Lil Jon and his wife Nicole Smith recently went their separate ways. The former couple announced their split after almost twenty years together earlier this month.
The celebrated rapper and producer shared the news during a recent interview with XXL Magazine. He was talking about the inspiration behind his latest album, Total Meditation, which he said was aimed to “relieve anxiety, boost focus and find peace.”
He talked about “going through a lot of things” after turning 50. Lil Jon explained that he “started going through a divorce.” He added, “I’m separated now, and all the emotions from the divorce and all that process was really getting to me.”
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Later, Jon’s representative shed further light on what had happened in their relationship. It turned out that their split was not as recent as everybody thought.
The rep told People magazine, “Nearly two years ago, Lil Jon and his wife Nicole decided to separate.” They continued, “This is an amicable split, and while Lil Jon is a public figure, his family matters will remain private at this time.”
This brought a lot of attention to Nicole, whereas before she lived a pretty private life. Many were curious to find out more about her.
Lil Jon Learned to Adapt in His Marriage
The former couple share a son, Nathan, born in 1998. However, they chose not to get married for another 6 years, finally tying the knot in 2004. MTV reported that they hosted their wedding at a resort in Puerto Rico, with a ceremony overlooking the ocean.
In 2014, Jon opened up about his family life with Nicole and Nathan to HuffPost. At the time, he talked about the secret to keeping his relationship with his wife going for many years.
He said, “You learn to adapt to people as time goes by… but nobody’s… perfect.” He also said, “And you change – you see stuff that you do that’s not perfect and you change yourself a little bit to fit in with your spouse.”
Of his son, Jon said that he was “well mannered and well behaved”, and called Nathan “a really, really good kid.” He also gave an insight into the differences between himself and Nicole when it came to parenting.
He stated, “I listen to my son… he can talk to me about anything.” However, according to Jon, “His mother is crazier than me so he definitely don’t wanna” get in her bad books.
A few years later, Jon and Nicole appeared together on an episode of Tiny House Nation in 2017, in which they tried out living in a small home. Nicole talked about the challenges of living with Jon in such cramped conditions. She said, “When he is doing music, he needs it loud. He needs to feel like he is in the club, so yeah, that would drive a guest crazy.”
Despite the difficulties, the couple agreed Jon would turn his work down when guests visited their tiny home. As Nicole put it at the time, “Teamwork makes the dream work.”
Nicole and Jon Were Involved in Charity Work
Throughout their marriage, Nicole supported Jon in his career and other ventures, including his charitable pursuits. Last year, he talked to CNN about working with the charity organization Pencils of Promise. He said that he was “inspired” by the charity, he had worked with for around 10 years.
According to People, Nicole had lent a lot of support to the cause, including attending an event for Pencils for Promise in 2019. In a rare public family photo, Jon, Nicole, and Nathan all posed at the event together.
Jon also told CNN about a gala they attended that included “stories of people who had built schools in Ghana.” He added that “to see the children’s faces” had “inspired” him to contribute more himself. Jon stated, “That night I decided I wanted to build two new schools in Ghana.”
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Despite sticking together through thick and thin, Nicole and Jon have officially called time on their marriage. However, both remain committed to being the best parents they can be to their son. Jon has made it clear in the past just how committed he is to being a good dad to Nathan.
In an interview with Loop in 2015, he confessed that in 2004 he had refused to do a huge gig with another performer, Usher, so that he could attend Nathan’s birthday party. He said, “Usher was doing Saturday Night Live, so he wanted me and Luda to go… with him… but I had to turn it down because it was my son’s birthday.”
He explained, “I just always try to be there as much as I can for my family and my son.” Although he and his wife have split up, hopefully, they can continue to be a family when it comes to Nathan.
