It began this way because, like any other Cardi update, it was bold, brash, and impossible to ignore, with Cardi inaugurating the rollout of her next album in typical Cardi fashion. She ensured everyone was watching, from barely-there outfits to viral dance clips and a little extra-flirty social media love for NFL star Stefon Diggs.
But then they took an unexpected turn. Cardi was said to have taken her and Offset's little boy to get his hair braided like her favorite player, Stefon Diggs, and that's where it gets dicey.
Diggs is not the boy's father; Offset is. And though Cardi and Offset are no longer together as far as the world knows, they've still got a child together and, from a distance, a complex emotional history. "It's not all roses; you just don't walk away clean when there are kids and feelings unresolved," he added.
Offset's certainly didn't pull any punches or emojis. He jumped on the internet, threatening to "crash out," which, in rap parlance, means to lose it altogether. Then, the social media purge came. Instagram? Gone. Twitter (or X)? Wiped clean. The man just hit the nuclear button on his digital life. One thing was easy to understand, whether he was acting in the heat of the moment or according to some prepared script: he wasn't feeling the comparison to Diggs or the perceived shot at his role as a father.
Now, Cardi's team is seemingly shading him in their own way, pointing out that he hasn't been doing incredibly well in the "Dad of the Year" department. That is probably her motivation behind the braids, but, come now, it's also a cheap low blow if the aim is peace in co-parenting.
Kids and promo games or internet stunts are always tricky territory. When adults become viral sensations, it's entertainment. What happens when children get swept up in it? That's where the lines begin to blur. In this instance, it feels a lot less like a cute styling thing and a lot more like an announcement, one that's definitely hit a nerve.
Cardi, meanwhile, continues to push the envelope, often literally in her fearless way. She trended again recently after an NSFW moment involving her chest and a camera. She knows how to own the spotlight. But Offset, perhaps he should step back, retreat to the studio, and let the music do the talking.
What's posting threats, vanishing from the internet, and letting it all hang out when your kid's in the middle? It's a script we've seen repeatedly, and it never ends well.
They may remember that their son's future is more important than a headline or a hook-up. And if Offset has something to add, maybe it's time he said it in a song.
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