Jeannie Mai announced her engagement to rapper Jeezy last week, after his isolation proposal.
And as her talk show The Real returned to air on Monday for its first all video chat show, the 41-year-old host opened up about her new relationship and moving on from a ‘traumatic’ divorce.
Mai was previously married to actor Freddy Harteis from 2007 until 2017 and revealed she was dating the rapper (born Jay Wayne Jenkins) in September 2019.
Recovering from trauma: As The Real returned to air on Monday for its first all video chat show, Jeannie Mai opened up about her new engagement and moving on from a ‘traumatic’ divorce
Mai spoke with her co-hosts Adrienne Bailon, Loni Love, Amanda Seales, and Tamera Mowry-Housley about the new engagement and how she found love after heart break.
When asked about how she feels about being married a second time by Bailon, speaking from her living room, in a neon green sports bra, Mai immediately got emotional.
She called her divorce ‘one of the most traumatic things that can happen,’ and said after an experience like that ‘you get jaded.’
‘I remember telling you guys I think I said “I’m never getting married again,”‘ Mai added. ‘The thing I think that saved me, is that I never gave up on love.’
The Real From Home: Mai spoke with her co-hosts Adrienne Bailon, Loni Love, Amanda Seales, and Tamera Mowry-Housley about the new engagement and how she found love after heart break
Emotional: When asked about how she feels about being married a second time by Bailon, speaking from her living room, in a neon green sports bra, Mai immediately got emotional
Adding: ‘I never gave up on love, because love is so omnipresent and it’s so healing. That the only reason I recognize love with Jay today is because I took that time to love myself.’
She said her divorce made her feel embarrassed, and struggle with trusting people.
‘You feel like you failed, you feel embarrassed, all those people that were there at your wedding, all those people who were excited for you,’ she explained, while wiping her eyes.
‘The divorce hurt, people change, people behave in ways where you didn’t expect it,’ she added. ‘You see things in people and it makes you completely not able to trust anybody after that.’
The hardest: She called her divorce ‘one of the most traumatic things that can happen,’ and said after an experience like that ‘you get jaded’
I never gave up: ‘I remember telling you guys I think I said “I’m never getting married again,”‘ Mai added. ‘The thing I think that saved me, is that I never gave up on love’
But as for her new relationship, Mai said that she and Jeezy, ‘healed each other.’
‘He did exactly what I know him to do during a time where you would think life would stop. Jay continued with life no matter what,’ she said.
Adding: ‘And when it comes to marriage, it’s not just the perfect moments, it’s really about those times, who are you, who is your character when things hit the fan. To see him be the relentless, tenacious man I fell in love with, it puts a whole new meaning to this ring to me.’
According to People, Jeezy got down on one knee to propose to Mai on March 27 at his home.
New love: But as for her new relationship, Mai said that she and Jeezy, ‘healed each other.’ ‘He did exactly what I know him to do during a time where you would think life would stop. Jay continued with life no matter what,’ she said
‘YES’: Jeannie, 41, confirmed her engagement to the rapper, 42, with this sweet Instagram post on Monday
Though he had originally planned to pop the question during a romantic vacation to Vietnam, he had to change plans after they canceled their trip in light of current travel restrictions.
‘Jeannie and Jay were set for a trip to Vietnam this April. What Jeannie didn’t know is that Jay was planning to propose,’ Mai’s rep revealed.
‘Instead, Jay decided to bring Vietnam to Jeannie with a surprise quarantine date night in his home filled with Vietnamese food and decor,’ Mai’s rep went on.
They both took to Instagram to share the news after Mai said yes.
Heartfelt: ‘Would say 4 life but that’s not long enough (Heart) Infinity…,’ Jeezy wrote after proposing at his home after their trip to Vietnam was cancelled due to the coronavirus
Confirming her engagement Monday, Jeanie gushed about her beau in her social media post.
‘I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life loving you….YES,’ Mai, 41, wrote in the caption. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
‘Thank you, everyone, for celebrating this journey with us. We are praying love over everyone from here.’
‘Would say 4 life but that’s not long enough (Heart) Infinity…,’ the 42-year-old wrote alongside a photo of himself with his lady love.