Kelis breaks her silence on her violent marriage, says Nas used to abuse her and left marks on her body (video)

Kelis, the ex-wife of Nas, has said that her ex-husband abused her verbally, mentally, and physically when they were married.

The 38-year-old singer, who was married to the rapper from 2005 to 2009, describes their relationship as "really toxic" in her first public interview about her failed marriage to the rap legend. She said she would have probably stayed longer in the marriage had she not been pregnant.

She divorced Nas in April 2009 and three months later, their child Knight was born. 

Speaking about what led them to the point of divorce, Kelis said in the video interview with Hollywood Unlocked: 

I didn't file for divorce because he cheated. He's been cheating for two years and I didn't file. because I knew that. . .

There was a lot of drinking. There was a lot of mental and physical abuse. . . . I would have probably stayed longer had I not been pregnant.

She added:

There was a lot of mental and physical abuse. I had bruises all over my body … it was really toxic … at seven months’ pregnant I was terrified. I was like, I cannot bring a person into this. I can’t control this. I’ve got to get out.

She characterised the relationship as being "really dark …", adding:

It wasn’t good, ever, but it progressively got worse. We had really intense highs and really intense lows, it was never normal … We were drinking too much, smoking too much, spending too much … We lived hard and because of that, when that comes down, it goes really low.

We would fight. I never just sat there … Did he hit me? M-hmm [nods]. Did I hit him back? M-hmm [nods]. He would black out – he would drink way too much … a lot of stuff, he may not remember. We would have, literally, the worst night ever, and we would wake up the next day, and it’s like it never happened.

The chef continues: "I was naive, I was madly in love, and so I took a lot that I shouldn’t have taken."

She also said Nas’s infidelity was "the straw that broke the camel’s back" with regards to their marriage. Nas already admitted having an affair in a VH1 interview in 2012.

She said that while her abuse went on, she was shocked to see the photos of a bruised and battered Rihanna after Chris Brown abused her in 2009. Kelis said she also had bruises all over her body just like Rihanna but she wasn't ready to leave Nas.

I remember so clearly the pictures coming out, I had bruises all over my body at that time … but I wasn’t ready to walk. I just wasn’t. So I didn’t say it … I felt like: this is my partner, I chose this, we’re going to make it work," she said.

Seeing her, the way she looked, and then looking at myself, I was appalled, I was embarrassed … For me it was kinda like: you’re going to just let this go? You’re not going to say anything? … Talking that was not my character.

Nas is yet to respond to the accusations.

Watch the interview below.