Kelis alleges domestic violence during marriage to Nas

Kelis has opened up about her marriage to Nas in a new interview with Hollywood Unlocked. The singer and chef alleged controlling behavior from her former husband, and claims she and Nas "would fight" throughout their marriage. At one point, Kelis says she was left with "bruises all over [her] body." The couple divorced in 2010, and are currently involved in a custody dispute.

Describing their relationship as "toxic," Kelis claimed Nas "drank too much," would get angry if she spoke to other men, and initiated violent contact against her. "I'm not afraid to throw a punch. But I wouldn't have started it. I'll participate in ending it." She also described her decision to not reveal her allegations since she and Nas divorced in 2010: "I didn't say anything because I wanted things to work," she said "And because I was delusional... I thought that I could love past this."

In 2009, Kelis says she thought about leaving Nas after details of Rihanna's abuse from Chris Brown came to light. "That day I remember being in Atlanta sitting in the kitchen and I wasn't ready to walk," she said. A major factor in her decision to not come forward was her being afraid about her the repercussions on her professional life: "I didn't want that to be my career," she said.

The interview represents the first time Kelis has spoken on the record about her relationship with Nas. Kelis says she was inspired to speak out by a lawsuit filed by Nas against her as part of an ongoing custody battle over their eight year old son Knight, who was born in July 2010.

Kelis claims that soon after Knight's birth, she returned to Los Angeles from culinary school in New York City to find a foreclosure notice on their shared home. Kelis said she had paid the down payment on the home while Nas agreed to handle the mortgage. Unbeknownst to her, Nas had allegedly not been paying the mortgage for months, and told Kelis "Go fuck yourself" when she called looking for more information.

Nas is scheduled to release a new album in June, produced by Kanye West.

Representatives for Kelis and Nas were not immediately available for comment.

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