Celebrity

Cardi B & Offset’s Relationship Timeline Is An Emotional Rollercoaster

After years of marriage and with hectic schedules, they still find time for date night.

by Alexis Rhiannon and Savannah Walsh
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
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The couple has been through a lot in the short time since they publicly got together, but this timeline of Cardi B and Offset's relationship should help you keep their rollercoaster romance straight. The two entertainers are still married and, by all reports, seem to be as in love with each other as ever. But it wasn't always that way. Their romance has been bumpy, and, at times, they have denied that it was even happening. At the end of the day, though, Offset (real name: Kiari Cephus) and Cardi B (real name: Belcalis Almanzar) are at the top of their game right now and are ready to watch the E! “True Hollywood Story” about the “WAP” singer.

Since the release of "Bodak Yellow," which made her the first solo female rapper to top the Billboard Hot 100 Chart since Lauryn Hill, Cardi B has been enjoying a meteoric rise in the affection and esteem of fans. Meanwhile, Offset is part of Migos, a controversial hip-hop group that has nonetheless maintained their popularity thanks to hits like "MotorSport" and "Bad and Boujee." Though he has also been at the center of controversy, most recently when he apologized for a line he rapped in YFN Lucci's "Boss Life" that fans criticized as homophobic, Offset is one of the most well-known members outside of the group, due in part to his relationship with Cardi B.

They’re quite the power couple, despite the bumps along the way. So, how did we get to this point? Well, it's a long story...

Approximately 2016: The First Meeting

It's not clear exactly where or when Cardi B and Offset's paths first crossed. In Cardi's telling, it was at an industry event, likely sometime late in 2016, where the Migos rapper first proved his interest in her.

December 2016: The First Collaboration

The pair teased their first collaboration in December 2016, and the track "Lick" came out in January 2017, although the video didn't come out until May.

February 2017: Dating Rumors Start

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When the two attended the Super Bowl together on Feb. 5, it sent the internet rumor mill into overdrive. The pair live-streamed video of them sitting next to each other and were also snapped by the paps on the way out of the stadium.

Cardi B took things to another level on Valentine's Day when she posted a since-deleted video of herself and Offset at the Super Bowl and captioned the post with a pet name.

March — April 2017: The Pair Plays It Cool

But just a month later, the pair was playing it cool again. At 4:16 in the above interview with Tim Westwood, Offset refused to answer questions about whether he was dating Cardi B. And, for her part, the former Love & Hip Hop Star refused to comment on the rumored relationship, saying only, "I'm not saying I'm dating an Atlanta guy."

April 2017: The Confirmation

In her own Westwood interview, Cardi B finally acknowledged, "Yes. I mean, I see the boy. We're real gangsters." But even though she's finally admitting to the relationship, she continues to use "the boy" all the way into June. She effused about how motivating it's been to meet all his friends and see how hard everyone works, but she refused to name-drop her love interest.

May 2017: The Half-Debut

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Progress toward a debut was slowly being made — on May 1, the two showed up to a Met Gala after-party as a couple.

June 2017: The Cooling-Off

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This couple seems to be all about the two steps forward, one step back formula. They acknowledge the relationship but won't shout each other out by name; they go to a Met Gala after-party together but don't make it official on the BET red carpet. Even though both artists were present at the June 25 ceremony, they kept their distance, and a reported source speaking to Hollywood Life shed some light on the situation: "Cardi’s not taking Offset as her date, she’s playing it cool with him right now. He didn’t ask her to go with him and she’s for sure not going to ask him. They’re still talking to each other, but it’s complicated."

Summer 2017: The Shopping Sprees

Two steps forward. The couple went on a pair of shopping sprees, the first in June, just days after the BET Awards, and the second in July. At the first, they reportedly racked up $50,000 in purchases, and, a month later, Cardi B showed off a chain given to her by Offset that was reportedly custom-made for $60,000.

August 2017: Engagement Rumors

The two were spotted out looking at rings, and then Cardi B all but invited a proposal during the pre-show for the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards. "I'm a woman," she told her interviewer, "Every woman, I think, wants to get married and wants to have children. It's never too early to get married now." And then she upped the ante with a comment that felt aimed directly at Offset: "You know, if you want to propose to me, you can."

October 2017: The Break

And here comes that step back. On Oct. 21, Cardi B reportedly added an image to her Instagram story with the word "single" written across it. It was later deleted, but the reported screenshots live on, and they fueled rumors that she and the Migos rapper had split.

October 2017: The Reconciliation

The next day, Cardi B "came to her senses," as she told followers in an Instagram story, and clarified further on Twitter. There was apparently some kind of communication about someone stealing or not stealing the "Bodak Yellow" singer's purple blanket, but she confirmed that Offset was cleared as a suspect and back in her good graces.

October 2017: The Second Collaboration

After the success of "Lick," Offset and Cardi B paired up again for "MotorSport." The couple was also aided by the lyrical prowess of Nicki Minaj and the rest of Migos on the track, which was released Oct. 27.

October 2017: The Proposal

After what had already been a roller coaster of a month for this couple, Offset capped it all off by getting down on one knee during Cardi B's Oct. 29 concert in Philadelphia. Cardi B said yes, and later showed off her ring on social media with an effusive statement thanking her man "for seeing the potential in me since you met me" and expressing excitement about their future together.

December 2017: The Love Fest

Cardi B followed up "Bodak Yellow" with a single that more than made up for her reluctance to share her boyfriend's name in the past. The reality star turned rapper released "Bartier Cardi" on Dec. 22, and it name-drops Offset so many times that some fans took issue — not that she minded.

Winter 2017: The Cheating Rumors

First in late December 2017 and then in early January 2018, Offset was hit with allegations of infidelity. The first involved an image of a nude woman in a hotel room, which was allegedly taken off of the rapper's cloud during a hack, and the second involved rumors of a sex tape with another woman. He responded to neither allegation.

Early Winter 2018: The Response

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Cardi did respond, however, and in a variety of different venues. In a tweet that's since been deleted, People reports that she wrote, "I’m going to make a decision in my own times with my heart and mind. I don’t need to be rushed or be told what to do. Its my life! I belong to me not to the world." And she was more direct elsewhere — "what you want me to do?" she asked her fans on Twitter, "Start all over again and get cheated on again? This sh*t happens to everyone and I be too, you too…People handle they relationship different soo.”

But by later in January, Cardi had made it clear that she's still in. In a conversation with Beats 1 Radio, she told the interviewer that her plans hadn't changed, and discussed which artist the couple might book for their nuptials.

January 2018: Wedding Plans Stall

When questioned about his and Cardi's wedding plans, Offset revealed that fans shouldn't expect a date anytime soon. "We ain't, we ain't planning it right now," he told Rolling Stone. "We chilling. We don't got time for that right now."

January 2018: The Lifetime Commitment

Wedding plans may be stalled, but Offset made a different kind of commitment to Cardi B. The rapper showed off a new tattoo on the right side of his neck featuring a Powerpuff Girl with the name Cardi B written underneath it.

April 2018: Cardi B Confirms She's Pregnant

During a live performance on Saturday Night Live, Cardi B revealed her baby bump in a form-fitting white dress. After the show, she declared, "I'm free!"

June 2018: News Breaks That The Couple Have Been Married For Nearly A Year

If fans thought the baby news was a surprise, they were shocked to learn that the rappers had actually been married since September 2017. TMZ broke the news after obtaining a copy of their marriage license.

July 2018: Baby Kulture Arrives

In July, the "WAP" singer announced that she had given birth to a baby girl, Kulture Kiari Cephus. Offset reportedly gave their daughter her unique name.

December 2018: Cardi B & Offset Split (Again)

As 2018 came to a close, Cardi B shared via Instagram Story that she and Offset had "fallen out of love." She said, "It’s nobody fault, it’s just like, I guess we just grew out of love but we are not together anymore."

January 2019: The Couple Reunite (Again)

By January 31, multiple outlets were reporting that the couple had reconciled. The news wasn't too much of a surprise since they vacationed together just a few weeks before.

May 2020: Offset Celebrates Cardi B On Mother's Day

From red carpets to holidays, Offset and Cardi B have been going strong since their reconciliation in 2019. In May, the Migos rapper praised his wife on Mother's Day, and she sent him a message of love to him on Father's Day proving that quarantine has only brought them closer together.

August 2020: Cardi Explains Why Her “Relationship Has A Lot Of Drama”

A few months after celebrating Mother’s and Father’s Day, Cardi opened up about the on-off nature of her marriage in the September issue of Elle."I don’t really like talking about love much, but I feel like I have to do it, just because I want people to know a little bit," she said, adding, "There’s always rumors about me and my husband, and I feel like people would rather start rumors because they want me to be heartbroken. They want me to be hurt." Cardi also spoke about the positives in she and Offset’s dynamic. "But there’s a lot of love, there’s a lot of passion, there’s a lot of trust, there’s a big friendship. It’s always us against the world."

September 2020: Cardi Files For Divorce From Offset

Right before the couple was set to celebrate their third wedding anniversary, Cardi filed for divorce from Offset on Tuesday, Sept. 15. In documents obtained by TMZ, Cardi proceeded with the divorce in Georgia, requesting primary physical and legal custody of their daughter Kulture, as well as child support from Offset. Cardi also reportedly confirmed in paperwork that the couple is "currently separated, and there's no hope of working things out," TMZ reported.

The following day, Cardi took to Instagram Live and clarified rumors about the reason for her divorce from Offset. "This time, I wasn’t crying. You want to know why? The reason for my divorce is not because of none of that sh*t that ever happened before. It’s not because of cheating," Cardi said, adding that recent rumors that Offset was expecting a baby with another woman "a complete lie. That’s the second time people are trying to pin babies over here. No, that’s bullsh*t." The Grammy winner alleged that the reason she filed for divorce was because she was just "tired of ... arguing."

She continued, "I got tired of not seeing things eye to eye. When you feel like it’s just not the same anymore, before you actually get cheated on, I’d rather just leave. Nothing crazy, out-of-this-world happened, sometimes people really do grow apart ... sometimes you’re just tired of the arguments and the build up. You get tired sometimes and before something happens, you leave."

October 2020: The Couple Kisses At Cardi’s Birthday

About a month after Cardi B filed for divorce, she and Offset were spotted kissing at Cardi’s 28th birthday party in Las Vegas. According to People, Cardi clarified the status of their relationship during a Twitter video on Oct. 15. "It's hard not to talk to your best friend. You know what I'm saying? It's really hard not to talk to your best friend," she told her followers. "And it's really hard to have no d*ck. And it's just like, I don't know." Cardi went on to say, "We're just really, really, really just typical two young motherf*ckers that got married early. That's just what we are…. We're no different than y'all's dysfunctional ass relationships."

November 2020: Cardi Calls Off Her Divorce From Offset

By Nov. 2, a Fulton County, Georgia judge reportedly dismissed the couple’s divorce "without prejudice" just ahead of an upcoming court appearance. The following month, Offset posted photos of him and Cardi, writing, “Blessed to have you in my arms.”

February 2021: The Couple Celebrates Valentine’s Day After Reconciling

By Feb. 14, all seemed to be well between Cardi and Offset. Both wrote romantic Instagram posts to each other and appeared to be on a tropical getaway with Kulture. “Happy valentines u are my happiness I love you and the dynasty we continue to build,” Offset wrote to Cardi alongside a series of beach pics. “Let’s make it last forever,” Cardi captioned one of her posts, thanking her husband in another for their Valentine’s celebrations.

June 2021: Baby #2 Onboard

Just a few months after their (second) reconciliation, the couple revealed multiple surprises at the 2021 BET Awards. First, Cardi B made a guest appearance during Migos’ performance, joining the trio on “Type Sh*t,” and she had a surprise guest of her own: her baby bump, as shown off in a glittery one-piece. After the show, the rapper took to Instagram to confirm that she and Offset were expecting their second child, posting a snapshot of her bump plastered in white paint and simply captioning the photo “#2!,” tagging her husband.

Cardi continued to post pictures from the stunning pregnancy photoshoot, including one of their daughter Kulture putting her hand to her mom’s bump. “I just know these two will love each other soo much and argue soo much since they're 3 years apart...just like me and Henny,” she wrote, referring to her sister Hennesey Carolina. “But one thing for sure is they'll have each other’s back like no one else ever will.”

September 2021: Their First Son Arrives

On Sept. 6, 2021, Cardi announced that she and Offset had welcomed their second child, a son. Taking to Instagram, the star posted a photo of her and her husband gazing at their newborn in the hospital bed (wrapped in a Louis Vuitton blanket, of course), and confirmed his birthday by captioning the post “9/4/21.” The couple has yet to confirm their new addition’s name.

October 2021: Cardi Supports Offset In Paris

Just a month after giving birth, Cardi was already stunting again in the fashion world. On Oct. 3, Cardi attended the Balenciaga SS22 show during Paris Fashion Week to support Offset, who walked the star-studded runway. After the show, she posted a slideshow from their big night on Instagram, showing off her stunning print coat and wide-brimmed hat, and thanking designer Demna Gvasalia “So proud of my husband @offsetyrn who walked the show!” she wrote. “Thank you @demnagvasalia and the Balenciaga team for your hospitality! I had such an amazing experience!!”

A week later, Offset returned the favor with a gorgeous gift. On Oct. 14, Cardi posted a video of the custom Chrome Hearts stroller that he commissioned for their son, and needless to say, she couldn’t stop gushing. “Wow wow wow ommmmggggg this the best gift ever!!!!” she wrote. “Omggg this is sooo cuteeeeee !! Thank you hubby you are the best @offsetyrn! IM F*CKIN IN LOVE …Ugh I wanna cry !!!”

March 2022: Date Night

In between being nominated for Grammys, touring the world, and making millions, Cardi and Offset find the time to be just like regular people, only dressed in much more expensive clothing. The two enjoyed a date night, and for the occasion, they wore matching Burberry outfits, which Cardi shared on her Instagram.

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