Busta Rhymes’ turbulent relationship with the lesbian mother of his three children makes the Mr. and Mrs. Smith relationship in his latest video seem like the blissful union of Will and Jada.
According to the New York Post’s Hasani Gittens, the rapper has just ended "one of the nastiest four-year custody battles in hip-hop history - rife with allegations she had lesbian sex in front of their children, that she does drugs in the house and that she’s an absentee mom."
The woman in question, Rhymes’ ex-girlfriend Joanne Wood, was Busta’s high school sweetheart and had a roller-coaster romance for 10 years, a relationship that bore three children. Then, Wood decided to come out of the closet and all hell broke loose.
She tells the Post in an exclusive interview that the rapper’s hate for her is rooted in his manhood being challenged after she left him for a woman.
"“His ego is definitely hurt," she said. "If he’s being emotional, then let him just be emotional - that’s like the bitch in him. If you want to be emotional, I don’t have a problem with that," but "he’s wearing his emotions on his sleeve."
Rhymes has been taking verbal swipes at his former flame while promoting his new album, The Big Bang, which entered Billboard last week at No. 1. According to the Post, "he’s called her names from dangerous to crazy to gold digger to other unmentionables."
In her first interview to address the situation, Wood, 32, wants everyone to know that Rhymes did not turn her away from men.
She explains: "A relationship is a relationship. It happens. I have nothing negative to say as far as our relationship, whether it was good or bad, sexually, or not. That had nothing to do with me doing what I did [becoming a lesbian]. It’s not like I spitefully did it."
"He had a problem with everything," she laughed. "He’s a Taurus - he’s a real arrogant person, he has a problem with everything. But on the other hand, he’s soft-hearted - he’s a softy, at times, when we’re together. I don’t know what happened."
For the past four years, the couple has been embroiled in a bitter custody dispute over their sons, T’Ziah, 13, T’Khi, 6, and Trillian, 5. Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor Smith, won custody of the kids in December when Judge Burton Joseph in Nassau County Family Court ruled he was a more fit parent.
In making his decision, the judge made more than a few references to Wood’s "lover" and "lifestyle," leading her legal camp to believe she was the victim of discrimination.
Meanwhile, Wood says Rhymes’ recent remarks in the press "pretty much makes me out to be a crazy person. He said what he had to say and that’s fine. I don’t have any problem with that."
"But my kids can read, they can see the negativity that he’s saying about me. He needs to focus on his music and hope that his album goes double platinum or whatever, because you know at this point in his career if you don’t make it now, that’s it."
Wood currently has visitation rights twice a week and every other weekend to see her kids, who now live with Rhymes’ mother in New York while he tours. She is currently trying to gather enough funds to appeal the custody decision.
"Honestly, the kids are the one that got hurt through this entire ordeal," she said. "As you get older and you have kids, they change your life, and honestly, I thought that they would have changed Trevor’s life, but it didn’t."
"He’s a great father, when it comes to sitting down, talking to the kids. And we can agree on certain things, but I have to say, this fighting me because your ego is hurt, you’re not hurting me, he’s hurting the kids. They know exactly what’s going on, which bothers me. But I can say they’re happy, we spend good times together. I know they don’t see their father as much as he claims he does."
According to the New York Post’s Hasani Gittens, the rapper has just ended "one of the nastiest four-year custody battles in hip-hop history - rife with allegations she had lesbian sex in front of their children, that she does drugs in the house and that she’s an absentee mom."
The woman in question, Rhymes’ ex-girlfriend Joanne Wood, was Busta’s high school sweetheart and had a roller-coaster romance for 10 years, a relationship that bore three children. Then, Wood decided to come out of the closet and all hell broke loose.
She tells the Post in an exclusive interview that the rapper’s hate for her is rooted in his manhood being challenged after she left him for a woman.
"“His ego is definitely hurt," she said. "If he’s being emotional, then let him just be emotional - that’s like the bitch in him. If you want to be emotional, I don’t have a problem with that," but "he’s wearing his emotions on his sleeve."
Rhymes has been taking verbal swipes at his former flame while promoting his new album, The Big Bang, which entered Billboard last week at No. 1. According to the Post, "he’s called her names from dangerous to crazy to gold digger to other unmentionables."
In her first interview to address the situation, Wood, 32, wants everyone to know that Rhymes did not turn her away from men.
She explains: "A relationship is a relationship. It happens. I have nothing negative to say as far as our relationship, whether it was good or bad, sexually, or not. That had nothing to do with me doing what I did [becoming a lesbian]. It’s not like I spitefully did it."
"He had a problem with everything," she laughed. "He’s a Taurus - he’s a real arrogant person, he has a problem with everything. But on the other hand, he’s soft-hearted - he’s a softy, at times, when we’re together. I don’t know what happened."
For the past four years, the couple has been embroiled in a bitter custody dispute over their sons, T’Ziah, 13, T’Khi, 6, and Trillian, 5. Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor Smith, won custody of the kids in December when Judge Burton Joseph in Nassau County Family Court ruled he was a more fit parent.
In making his decision, the judge made more than a few references to Wood’s "lover" and "lifestyle," leading her legal camp to believe she was the victim of discrimination.
Meanwhile, Wood says Rhymes’ recent remarks in the press "pretty much makes me out to be a crazy person. He said what he had to say and that’s fine. I don’t have any problem with that."
"But my kids can read, they can see the negativity that he’s saying about me. He needs to focus on his music and hope that his album goes double platinum or whatever, because you know at this point in his career if you don’t make it now, that’s it."
Wood currently has visitation rights twice a week and every other weekend to see her kids, who now live with Rhymes’ mother in New York while he tours. She is currently trying to gather enough funds to appeal the custody decision.
"Honestly, the kids are the one that got hurt through this entire ordeal," she said. "As you get older and you have kids, they change your life, and honestly, I thought that they would have changed Trevor’s life, but it didn’t."
"He’s a great father, when it comes to sitting down, talking to the kids. And we can agree on certain things, but I have to say, this fighting me because your ego is hurt, you’re not hurting me, he’s hurting the kids. They know exactly what’s going on, which bothers me. But I can say they’re happy, we spend good times together. I know they don’t see their father as much as he claims he does."