6 Red Flags In Cardi B And Offset's Marriage That Should Have Predicted Their Divorce

After years of being on and off, it seems Cardi B and Offset's relationship is officially over, and the rappers are divorcing. However, let's just say there were signs leading up to the split. From cheating accusations to songs hinting at their marriage woes and even previous divorce attempts, this union was a rollercoaster of note.

As fans of both Cardi and Offset will know, the couple first became an item in 2017. They were spotted at that year's Super Bowl, but it took several months before they confirmed their relationship — which wasn't the worst thing in the world since they were still figuring it all out at the time. However, by October 2017, it was clear they were together, and later reports showed Cardi B and Offset had a secret wedding the month prior. Cardi ended up sharing via X, formerly Twitter, that they had indeed become husband and wife but that they'd wanted that to be kept for themselves. It's an adorable sentiment, to be sure. However, the honeymoon period was short-lived.

The same month they confirmed their romance, Cardi claimed in a now-deleted Instagram post that she was single. She cleared that up a day later on X, admitting that it had stemmed from a fight they'd had and it wasn't serious. Cardi followed up with a post declaring her love for Offset. By the end of the month, Offset proposed on stage at Powerhouse Philly — it still wasn't public knowledge that they were already married. Heartbreakingly, though, they still weren't able to have their happily ever after. That December, cheating rumors rocked the couple, and Offset was even accused of fathering a child outside of their relationship. That was proven to be false,  but once again, that wasn't the end of the couple's woes.

The story of Offset getting another woman pregnant might not have been true, but that doesn't mean he was entirely innocent. On the contrary, it turned out he did cheat on Cardi B — and the "Bodak Yellow" rapper spoke about it pretty publicly.

In January 2018, Cardi took to X to acknowledge that Offset had indeed cheated on her. In the since-deleted post, she noted that what he'd done was wrong. However, she also acknowledged that there was a chance she'd be cheated on by someone else as well. "This s*** happens to everyone," she wrote (via People). The following month, she expanded on that sentiment in an interview with Cosmopolitan. Referring to those who attributed her choice to stay in the relationship to Cardi's lack of self-worth, she cracked, "I don't have low self-esteem ... I know I look good, I know I'm rich, I know I'm talented. I know I could get any man I want ... But I want to work out my s*** with my man, and I don't got to explain why." Fair enough. The rapper added that she was the only one living her life, and as such, she'd take as much time as she needed to decide what was next.

That's not to say Offset got off scot-free, though. In March 2018, Cardi released her song "Be Careful," which saw the rapper address an unfaithful lover. Of course, Cardi told Apple Music that the song was entirely unrelated and that she'd first heard it before her relationship with Offset got serious. However, something tells us the line, "Be careful with me / It's not a threat, it's a warning," probably resonated.

Despite starting the year in the shadow of cheating rumors, Cardi B and Offset stayed together for most of 2018. By the end of the year, though, they'd separated. At the time, Cardi shared a video to Instagram explaining that they'd simply fallen out of love, but still cared about each other. As such, the "Be Careful" rapper wasn't expecting a speedy divorce.

Offset's response wasn't quite as measured. Just over a week after Cardi's announcement that she and the Migos rapper had parted ways, he crashed one of her performances. Arriving on stage with three floral arrangements that had "Take me back Cardi" written in red roses, Offset tried to woo his wife — but to say Cardi was unimpressed by the stunt would be an understatement. The visibly annoyed rapper called him out (albeit with the mics off) and sent him off the stage, before continuing with her performance. However, Offset wasn't done just yet. He also took to Instagram to plead with her to try again. In the since-deleted video, he apologized for embarrassing her and breaking his vows. He also hinted that there may have been more infidelity on his side. Kind of. "I didn't f*** that girl but I was entertaining it, you know what I'm saying? I apologize, and I love you, I hope you forgive me," he said (via According 2 Hip-Hop). Who says romance is dead?

In early 2019, TMZ reported that the two were firmly back on. The reasoning for Cardi's change of heart? Insiders told the outlet he'd committed to avoiding groupies and had even changed his phone number to show Cardi that only she could contact him.

While Cardi B never went through with filing for divorce from Offset after they separated in 2018, 2020 was another story. Despite what seemed like months of marital bliss, Cardi filed for divorce from Offset that September. 

It seems the aforementioned infidelities didn't have anything to do with the split. Au contraire, Cardi shared that the real reason she was getting a divorce was because she and Offset simply weren't getting on as well as they once did. Addressing the situation in an Instagram Live, the rapper explained, "I just got tired of f***ing arguing. I got tired of not seeing things eye to eye ... Nothing crazy out of this world happened. Sometimes people really do f***ing grow apart. I've been with this man for four years" (via Elite Daily). She also added that the split wasn't exactly a tragic detail in her life, and promised fans, "I have not shed not one tear." 

Even if there wasn't cheating involved in this particular breakup, it was certainly a red flag that Cardi has claimed not being in love anymore as the reason behind multiple separations over the years. Nevertheless, the pair got back together again, and in an Instagram Live, Cardi explained that she had simply missed being with Offset. "It's hard not to talk to your best friend. It's really hard not to talk to your best friend," she said, per Billboard. 

From their near-divorce in 2020 until mid-2023, it seemed as though Cardi B and Offset's marriage was in a pretty steady place. Of course, Offset and Cardi welcomed their first son in 2021. The couple also suffered a major loss the following year, when Offset's cousin and Migos bandmate Takeoff was murdered. However, their newfound calm took a very different direction in June 2023, and Offset even accused Cardi of cheating on him.

In an Instagram Story, Offset claimed Cardi had been unfaithful. While he deleted it not long after, Cardi wasted no time debunking the claim. She did so with a reminder that she was a massive star who wouldn't get away with sneaking around if she tried. "I'm f***ing Cardi B ... I think sometimes motherf***ers forget. If I was giving this p**** to anybody it be not just anybody. Can't f*** regular-degular-schmegular, 'cause they gonna tell the world. And I can't f*** anybody in the industry, 'cause they gonna tell too," she said on X Spaces (via Billboard).

Cardi ended her rant by telling Offset to quit with the accusations. "Stop acting stupid ... Don't play with me. What the f***. Stop playing. That's all I'm gonna motherf***ing say," she said. A few months later, she confirmed in an Instagram Live that she and Offset had been apart for a while. No word on whether his rant had had anything to do with it, or whether they'd already been separated at that point. Either way, Cardi filed for divorce for a second time in August 2024.

Sadly, despite Cardi B making a point of forgiving Offset for his indiscretions, he hasn't been quite as accommodating of her moving on as they navigate their divorce. Quite the opposite, actually.

In a comment made under one of Cardi B's Instagram Lives, Offset wrote, "U f***ed with a baby inside tell the truth !!" However, it's safe to say Cardi wasn't intimidated by his attempts at calling her out. On the contrary, Cardi made a point of responding that he had been trying desperately to get ahold of her to show off that he was with other women, and that she wasn't interested. In another live video mocking his attempts, she quipped, "'Look at the b***hes that I'm f***ing, hahaha, I'm gonna f*** all your ops,' So what? You was gonna f*** them anyways." Yikes. It's clear Cardi is done being nice and looking the other way — and in the same Instagram Live, she admitted that she had allowed him to mistreat her for years. "It's crazy that ... I even let you play with me for such a f***ing long time," she slammed.

The rapper added that she regretted ever being with Offset. There was one caveat, though: Cardi's kids, for whom she's insanely grateful. Cardi reiterated that she had no regrets about her children and even threw her ex a tiny compliment, saying he was a good dad. We're hoping they can both move on to something more peaceful — and we're giving Cardi major snaps for standing up for herself.