Jeannie Mai Jenkins, who competed on, revealed on Monday’s episode of The Real that she and her husband Jeezy are expecting their first child. Mai Jenkins, 42, revealed that she became pregnant a month before she and the rapper married in March, but suffered a miscarriage. Jeezy has two older children from previous relationships.
“I can definitely say that our Real fam is growing, and it’s been really hard to keep all of these secrets from you guys because we’ve had so much to reveal here at the show, including the fact that I am pregnant,” Mai Jenkins said during Monday’s episode. She then got up from her chair to show off her baby bump while her co-hosts cheered the news. It felt “surreal” to finally share the news Mai Jenkins said, noting that she never thought she would be a mother. “I do know that never say never and that love can really change you, and I’m so thankful to be on a show that’s really helped me to grow and to evolve and to see myself differently than I would have ever imagined seeing myself.”
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Mai Jenkins also shared the news in an interview with Women’s Health published Monday. “Jeezy and I have been kind of saving this and hiding this for five months,” she told the magazine. “So, we’re relieved to finally share the news.” Jeezy, whose real name is Jay Wayne Jenkins, and Mai Jenkins started trying to have a baby last year but struggled. They decided to try in-vitro fertilization. A month before they married, Mai Jenkins found she was pregnant, but she later suffered a miscarriage.
“I wondered if I was being punished. I wondered if I’d jinxed myself or cursed myself,” Mai Jenkins wondered since she never wanted to be a mom before last year. “My entire life, I never wanted children. When I say never, I’m talking a hard-stop never.” After the miscarriage, she reflected on how her relationship with Jeezy made her feel differently about herself and how their love is something neither of them had while growing up.
The experience also brought back memories of Mai Jenkins‘ difficult childhood, noting how her parents struggled to handle her trauma after she was sexually assaulted. “Being a mom is hands down the hardest role in the entire world,” Mai Jenkins told Women’s Health. “Now that we’re bringing another Jenkins into the picture. I have no idea what to expect.”
Mai Jenkins competed on Dancing With The Stars Season 29. She had to withdraw early on in the season after she was hospitalized with epiglottitis. In an interview with Us Weekly over the summer, Mai Jenkins said she was “still bitter” about having to leave the season early. “It was truly the hardest job I’ve ever had. I’m still reeling from how challenging it was and how much [time] it took to me every week to learn a new dance,” she said in June. “At the same time, I’m still bitter about having to leave so early that I’m pissed that Chrishelle [Stause] took the spot I should have had. I’m still going through my emotions.”
