Belcalis Almánzar, otherwise known as rapper Cardi B, has seen some ups and downs in her romantic life.
The Grammy-award-winning artist married rapper Kiari Cephus, stage name Offset, in 2017. After years of cheating scandals and fans regularly weighing in on their relationship, Almánzar filed for divorce in 2024. She’s currently dating NFL player Stefon Diggs.
On the September 24 episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, host Alex Cooper asked Almánzar how she feels about the constant public scrutiny of her romantic life.
“I really don’t know,” said Almánzar. Whatever others have to say, though, she stands by her decisions.
“Even in the long marriage that I was in,” she said, “there’s a lot of things that I regret, and there’s a lot of things that people are going to be like, ‘you see, you wasted your time.’ But I don’t feel like it was a waste of time.”
Ultimately, “I have to experience pain,” she said. “I have to experience good times.”
It’s a healthy attitude, experts say.
‘We can’t avoid failures or mistakes in our romantic relationship history’
“Relationships in the public eye are especially difficult to maintain,” says licensed psychologist Michele Leno. “The couple is bombarded with public and fan perspective. Pre-social media, celebrity couples were perhaps able to ignore some of the chatter, but that is not the case today.”
Almánzar “should be commended for her authenticity and vulnerability,” says clinical psychologist and University of Southern California professor Molly Burrets.
“We can’t avoid failures or mistakes in our romantic relationship history,” she says. “There are bound to be mistakes made and failures experienced. What we do have control over is how we evolve from those mistakes and those failures.”
People are going to be like, ‘you see, you wasted your time.’ But I don’t feel like it was a waste of time.
Cardi B
Grammy-winning rapper
When coming out of a marriage or a relationship that just couldn’t work, Burrets suggests making time for reflection. It might mean asking yourself some tough questions. For example, can you acknowledge your role in any dysfunction? Can you make different choices in your next relationship?
Almánzar “recognized the pain she’s experienced and how it’s taught her valuable lessons,” Burrets says. “She brings a lot of wisdom, vulnerability, and authenticity to this discussion.”
And when it comes to the approach she’ll take for future romances, Almánzar is going to stay true to herself.
“I’m just at the point that it’s like, do what you want to do,” she said on the podcast. “Do what makes you happy.”
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