Ne-Yo Says Ex-Wife Returned Ring Because She's Not "Money Petty"

BY Erika Marie 5.6K Views
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Ne-Yo, Crystal Smith
Ne-Yo & Crystal Smith recently confirmed that they're planning to divorce, and he talked about the split with Joe Budden on "Pull Up."

Not long after announcing that he and his wife Crystal Smith planned to divorce, Ne-Yo stepped back into the music scene with a brand new single "Pinky Ring" featuring O.T. Genasis. The superproducer-singer-songwriter and his ex have been cordial in the media and during his visit to Pull Up with Joe Budden, Ne-Yo expounded on his personal life.

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"'Pinky Ring' is a song about taking lemons and turning them into lemonade," the singer said. "It is about a situation that anybody can use as an excuse to be down and feel a way, but instead, taking it and letting it be a positive thing. Not allowing it to bring you down." Joe didn't seem too satisfied with the answer and wanted to know what Ne-Yo did that led to the breakup with his wife.

“Without incriminating myself, without incriminating her and without putting any negative connotation on this... I will say that neither one of us was exactly who we needed to be in order for this to last, and that’s why it didn’t. Bottom line,” Ne-Yo said. “That's what it was. I own mine, she owns hers, and the craziest thing is there’s no beef, there’s no animosity, there’s no love lost because we both understand that.

Budden wasn't convinced that there's no beef between Ne-Yo and Crystal and called the singer "oblivious to what's going on." Ney-Yo disagreed. Budden later talked about his struggle with getting his engagement ring back from his ex-fiancé Cyn Santana and was surprised to hear that Crystal gave her wedding ring to Ne-Yo without a problem. Budden revealed he had to legally wait for the courts to rule on the matter.

According to Ne-Yo, Crystal isn't the type of person who would hold onto something in order to get back at him or make things difficult. “She’s never been petty like that,” Ne-Yo added. “She’s never been money petty like that. That’s not her.” Watch Ne-Yo and Joe Budden chop it up on Pull Up below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.