Jeezy Thanks Kids Amid Divorce From Jeannie Mai: ‘Vulnerability Is Power’

Jay "Jeezy" Jenkins is grateful for his four children as he navigates his divorce from Jeannie Mai.

The Grammy Award nominee opened up about how his kids got him through his depression as he discussed his new book Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe on Monday's episode of Tamron Hall.

"Well, I learned that vulnerability is power. It’s power. And I learned that I thought something was wrong with me, thinking I come from poverty, this is just how it is," he explained. "I didn’t understand trauma and all these different things so when I started to get the words for it, I started to understand and grab tools, I started to become better. I started my journey and that’s why I’m expressing it and putting it in the book because I didn’t know I was depressed for like eight years of my life straight."

Jeezy continued, "You wake up and you just want to go back to sleep forever, you know? And I was leaning into my vices. And that’s what street life does to you. You know what I’m saying? When you lose 200, 300, 400 people like gone forever, you just, you get numb. And I wasn’t able to get in touch with my emotions and I was wondering why. Thank God for my kids but there was a time I was just cold. That’s when I was Young Jeezy."

He and Mai share 21-month-old daughter Monaco, and Jeezy also has three children from previous relationships.

Mai also praised Monaco as she opened up last week on Sherri, her first sit-down interview since the divorce filing.

"Monaco, that is my North Star," said Mai. "I can definitely tell you that I don't know if I would handle this the same way without her. Today, I'm able to look at her and say 'What would I advise you if you were in my shoes?' And it changes everything. So, I'm so thankful to be a mom, and I'm thankful to have her."

Jeezy filed for divorce last month, following two years of marriage to the Real co-host, writing that their marriage is "irretrievably broken."