Bursting onto the music scene in the early 2000s, R&B sensation Nivea quickly became a household name with chart-toppers like “Don’t Mess With My Man,” “Okay,” and “Laundromat.” Throughout the years, this Grammy-nominated artist has not only maintained her stature in the industry but also successfully juggled the challenges of co-parenting children with musical heavyweight The-Dream and esteemed rapper Lil Wayne.
In a heartfelt disclosure on July 21, 2026, Nivea revealed a personal battle that few saw coming. A few months earlier, she had been diagnosed with leukemia, catching her devoted fans by surprise. Yet, with admirable resilience, Nivea recounted her ongoing treatment journey and shared that it “was going great so far,” offering hope and reassurance to all who support her.
During an intimate conversation on Cadillac Chronicles, Nivea opened up, stating, “Earlier this year, I found out I had leukemia.” Embracing a tone of gratitude, she continued, “I’m so thankful to God. The treatment has been progressing positively, and I’m hopeful it will remain on this path. It sounds cliché to say you never know the moment or the hour, but that truth has reshaped my perspective. Now, I practice gratefulness daily, and I cherish everything with renewed appreciation.”
Beyond her illustrious career, Nivea’s personal life has stirred much interest, particularly her tumultuous relationship with Lil Wayne, which ended not once, but twice. Read on to discover more about the dynamics behind their split.
The on-and-off romance between Nivea and Lil Wayne began back in 2002, leading to an engagement that ultimately dissolved by 2003. Opening up about the breakup, Nivea attributed the end of the relationship to Wayne’s infidelities. One significant breach of trust was Wayne moving his ex-wife back into the residence they shared, prompting Nivea to reconsider and eventually step away from the relationship.
Nivea explained that Weezy asked her to step away from her music career to be a stay-at-home partner, and moved them into an apartment together. But she later discovered he maneuvered her out of their house so he could move his ex-wife, Toya Johnson, back in.
During an appearance on Kandi Burruss’ YouTube show On That Note, Nivea explained, “I’m just sitting there, like, being a housewife. All of a sudden — this is kind of funny — he was like, ‘I ain’t never stay in an apartment before. Let’s get an apartment!’ So we move out the house and get an apartment. I didn’t realize he did that to move Toya back in the house.”
Nivea described herself as “heartbroken,” and that’s why their engagement ended the first time.
Following their initial split, Nivea married fellow singer and producer Terius “The-Dream” Nash in December 2004. Together, they had three children before they divorced in June 2008. A year later, Nivea and Wayne rekindled their relationship. They got engaged again while Nivea was pregnant with their son, Neal.
However, the relationship didn’t last then either because the “Lollipop” rapper simultaneously fathered a child with actress Lauren London, leading Nivea to call off the engagement in 2010.
“I found out the day I was confirmed pregnant with our son that he had another one that should be expected three months ahead of ours,” Nivea told VLADTV.
She added that she became close with London during that time, explaining, “It’s still a testament to the type of man [Lil Wayne] is because all of his baby mothers, we’re all cool with each other.”