Jay-Z cried tears of happiness when his mother came out to him
Another teaser clip from the forthcoming episode of "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman" shows Jay-Z talking about the first time his mother, Gloria Carter, told him that she is gay.
According to the rapper, he had been aware of his mother's sexuality for some time, but she didn't discuss it with him until last year.
The conversation, he added, was an emotional one.
"Imagine having to live your life for someone else. And you think you're protecting your kids. And for my mother to have to live as someone that she wasn't and hide and, like, protect her kids -- and didn't want to embarrass her kids... y'know, for all this time," he explained. "And for her to sit in front of me and tell me 'I think I love someone.' I mean, I really cried. That's a real story. I cried 'cause I was so happy for her that she was free."
Jay-Z, whose given name is Shawn Carter, first addressed his mother's coming out in his song "Smile" from his 2017 album, "4:44." While speaking with Letterman, he added that he was touched when she told him about her feelings for her partner.
"This was the first time we had the conversation, and the first time I heard her say she loved her partner. Like, 'I feel like I love somebody,'" he recalled. "She said, 'I feel like.' She held that little bit back, still. She didn't say 'I'm in love'....she said 'I feel like I love someone.' And I just cried."
"I don't even believe in crying 'cause you happy," he continued. "I don't even know what that is. What is that?"
"My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman" is a talk show hosted by Letterman that features interviews with celebrities and other influential figures. Jay-Z's episode premieres globally Friday, April 6 on Netflix.
