Jeannie Mai denies Jeezy allegation that she 'acted as a gatekeeper' of their daughter

Jeannie Mai said she is "absolutely not gatekeeping" in a court filing responding to accusations by estranged husband Jeezy that she is making it difficult for him to spend time with their daughter.

Jeezy, a rapper whose real name is Jay Wayne Jenkins, asked the court last month for a hearing on the custody arrangement involving their daughter Monaco, who will turn 2 in January.

He said Mai acted as a "gatekeeper" of their daughter, which she refuted in a filing in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Dec. 19.

"She remains committed to facilitating and encouraging Mr. Jenkins’ involvement in their daughter’s life," the court filing reads. "Ms. Jenkins further shows that it is her intent to foster an open, supportive and safe environment for both parents to actively participate in their daughter’s life."

The former host of "The Real" raised concern for her daughter as it pertains to Jeezy's firearms, which she alleged have been "unsecured" in previous instances.

"It is essential to clarify that Ms. Jenkins’ insistence on reasonable safety measures being put in place, such as safely securing and locking away all firearms that have been unsecure in the past, as well as having familiarity and properly trained caregivers is absolutely not gatekeeping, but rather a responsible effort to prioritize their daughter’s wellbeing," the filing reads. "These requests are grounded in Ms. Jenkins’ care of others and traveling across the country, and are reasonable protective measures, not an attempt to restrict Mr. Jenkins’ access to their daughter."

The previous filing by Jeezy on Nov. 30 said that he and Mai had been informally arranging a visitation schedule with their daughter through the end of this year, but the arrangement has become "less feasible."

Jeannie Mai shares how she is dealing with the divorce

Mai said she is dealing with her split from Jeezy “day by day.”

The television host opened up during a Dec. 4 appearance on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” about how she has been since her husband of two years filed for divorce in September.

“I was going through things, and marriage ended in divorce, and it was kind of hard,” she said. “It’s what I’m dealing with day by day, you know? I think I’m doing better now.”

“Even though this year, I met the most broken version of me. I also met the strongest version of me,” she added.

Mai also shared that she learned about the divorce at the same time the public did. A representative for Jeezy tells TODAY.com, however, that "any claims of Ms. Mai being blindsided by Mr. Jenkins filing for divorce are 100% false."

Mai, 44, is known for hosting the daytime talk show “The Real,” as well as the makeover show “How Do I Look?”. She has also been featured as a fashion expert by TODAY, Extra TV, Entertainment Tonight and other outlets and has worked for E! and other outlets as a red carpet correspondent.

Jeezy, 46, is a Grammy-nominated rapper known for singles including “Put On,” “Soul Survivor,” “I Luv It” and “Seen It All.”

Jeezy has also spoken publicly about filing for divorce from Mai, saying in a November 2023 interview with Nia Long that he felt “saddened” and “disappointed” by their separation.

Here’s what to know about Mai and Jeezy’s relationship and divorce.

They first met when Jeezy was a guest on Mai’s talk show

Mai and Jeezy met when the rapper appeared on “The Real” talk show. Jeezy has appeared on “The Real” multiple times over the years, including in 2016.

They went on their first date on Nov. 28, 2018, Mai told People. Mai described their first date in a 2021 interview with Vogue.

“We shared a romantic sushi dinner in Los Angeles and salsa danced the night away,” she said. “Later that evening, he asked if I could picture spending the rest of my life with him. And crazy enough, I could.”

They married in March 2021

Mai and Jeezy tied the knot in March 2021 at their home in Atlanta, Georgia, according to Vogue.

They had originally planned a larger ceremony in Lake Como, Italy, but they downscaled their wedding due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were really looking forward to having all of our friends and family there to celebrate,” Mai told Vogue in April 2021. “But we had to change all of our wedding plans due to COVID. After Jeezy’s mother unexpectedly passed, we quickly learned that life is too short.

“And at the end of the day, Jeezy and I really just wanted to become husband and wife. So we decided to turn our original wedding into a mini-mony, where we exchanged our vows in front of our immediate family and a few close friends.”

In an Instagram post marking their first anniversary, Mai shared a photo from their wedding day and reflected on what their marriage meant to her.

“It’s not about finding someone who’s perfect. It’s about finding someone who can match your level of commitment — not just to the relationship, but the commitment to heal themselves to love stronger and live happier forever,” she wrote in the caption. “My life began on March 27, 2021. Happy Anniversary King.”

They welcomed a daughter in 2022

Mai gave birth to the couple’s daughter, Monaco Mai Jenkins, in January 2022. She announced the new addition to their family in an Instagram post on Jan. 11, showing a photo of a baby blanket and a card with the name “Jenkins” attached to a hospital bassinet.

“I asked God for a life of love and happiness. He sent me my family,” Mai wrote in the caption. “Baby Jenkins is here.”

Mai often shares photos of Monaco on her Instagram page, as well as a separate Instagram account dedicated to her daughter.

In November 2022, the television host shared a series of photos of her and her daughter as she prepared to attend the 2022 Baby2Baby Gala in West Hollywood, California.

“Before it was the afterparty but now it’s the beforeparty w/ Coco for meeeee,” she wrote in the caption.

In September 2021, Mai told Women’s Health that while she had never wanted children growing up, she changed her mind when she met Jeezy.

“Falling in love with Jeezy made me see life differently for myself,” she said. “Our love is honest, pure, and safe…something I hadn’t felt as a child.”

She also shared that she had experienced a miscarriage following her marriage to Jeezy.

Jeezy filed for divorce in September 2023

Jeezy filed for divorce on Sept. 14, 2023, at the Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta, Georgia.

The filing notes that the couple had been “living in a bona fide state of separation,” and that their marriage was “irretrievably broken” with “no hope for reconciliation,” according to documents obtained by TODAY.com.

In a November 30 counterclaim to Jeezy’s divorce filing, Mai offered a different version of events.

“Wife admits the parties were married on March 27, 2021, however, denies the parties were living in a bona fide state of separation at the time of husband’s filing of the Complaint,” reads part of Mai’s counterclaim, which was obtained by NBC News.

Mai’s counterclaim also states that the couple had entered into a prenuptial agreement on March 26, 2021.

In addition, her counterclaim argues that the court “should enforce” the section of their prenup “regarding infidelity.”

According to the counterclaim document, the clause around infidelity in their prenuptial agreement stipulates that "in the event that either party engages in sexual relations, an emotional relationship, or is emotionally or sexually suggestive in communication with a third party via all forms of electronic communication ... shall result in a significant financial penalty upon the adulterous party."

In a November court document, Jeezy said Mai had ‘acted as a gatekeeper’ of their daughter

According to a document filed on Nov. 30 in Fulton County Superior Court, which was obtained by NBC News, Jeezy asked for a court hearing to address the custody arrangements for his and Mai’s daughter.

The document submitted on behalf of the rapper notes that since he filed for divorce, he and Mai have been arranging custody of Monaco “on an informal basis” and “have agreed upon a visitation schedule through the end of 2023.”

Going forward, the document states that “to continue addressing custodial and parenting time issues in such an ad hoc manner is becoming increasingly less feasible.”

The document also claims that “the lack of consistency, continuity and stability inherently associated with such a haphazard and fluid parenting time schedule is stressful to the child” and has created “tension.”

According to the filing, Jeezy does not believe that Mai “is acting maliciously or with specific intent” to harm his relationship with Monaco, but he believes Mai "has acted as a gatekeeper when it comes to (him) exercising parenting time.”

His filing asks for a formal structure that clearly defines his and Mai’s “temporary legal and physical custody rights” and establishes a parenting schedule.

TODAY.com reached out to Mai for comment on the document but did not receive a response.

According to Mai’s counterclaim to the original divorce filing, Mai argues that it is in Monaco’s best interest that she and Jeezy “be awarded temporary and permanent joint legal custody,” but that Mai “should be awarded final decision-making authority.”

The counterclaim also stated Mai’s belief that “she should be awarded primary physical custody of the minor child on a temporary and permanent basis.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com