Celebrity Divorce: Jeezy and Jeannie Mai

A celebrity divorce can provide more than juicy gossip! You can also take some lessons from those in the public eye and how their divorce is unfolding.

Rapper Jeezy (real name Jay Jenkins) and his wife, Jeannie Mai Jenkins, are parting ways after only two years of marriage. The good news for one of them? They had a prenup. The bad news for the other? They had a prenup. 

A Prenup Can Come with a Bite

Jeezy and Jeannie had a clause in their prenup that specifically addressed infidelity in all its forms... emotional, physical, and more. Anything from texting, sexting, FaceTiming, direct messages on socials, as well as more traditional ways of physically cheating are fair game under their marriage contract. 

Jeannie is now using this portion of the prenup to get a bigger financial settlement, as she should! The clause specifically addressed that the cheating spouse will face a financial penalty for their infidelity. 

Although Jeannie has not made the details public, her court filings indicate that she is accusing Jeezy of cheating. And it seems like she has some proof! This sounds like a warning shot for Jeezy and letting him know he won't be getting out of this one easily.

What to Watch Out for in Your Prenup

Morality clauses that are associated with a financial payoff can seem like a good thing at the signing of a prenup. You are probably thinking, I would NEVER cheat, but my spouse might! 

These can end up cutting both ways though, if your spouse accuses you of cheating. Jeezy and Jeannie's prenup is interesting in how specific they were about what qualifies as infidelity. It is so broad that you could call into question pretty much any communication with the opposite sex. I wouldn't recommend this!

Remember you need to imagine different scenarios. This can be difficult to do when you are in love and thinking this is your person for life, BUT you will thank yourself later for thinking through all possibilities. 

Whatever is in your prenup.... it will apply to both your spouse AND you, unless specifically addressed to only one of you. 

Do I Still Recommend Prenups?

Short answer, yes! I can't shout this one from the rooftops loud enough. There is so much a prenuptial agreement can accomplish.  Prenups can address nearly every aspect of your married and divorced life aside from child custody and support.

You can protect your assets, specify alimony or spousal support, address any debts, navigate how banking and finances at large will work in your marriage, and have penalty clauses like an infidelity clause. 

Both you and your future spouse should be represented by an attorney to ensure that your prenup is valid. It will also ensure that you are fully informed about your rights so you can feel good about signing a fair contract.

Get Expert Help

Want more help getting your prenup together? Check out the Marriage Money Guide. You will walk away with actionable steps to help you plan your financial future together. This includes not only thinking about a prenup, but also learning about the most important financial issues, how to communicate with your future spouse about money, and techniques for managing money as a married couple.