Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz’s love story is far from traditional. Things got off to a very rocky start and their public battles with Swizz’s ex-wife Mashonda Tifrere only made things more difficult. In the end, they were able to find a harmonious balance for the sake of their blended family.
Here’s the truth about Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz’s relationship.
He was ‘so annoying’
When they first met, Alicia was 16 and Swizz was 17, and a friend of theirs that went to the producer’s high school introduced them. Alicia told Marie Claire U.K. that she wasn’t interested in him at first. She said, “Everything with him is really over the top. I used to see him and think, ‘He is so annoying.'” Years later, their paths crossed again, and she started to see Swizz in a different light. There was just one little issue: he was married to someone else.
A messy marriage
Swizz and Mashonda Tifrere reportedly began dating in 1998. In 2000, their first pregnancy resulted in a stillbirth. That same year, Swizz welcomed his son, Prince Nasir, with his side chick, a woman named Nichole Levy. Despite his infidelity, he and Mashonda got married in 2004, and in 2006, Mashonda gave birth to their son, Kasseem Dean Jr.
Conflicting stories
He and Alicia were rumored to have started dating in 2008. At that time, he was still married to Mashonda. Swizz claimed they were separated, but Mashonda told a different story. Not only did she say that she and Swizz were still being intimate each and every day, but in 2009, she hopped on Twitter (via Rap-Up) to accuse Alicia of destroying her family.
“IF YOU ARE READING THIS ALICIA, LET ME START BY SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID. YOU KNOW THE ROLE YOU PLAYED AND YOU KNOW HOW YOU CONTRIBUTED TO THE ENDING OF MY MARRIAGE. YOU KNOW THAT I ASKED YOU TO STEP BACK AND LET ME HANDLE MY FAMILY ISSUES. ISSUES THAT YOU HELPED TO CREATE.” – Mashonda Tifrere
Swizz comes clean
Swizz and Alicia kept quiet about their romance up until Swizz hopped on Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” remix. In the lyrics, he raps: “Wake up in the morning and my baby cooked me breakfast, A’s naked wearing nothing on but a necklace.”
He later told theNew York Daily News that the lyrics were fictional, but he finally confessed that Alicia was the woman in his life. He said he had to keep their relationship under wraps because he didn’t want to aggravate Mashonda.
More baby news
In April 2008, Swizz and Mashonda moved forward to end their marriage. That following month, Russian-born singer Zhanna Sebastian gave birth to a child that was presumed to be Swizz’s. They failed to establish the paternity of the child, so Swizz moved forward with making things official with Alicia.
In May 2010, Alicia announced she and Swizz were engaged and she was expecting his baby. They got married in a private ceremony in Corsica in July 2010, and Alicia gave birth to their son, Egypt, that October.
She was there when he established paternity
Before they could celebrate their one-year anniversary, Swizz flew to London with Alicia by his side. He took a paternity test for his alleged love child he fathered with singer Zhanna Sebastian, and it was determined that Swizz was indeed the father of her three-year-old daughter, according to Page Six.
Despite his messy past, their wedded bliss continued, and Alicia gave birth to Swizz’s fifth child in 2014, a boy named Genesis.
The key to their happy marriage
In celebration of their eighth anniversary, Swizz said the key to their happy marriage is that they never argue. He told Cultured Magthat they never even raise their voices at each other. Swizz said that where he is weak, Alicia is strong, and they fit perfectly together.
A spiritual connection
Swizz told MTV News that his relationship with Alicia was a blessing. He said that their union was connected spiritually and what they have together is much stronger than just love, it was something so amazing that he can’t even describe. In the end, he said Alicia makes him a better man.
He professed his love in a unique way
Swizz is so in love with his wife that sometimes, it’s hard for him to express his emotions. In some instances, it’s easier for him to show how much he loves her. During an interview with Wendy Williams, Alicia said her favorite gift Swizz ever gave her was a tattoo of her face on his body.
Mending the relationship with his ex
Even though their relationship started off rocky, things are much calmer for the pair and their blended family. They’ve even made amends with Swizz’s first wife Mashonda. When Mashonda published her book entitled Blend, Alicia and Swizz were right there to help her promote it. While chatting with ABC’s Nightline, Alicia said she and Mashonda are now closer than ever. They go to dinner together, they vacation together as one big happy family, and they’re now at the point where they even love each other. With all parties involved now in a much better place, is it easier to understand why Swizz fell in love and married Alicia? Leave your answer down below!
