After a chance meeting with Cameron around 1998, Lauron Lewis James, better known as Juelz Santana, has stayed busy making music with his Dipset crew and collaborating with other artists like Chris Brown and Lloyd Banks. While his career has been in the spotlight, his personal life wasn’t as well known until his girlfriend, Kimberly “Kimbella” Vanderhee, joined Season 2 of Love and Hip Hop: New York in 2011. Their relationship, full of ups and downs, has been in the headlines, especially with Kimbella’s recent decision to part ways with Juelz. Bye, ashy!
For many fans of the show, their split wasn’t surprising. Some people thought their relationship was on shaky ground from the start. But before we dive into today’s video, don’t forget to grab some snacks! Head over to rrg snacks.com and check out our selection of Western barbecue bacon jerky, blue raspberry licorice, and butter toffee peanuts. Trust me, those butter toffee peanuts are seriously addictive!
Back in 2002, Kimbella had a son named Leandro. Her relationship with Leandro’s dad didn’t last, but Kimbella was determined to make it on her own. She started modeling in 2003 and got a big break when she was featured in Smooth Magazine in 2009. This helped her network and make connections in the entertainment industry, including a brief romance with rapper Fabulous, though that didn’t last either.
Kimbella made her debut in the video vixen world and in 2009, she appeared in Juelz Santana’s music video for “Back to the Crib,” featuring Chris Brown. During this period, she and Juelz started dating, and together with her son and Juelz’s son, Lauron Jr., from a previous relationship, they settled into life in New York as a blended family. They didn’t waste any time expanding their family; by September 2010, Kimbella gave birth to their son, Juelz Santana James.
When “Love and Hip Hop: New York” first aired in March 2011, Juelz made a few appearances alongside his Dipset groupmate Jim Jones and Jim’s then-manager, Yandy Smith. That same year, producers were on the lookout for fresh faces, and Kimbella told Real Hip Hop Daily that she went through the interview process. The producers liked what they saw and brought her on as a full-time cast member.
In an interview with V Magazine, Kimbella admitted she was a bit anxious about exposing her relationship on reality TV. She said, “I’ve seen so many relationships fall apart because of these shows, so I wanted to make sure we were ready for this. We’ve only been together for two years, and I needed to be sure we could handle it.” Juelz Santana also voiced his initial hesitation to Vlad TV, noting that he was wary of the drama typically associated with reality TV. However, he eventually agreed to support Kimbella’s decision, as long as she used the platform to promote her other projects. At the time, Kimbella was transitioning from modeling to pursuing a career in singing and acting, while also working on her brand, Bella.
Kimbella made her entrance into the spotlight in Season 2 of the show, which kicked off in November 2011. During a chat with her fellow cast member Emily Bustamante, Kimbella dropped a bombshell: “I used to date Fab about three years ago, just so you know.” At the time, Kimbella had no clue that Fabulous was actually with Emily. Things quickly went south. Emily wasn’t exactly shocked by the cheating rumors; she had always suspected that Kimbella was just another one of Fab’s side chicks. The drama was intense.
After airing her grievances, Emily felt a bit lighter about moving on from Fab and seemed open to keeping things friendly with Kimbella. But things took a turn when Emily’s friend, Chrissy Lampkin (Jim Jones’s long-time fiancée), stepped in. Chrissy wasn’t having any of it and ended up sucker-punching Kimbella, leading to a wild scuffle where Kimbella’s weave got yanked out.
Honestly, Chrissy really had no business getting mixed up in someone else’s relationship drama. She should have focused on sorting out her own issues with Jim Jones rather than taking swings at Kimbella. Emily also confronted Fabulous about the rumors, and while he dodged a full admission, he did confess to some level of sexual contact with Kimbella. It was a classic case of denial—he was clearly involved.
After all this went down, the media was buzzing for more details from Kimbella about her past with Fabulous. But Kimbella told Global Grind, “I don’t want to go into details about Fab. I’m really happy in my current relationship and don’t want to give him any more attention.” Despite her attempt to downplay it, her comments seemed a bit contradictory, which only fueled more curiosity.
As the cameras kept rolling, Kimbella didn’t hold back about her concerns regarding Juelz’s loyalty. During a chat with Cherry on Top, she was asked if cheating would be a dealbreaker for her. Her response was clear: “If my man can’t muster up the strength and respect to be honest with me, and I have to hear about it from someone else, then yes, I’d move on.” Kimbella’s point was that while Juelz might be respectful, the reality is that many men won’t admit to cheating unless they’re caught. They’re not likely to come clean on their own.
When asked if she’d wait seven years for a proposal like Chrissy did with Jim, Kimbella didn’t mince words. She said, “There shouldn’t be anything holding a man back from proposing if you’ve been together for at least three years.” She’s not having any of it—she even thinks two years should be enough to figure out if he’s serious. If he doesn’t propose by then, she suggests simply cutting him off. No more answering calls or texts—just ghost him.
By the time Season 2 wrapped up in February 2012, Kimbella told Vibe magazine that her relationship with Juelz had only gotten stronger. She was hopeful about their future, and they welcomed their daughter, Bella Monroe James, in July 2012. By Season 3, Kimbella was no longer a full-time cast member, but the drama didn’t stop. Media Takeout reported that Juelz was allegedly cheating on Kimbella with a video vixen named Lissa Honey. Lissa denied the affair, saying they were just friends, and claimed Kimbella had started talking negatively about her.
Instead of focusing on Lissa, Kimbella might want to direct her energy towards Juelz. After all, she praised him for being respectful and kind.
Then, in January 2013, things took a darker turn. News broke that a neighbor had seen Juelz hitting Kimbella outside their home in Englewood, New Jersey. The neighbor called the police and reported that Juelz had threatened him afterward, leading the neighbor to move away to avoid further trouble. The situation seemed to escalate quickly, reflecting a dramatic and unsettling response to a serious issue.
Juelz Santana ended up facing two years of probation. Around the same time, there were rumors that he and Kimbella were about to be kicked out of their New Jersey home. Lissa Honey added her own twist to the drama by tweeting a photo of herself with Juelz, saying, “This is what I did last night before going home to my nice big house. You’re at Kimbella’s world.” Talk about stirring the pot.
Things took a turn for the worse in March 2018 when weapons and substances were discovered in Juelz’s luggage at a New Jersey airport. Instead of sticking around, he took off in a cab and didn’t turn himself in until three days later. He was arrested and released on a hefty $500,000 bail, but he was sent back to live with his mother. Yeah, his mom. Not exactly a good look for someone who’s breaking the law and then running back home for safety.
The judge put Juelz under house arrest at his mom’s place, meaning he couldn’t go back to the home he shared with Kimbella and their kids. They took his passport, and he had to wear an ankle monitor around the clock until his federal trial. A few months later, he asked the court to let him move back to his home with Kimbella and to travel outside New Jersey for performances since his music career was his only income. He argued that he needed to support not just himself and Kimbella, but their children and other family members too. The judge granted his request.
In September 2018, Juelz pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and carrying a firearm on an airplane. He was sentenced to 27 months in prison. On a December 2018 episode of Love & Hip Hop: New York, Kimbella blamed the justice system for Juelz’s troubles, claiming he was innocent and that the whole ordeal was just an attempt to tear Black families apart.
In November 2018, Kimella returned as a full-time cast member on Season 9 of Love and Hip Hop. After being together for nine years, Joel proposed to her during one of his concerts. Nine years is quite a long time, and some might say it was a red flag. To top it off, after putting the ring on Kimella’s finger, Joel’s Dipset groupmate, Jim Jones, had to point out that he had put the ring on the wrong hand. It was a classic mix-up that left everyone chuckling.
Joel was excited about their future, but he also made sure Kimella was pregnant with their third child before he started his prison sentence. At the time of their engagement, Kimella was already expecting. While Kimella was thrilled to be engaged, some fans wondered if Joel was trying to secure his relationship before heading to prison. They got married in January 2019 after ten years of dating. In March 2019, Joel began serving his 27-month sentence. Kimella regularly visited him with their kids at the federal facility in Virginia.
“Joel Santana married Kimella, got her pregnant, and then went to prison. It’s kind of hilarious, right? Kimella gave birth to their third child, Santana James, in July 2019. They seemed to be running out of names—didn’t their first child have a name that was part of his middle name? The arrival of their baby was a bittersweet moment for Joel, as he missed the birth. Meanwhile, their rented house went into foreclosure because, despite paying the rent, the landlord wasn’t covering the mortgage, forcing Kimella and the kids to move.”
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit prison facilities hard, drawing attention to the lack of protective measures for inmates. Joel and others petitioned for early release, and Joel’s request was granted. He was released in August 2020 after serving 18 months of his 27-month sentence.
Let’s rewind to June 2022. During an interview on Drink Champs, Joel made a significant statement: “Shout out to my wife. I haven’t cheated in over five years. I’m talking about my wife and me. Sure, I was a different person when we first got together. I had to get everything out of my system, but she got me to that point. I realized I didn’t want to lose her. She’s been there for me through everything.”
Joel admitted to being unfaithful while they were dating and starting their family. However, he insisted that since getting married, he had remained faithful.
Then, in December 2022, right before their four-year anniversary, Kimella took to Instagram to post a bikini photo with a caption announcing that she was single. She later used her Instagram story to explain what went wrong. According to Kimella, they had been arguing nonstop, and she had been pleading with Joel to change so they could fix their relationship. She shared the pain of feeling like she was the problem, watching him mess up again despite his promises, and the loneliness from his constant lies. Kimella talked about the difficulty of accepting that it was time to move on, even though she still loved him, and the challenge of healing after everything she went through.
It’s a complicated and messy situation. So, is Joel unfaithful again? It certainly seems like there’s a lot more to this story. Relationships can be tough and often far from straightforward.
After dating for 10 years and having three kids, Kimella and Joel got married, but things fell apart in less than four years. It’s unfortunate, though not entirely surprising, and we wish the best for Kimella, Joel, and their family.
Spending a decade together, raising a family, and then seeing the marriage end so quickly is really tough. It’s a reminder that when a woman decides she’s done, she’s truly done. The situation is pretty clear: you gave everything for 10 years—three children included—and when it came to marriage, it seems he wasn’t ready for the full commitment. It’s like enjoying the milk for years, then deciding the cow isn’t worth the trouble and looking for milk elsewhere.