In 2016, Memphis rapper Demario Dwayne White Jr., better known as Moneybagg Yo, released his mixtape All Gas No Brakes, which quickly grabbed the attention of fellow Memphis artist Yo Gotti. Gotti, recognizing his potential, signed Moneybagg to his CMG label. Since then, Moneybagg Yo has found major success in the rap game with hits like “Me Versus Me,” “Time Today,” and “Wockesha.”
In an interview with Shade 45, Moneybagg opened up about his early life, revealing that by the time he dropped out of high school during his senior year, he already had two or three children. By the age of 27, he was the father of eight kids with five different women. His eighth child was born in May 2019, and just two months later, Megan Thee Stallion confirmed they were in a relationship.
Though the two collaborated on some music, their relationship fizzled out by the summer of 2019. With Megan out of the picture, Moneybagg soon found himself eyeing someone new. While shopping, he spotted Ari Fletcher, who had recently broken up with her ex, rapper G Herbo.
For those who might not remember, Ari and G Herbo had a son in 2018, but their relationship ended badly, with G Herbo facing cheating accusations and an arrest for domestic assault in April 2019.
During a joint interview with Paper Magazine, Moneybagg recalled his first encounter with Ari. He saw her at the mall but felt it wasn’t the right moment to approach her. Instead, he reached out to mutual friends and said, “There’s a big party in Atlanta—make sure she’s there.” Ari showed up at the October 2019 event, and when Moneybagg arrived, he headed straight for her. And that’s where it all began.
And they lived happily ever after.
Just kidding, bestie—you’re messy as hell!
So, during an episode of her cooking show, Moneybagg Yo casually mentioned that Ari didn’t let him “dive deep into her fish taco” until Thanksgiving 2019. He went on to confirm their relationship publicly in January 2020 during an interview with HOT 97, but also said he wanted to keep things private.
He added, “Hopefully, this situation can just go with the flow.”
But, of course, things didn’t go as smoothly as he hoped. Just a month after going public, they were at the Super Bowl in Miami when an altercation went down. The internet lit up with rumors that Ari hit Moneybagg, and he responded by snatching her wig off.
This ninja.
Later, during another episode of her cooking show, they addressed the drama:
Moneybagg: “So, you snatched my wig off?”
Ari: “No, I wouldn’t do nothing like that.”
Moneybagg: “You just did.”
Ari: “A wig come off?”
Moneybagg: “Yeah. I think it was something you did.”
Ari: “I took the wig off, yeah, okay.”
From there, they didn’t shy away from showing each other love, showering each other with extravagant gifts. For Ari’s 25th birthday in July 2020, Moneybagg surprised her with a Lambo SUV. Ari shared a video of it on Instagram with the caption: “Big energy. Rich behavior. I love you so much. Thank you, Daddy!”
“Daddy.”
Most people online were impressed with the Lambo gift, but one of Moneybagg’s baby mamas, Kennedy Lynette (aka China Santana), wasn’t too happy about it. She took to social media to vent her frustration in a video posted by The Shade Room:
China: “Damn right I feel some type of way about a Lambo. You whole ninjas. Yeah, I ain’t scared to say I feel some type of way. Yeah, I do. I’m a woman. I’m human. Now, who gonna stop me from saying what I wanna say?”
Moneybagg and Ari weren’t letting any negativity ruin their vibe. Two months after the Lambo, Ari surprised Moneybagg with a Maybach for his 29th birthday.
China (sarcastically): “Oh, they got money, huh? Fashion Nova paying her that much? Oh, okay.”
During a joint interview with Paper Magazine, Moneybagg told Ari, “I never experienced real love until I actually got with you.”
Now, some people online had a hard time buying that. They questioned whether a man with multiple children from different women could really say he’d never experienced “real love.” Many felt that his comment was a bit telling of his character, especially since, despite having kids with five different women, he still hadn’t seemed to find a true emotional connection with any of them.
Things wouldn’t stay perfect for long. By January 2021, they broke up and unfollowed each other on Instagram. But by the time Moneybagg’s 30th birthday rolled around in September 2021, they were back together, stronger than ever.
For his milestone birthday, Ari gifted him 28.8 acres of land in Memphis, sharing it on Instagram with the caption: “What do you buy someone who has it all? The gift that keeps on giving. I’ve bought you a lifetime of income. Literally, generational wealth.”
Especially considering Ari had been a victim of domestic violence in her previous relationship with G Herbo. Some domestic violence survivors tried to explain to her why her words about not caring about other people’s trauma were hurtful, but Ari wasn’t hearing it.
Ari: “Y’all are in the comments like, ‘Oh, when I was in a relationship, this boy did this…’ Nobody cares! Nobody cares! Nobody, nobody cares about what happened to you, what trauma you had. Nobody cares. This is you trying to victimize yourself. Please, like please, stop.
You’re in the comments telling your stories about… nobody cares. We do not care. We don’t care. We don’t care at all. Like, we don’t care. We don’t care. We don’t.”
After that, Rihanna—who also experienced domestic violence in her relationship with Chris Brown—dropped Ari from her Savage X Fenty ambassador role. Ari later revealed that the deal had been worth $150,000.
Ari (mocking): “Bye, ashy! Beat it!”
Fast forward to April 2022. China Santana, one of Moneybagg’s baby mamas, tragically passed away during a domestic incident. Moneybagg shared that he was devastated when he got the news. After her passing, he gained full custody of their three children.
Months later, in August 2022, Ari shared a post on social media that read:
“Happy, paid, and single. Ready for everything new!”
After their breakup, XXL Magazine reported that Ari still owed nearly $160,000 on the Lamborghini SUV Moneybagg had gifted her. The finance company had already taken steps to repossess the vehicle.
Wait a minute—he gave her a car, put it in her name, and it wasn’t even paid off? Come on now, Black Jesus, what’s going on here?
If she hadn’t lost that Fenty deal, maybe that could’ve been the $150,000 needed to pay it off.
And knowing Ari, she probably went ahead and paid off that land she gifted him, handed over the deed, and called it a day.
But, guess what? They got back together. Moneybagg even posted a picture of Ari with a baby bump.
Hello, 911? Someone please book this guy for a vasectomy. Thank you.
A couple of weeks later, during an episode of her cooking show, Ari confirmed that she was pregnant with Moneybagg’s ninth child. Unfortunately, she suffered a miscarriage.
“Yeah, I was pregnant, and I had a miscarriage. I think God just said, ‘Not right now.’ He said, ‘Not right now.’”
Later that same month, she appeared on Angela Yee’s Lip Service podcast, revealing she was considering adding a third person to their relationship to “spice things up.”
In other words, you’re about to ruin the whole thing. You clearly don’t watch this channel!
She mentioned exploring her attraction to women while still staying faithful to Moneybagg.
Here’s the thing: You might stay loyal, but Moneybagg? He’ll most likely wander. Trust me—when a third person enters the equation, things usually go sideways.
Fans online started speculating that her desire to add a third person was a way to stop Moneybagg from cheating. And we’ve seen it before—bringing in someone else never ends well, especially in these celebrity relationships.
By February 2023, Moneybagg started talking about having more kids “when the time is right.” But by June 2023, he admitted to cheating on Ari.
“I’d never really been in a serious relationship before,” he explained. “Talking to her all night, checking in… yeah, I made some mistakes. I owned up to it. She didn’t take it well, and things got crazy.”
Moneybagg took full responsibility, saying, “I just kept it real with her. I made mistakes. I’m sorry. I handled it, though.”
Ari, somehow, forgave him after he went to therapy, got her name tattooed on him, and bought her a car.
But hold on—did he pay it off this time? And let’s talk about that tattoo… the kiss of death for any relationship, right? This doesn’t feel like it’s going to last.
Fast forward to March 2024. Ari and Moneybagg teased the release of his music video for “Buson” by doing the social media ceiling challenge. When the video dropped, Ari was front and center, showing off her curves. However, it seemed like their relationship was over again when Ari tweeted about the song and video.
Two months later, she started beefing with one of Moneybagg’s baby mamas, Juicy Baby. It all kicked off when Ari wore a shirt that said:
“His ex is my biggest fan.”
Juicy Baby fired back with a shirt reading:
“Tell your boyfriend to stop calling me.”
The drama continued with Ari accusing Juicy Baby of stalking her for years. Juicy Baby responded, saying Moneybagg was still obsessed with her.
Ari clapped back, saying, “You live in an Airbnb. We call you the cafeteria lady. You were a prostitute that got pregnant by him. Nobody’s hyped about him but you. Drop some receipts or leave it on the playground!”
Not a prostitute! This guy is out here making babies with anything that moves.
Then, in June 2024, more drama unfolded when Moneybagg released his song “Whiskey Whiskey” featuring Morgan Wallen. In the lyrics, he said:
“So addicted, ain’t nothing we can do about it. Country mother—I say what’s up, she say howdy. Call you my little cowgirl, how you ride it like a stallion.”
Fans immediately jumped to conclusions, thinking Moneybagg was referencing his ex, Megan Thee Stallion, and wondering if he was cheating on Ari with her.
Then, in August 2024, Moneybagg took to Twitter to warn other men:
“I see you in that DM. Go find you something safe to do. This ain’t it.”
By October 2024, the couple had unfollowed each other on social media, sparking rumors of yet another breakup.
For anyone who’s been following this drama, it’s no surprise. Their relationship has been a rollercoaster of twists, turns, and toxic drama from the start.
Do you think we’re on point with these red flags, or are we just overthinking it? Let us know what you think in the comments.