractable bond between best friends.
“We do love each other,” Cardi said. “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?”
Cardi B and Offset started dating in 2017, married that same year, and have since had two kids together, Kulture and Wave. Recalling their initial romance, Cardi B spoke about finally finding a partner who built her up: “He never made me feel like I was little to him. He actually always used to tell me, ‘You a fucking superstar, watch.’”
But over the years, the couple’s marriage has endured plenty of turmoil, including Offset’s infidelity and a general misalignment that led Cardi to file divorce papers in 2020 (though she withdrew them a couple of months later). Currently, their relationship status is complicated: Cardi, who lives outside New York City, said Offset “comes around” and offers a “helping hand,” and the two are frequently seen together in public — most recently at a Knicks game, Met Gala after-party, and to celebrate Mother’s Day.
When asked what she cherishes in her marriage, Cardi said, “The part I love is that we really like each other, like a support system. We’re really both each other’s cheerleader. I don’t really like talking to people. I’m not as social. If I want something from somebody, he’ll be the one that will talk. Because I don’t like asking.”
As for the challenges, she actually focused more on her own shortcomings: “We have our own bad stuff. 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.”
Ultimately, Cardi offered a frank assessment of what’s most important in her life and admitted her relationship often comes last: “I remember last year when we were going through our hard time,” she said. “And it’s like, ‘Put your album out. You’re overstressing. When was the last time we went on a vacation?’ And it’s like, ‘I don’t got time to go on a vacation, because this comes first.’ This comes first and then my kids come second. The little things I have to take care of then comes. I sometimes feel like I do probably put my relationship last.”
Later, though, she tweaked the order, declaring: “My kids come first. My kids come before anything.”
Contributors: Mankaprr Conteh
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