The Real Reason Dr. Dre Is Getting Divorced

In what seems like nuthin' but a heartbreak thang, Dr. Dre's wife of 24 years filed for divorce on June 29, 2020. How does a relationship spanning more than two decades come to such an abrupt halt? 

According to TMZ, Nicole Young cited irreconcilable differences as the deal-breaker with Dr. Dre (aka Andre Young). A source told the tab that the rapper and his wife never signed a prenup, which could make sorting out financial affairs a messy process. The soon-to-be ex of Dr. Dre is reportedly asking for spousal support from the music mogul, who is worth about $800 million. (Remember when he sold his Beats headphone line to Apple for a cool $3 billion?) Nicole may be ready to forget about Dre but not the fortune they amassed during their marriage. 

Dr. Dre has yet to chime in as to why his relationship with his wife crumbled after almost two and a half decades. All the more surprising is that in the months leading up to their split, all seemed well. Let's dig into the real reason these two are calling it quits.

According to The Sun, the last time Dr. Dre and Nicole Young were seen together at a public shindig was at a Tom Ford fashion show in February 2020. They were "all smiles," per The Blast, holding hands and strutting down the red carpet with their daughter, Truly Young. (The couple also shares a son named Truice.)

Earlier that same month, Dr. Dre bragged about his wife's cooking skills and discussed the quality time they were planning to spend together for his birthday. "I decided to just keep it low-key this time– I'm going to have a few friends over and my wife is going to do a crab boil for me," he reportedly told BigBoyTV about his birthday plans. "I love crab. We're just going to kick it."

The "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" rapper doesn't post a ton of content on social media, but he honored their anniversary in 2018 by sharing sweet pics of the two hopping a helicopter to a showing of Hamilton. Despite the power couple's positive image, the divorce news is prompting discussions about Dr. Dre's dark past.

At the time of this writing, neither Dr. Dre nor Nicole Young have divulged details about their split, but the divorce news has prompted conversations about the rapper's controversial history with women. 

Multiple women have accused the music mogul of abuse and infidelity. In 2015, Dr. Dre addressed his dark past in an interview with The New York Times. "I'm doing everything I can so I never resemble that man again," he said. "I apologize to the women I've hurt. I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives."

The Straight Outta Compton rapper also addressed his past in the HBO docu-series The Defiant Ones. "Any man that puts his hands on a female is a f**king idiot," he said (via NME). "He's out of his f**king mind, and I was out of my f**king mind at the time. I f**ked up ... I have this dark cloud that follows me, and it's going to be attached to me forever. It's a major blemish on who I am as a man."

Young was previously married to former basketball pro Sedale Threatt. She wed Dr. Dre in May 1996.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit RAINN.org for additional resources.

When Nicole Young met and fell for Dr. Dre she was, in fact, still married to her first husband, former NBA player Sedale Threatt. If you don't know Threatt from his playing days with the Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, or Los Angeles Lakers (among others), than you may remember him from the bad press of his past. According to The New York Times, he was an "absentee father" with an "astoundingly complex family tree." He reportedly fathered at least 14 children (although there could be more), and at least two kids were both named Sedale Jr.

Young and Threatt wed in 1992 and split four years later, according to Us Weekly. However, before they divorced, Young had already fallen for Dr. Dre. In fact, Us Weekly reported that the rapper "penned a romantic letter to Young, convincing her to leave Threatt and pursue a relationship with him instead." 

If you're wondering exactly what was in that persuasive love note, Genius has got you covered with a copy of the text on their site. But only time will tell how these two exes communicate as divorce proceedings continue.