- Serayah and Joey Bada$$ ended their engagement after multiple instances of infidelity throughout their relationship.
- Serayah emphasized the importance of listening to one’s intuition and not compromising one’s values for someone else’s comfort.
- Serayah stated she will focus on protecting the privacy and relationship of her and Joey’s child, rather than discussing intimate details publicly.
Serayah and Joey Bada$$ have ended their engagement, which comes just over a year after they welcomed their first child together.
The actress and singer took to Instagram on Monday, August 24 to announce the end of her relationship with Joey Bada$$, whom she’d been publicly dating since 2003.
She announced the breakup in a lengthy statement, revealing that the rapper had been unfaithful to her multiple times throughout their relationship. The pair were engaged and welcomed a child together in 2025.
“There comes a point in a woman’s life when choosing herself is no longer an option, it becomes necessary,” Serayah began in her statement. “After much thought, I have made the difficult decision to end my engagement and relationship with the father of my child, Joey. I loved deeply, believed wholeheartedly in the life we were building, and wanted nothing more than to protect our family.”
After that, she explained her reasoning for calling it quits, accusing the artist of being unfaithful during some truly difficult moments.
“Unfortunately, I also had to face a painful truth: there had been repeated infidelity throughout our relationship, including during some of the most vulnerable and meaningful moments of my life,” she wrote. “I share this not for sympathy, retaliation, or to publicly tear anyone down. I share it because too many women are taught to question themselves before they question what is happening right in front of them. If your intuition is telling you something is wrong, listen to it.”
She went on to offer advise to others in the same position, insisting that it’s always worth it to listen to your heart and know your worth.
“Don’t make yourself smaller to keep someone else comfortable,” Serayah continued. “Don’t compromise your values because you’re afraid of losing the future you imagined. And don’t allow someone else’s choices to become a referendum on your worth. Love should not require you to abandon yourself.”
The Empire star also clarified that while she shared the reasoning for their split, she won’t be speaking further on the breakup out of respect for her child with Joey.
“I will always respect the fact that we have a beautiful son, and my priority will be protecting his peace, privacy and relationship with both of his parents,” she wrote. “For that reason, I won’t be discussing the intimate details of our relationship publicly beyond what I have shared here. This chapter did not end the way I prayed it would. But endings can also be beginnings.”