Victoria Monét and boyfriend John Gaines have called it quits.
“With good intentions, we honestly have been avoiding a formal statement about something as natural and personal as love,” the pair said in a joint statement shared via X on Monday, September 23. “We originally preferred to keep this out of the public (as announcing this publicly is sure to make pain resurface) but it is becoming more and more difficult to suppress. Yes, we’ve seen all of the questions and extremely false accusations of our origin story and we thought long and hard about whether or not we owed it to anyone to explain where we are as we heal, since we understand how social media can magnify the truth or run far with untruths.”
Monét, 35, and Gaines, 33, explained they decided to be “open” about their status to put the questions about their relationship to rest.
“We spent the last 10 months trying to respectfully and privately navigate the fact that we are no longer in a relationship. Though we still completely adore and respect each other, we are not a couple anymore,” the statement read. “There was no infidelity, toxic behavior or drama. We both just have some fundamental growing to do that would best be done apart so we can remain the best versions of ourselves for our daughter.”
Monét and Gaines are the parents of 3-year-old daughter Hazel, whom they welcomed in February 2021. As the twosome are no longer romantically involved, their focus is going to make sure Hazel has a stable environment with two loving coparents.
“It simply didn’t work out and that’s OK. We still think the world of each other and operate with love in every interaction for our family,” they wrote. “We have an incredible daughter to raise for life and that is undoubtedly our No. 1 priority forever. No relationship status can remove or replace that fact. We are committed to doing the inner work and trust that God will place us both where we belong in due time.”
The duo added that they wanted to thank their “supporters, friends, family, thank you for your love, care and concern.” Monet and Gaines also asked for “peace and space” so they can “maintain a safe and happy environment” for their daughter.
“We plan to remain a family regardless of our public facing title, so please when you see us together with Hazel, be understanding and gentle. We appreciate you all for hearing us out and hope to be kept in your well intentioned prayers. Thank you,” the message concluded.
The singer was first linked to Gaines in 2020 after he starred in the music video for her song “Moment.” While it is unclear when their romance began, Gaines confirmed their relationship in December 2020 when he announced that Monét was pregnant with their first child.
Earlier this year, the family of three walked the red carpet together for the 2024 Grammys. At the ceremony, Monét took home the coveted award for Best New Artist in addition to Best R&B Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.