Cardi B on Why She Gave Offset a Second Chance After He Cheated: ‘I Believe in Forgiveness’

Cardi B believes in second chances and is not afraid to stick up for her man.

The “I Like It” rapper, 27, opened up in Vogue‘s January 2020 cover story about her decision to forgive and reconcile with husband Offset following his infidelity last year.

“Everybody has issues,” said Cardi, who posed on the cover with 17-month-old daughter Kulture Kiari. “I believe in forgiveness. I prayed on it. Me and my husband, we prayed on it. We had priests come to us. And we just came to an understanding like, bro, it’s really us against the world.”

“He has my back for everything, I have his back for everything, so when you cheat, you’re betraying the person that has your back the most,” she continued. “Why would you do that? We have come to a clear understanding. For me, monogamy is the only way. I’ll beat your ass if you cheat on me.”

The Grammy winner also spoke about the criticism she faced when choosing to take her husband back.

“When me and my husband got into our issues—you know, he cheated and everything—and I decided to stay with him and work together with him, a lot of people were so mad at me; a lot of women felt disappointed in me,” she said. “But it’s real-life s—. If you love somebody and you stop being with them, and you’re depressed and social media is telling you not to talk to that person because he cheated, you’re not really happy on the inside until you have the conversation. Then, if you get back with them, it’s like, how could you? You let all of us down.”

She continued, “People that be in marriages for years, when they say till death do us part, they not talking about little arguments like if you leave the fridge open. That’s including everything. When I was pregnant with Kulture, a lot of people was like, oh, he has three kids already; why would you have a kid with somebody that have three kids? And it’s like, how is that such a bad thing? My dad has eight kids, and we all get along, and it feels better, fuller. And with Offset, I feel like his kids just bring a pop of fun to life when they’re in his house. I actually love it. It brings out a different side of him that I like to see, and I love to see my baby interacting with her siblings. The more the merrier.”

Cardi added that being a mother gives her a new perspective.

“Being a mom—how can I say it? Things are a little bit harder to balance, but it’s good for the mental,” she told the magazine. “Like, if I’m playing with my daughter, I forget about the issues.”

Last week, Cardi similarly defended her husband when his Instagram account was hacked.

In an Instagram video she posted, Cardi sat beside Offset, 27, and confirmed to her followers that his Instagram account had been hacked before standing up for the “Clout” rapper.

“Babe, I know you done some dumb s—, everybody know he’s done some dumb s—, but c’mon, n—s ain’t dumb, n—s ain’t crazy,” she said, referencing Offset’s infidelity.

“We’ve been so good, we had a sweet weekend, life has been good,” Cardi went on. “That’s why I ain’t getting no rowdy. Simple as that. Okay, love you guys.”

The videos came shortly after Offset was accused of flirting with rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine‘s girlfriend, Jade.

Posting a video to her own Instagram account, Jade recorded herself opening her direct messages on her phone to find a DM from Offset’s verified account. The flirty message, sent at 1:36 a.m., read “Miss u fr [for real]”.

In the caption of her post, Jade slammed Offset, called out Cardi and even used the rapper’s line from her 2019 single “Backin’ It Up” with Pardison Fontaine to get her point across.

“Your wife @iamcardib has a OPEN CRIMINAL CASE , why are you writing me you don’t respect her ??????? Theirs a lot of s— I haven’t exposed yet , but there’s a time for that 😭😭😭🌈 I’m the QUEEN 👑 of talking s— now I’m backing it up 🎼😂🤡,” she wrote beside the video.

While Cardi and Offset are in a better place these days, their marriage weathered quite the storm this past year.

The couple tied the knot in September 2017 and by December 2018, Cardi announced on Instagram that she and Offset had split following rumors of his infidelity.

Offset pleaded for his wife to come back, offering a lengthy apology on Instagram a week after Cardi announced their split. In the note, he also addressed his recent behavior.

“I want to apologize to you Cardi. I embarrassed you. I made you go crazy,” he said. “I was partaking in activity that I shouldn’t have been partaking in, and I apologize. You know what I’m saying? For breaking your heart, for breaking our promise, for breaking God’s promise and being a selfish, messed up husband.”

The two eventually reconciled a few months later in February. Speaking to PEOPLE shortly after, Cardi said her decision to get back with Offset was “a personal thing.”

“It’s just like — to make things perfect … it takes time. You know, f— and hanging out doesn’t mean that you guys are on like a perfect note, it takes time. It takes time. And it’s a marriage, and there’s a child involved and family involved.”

That same month, the pair made their reunion official at the 2019 Grammys with a lick, not a kiss. The couple touched tongues again at the Billboard Music Awards in May.