Kelis on Marriage To Nas: "There was a lot of mental and physical abuse"

Kelis opened up about alleged abuse during her marriage to Nas.

In an interview with Hollywood Unlocked published Thursday, the singer spoke candidly about what led to her divorcing Nas while she was pregnant with their son.

"A lot of mental and physical abuse," she told Hollywood Unlocked CEO Jason Lee. "It got to the point where if I wasn’t pregnant, I might have stayed with him.” she stated. "I was pregnant and it was a mess and I felt like I wasn’t going to bring a child into this."

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According to Kelis, Nas would get “blackout drunk” and angry over her interactions with other men in the music industry, including his former rival Jay-Z. “We would fight,” she admits.

But it was seeing the photo of Rihanna's face following her domestic dispute with then-boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009 that inspired Kelis to walk away from the relationship.

“When the Rihanna and Chris Brown pictures came out I thought about coming out because I also had bruises all over my body. But I didn’t say anything because I’m private. But seeing her the way she looked and then looking at myself… I felt embarrassed.” the 38-year-old singer stated.

The entrepreneur revealed why she chose to stay silent on the relationship amidst news of their custody battle over their 8-year-old son Knight. She talked about Nas as a co-parent, claiming the rapper “shows up when there’s a photo opp.”

Kelis noted she was 22 when the couple had met.

"I’ve waited 9 years to say anything," she said. "I have never talked about this man. The amount of airing out that I could do and don’t do is what our kids will find out.”

READ: Kelis To Publish New Cookbook 'My Life On A Plate'

Since becoming a chef and launching her brand Bounty & Full, the mother of two remarried and has invested in The Jane Club, a community space for women and working mothers. “I’m living my life. I’m cooking. I’m raising my kids and I’m very private.”

Watch the full interview below: