Vybz Kartel says he cried in his cell when he found out his long-time partner had been unfaithful while he was locked up. Then, by his own account, he forgave her on the spot.
The Worl’ Boss opened up about Tanesha “Shorty” Johnson during a sit-down on Drink Champs, the hip-hop podcast hosted by N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN. Kartel, born Adidja Palmer, didn’t dodge the subject. He treated it like a chapter he has already made peace with.
“I’ve been with her since before I got famous and rich,” he said. But I mean, like I said, you see, prison is dangerous.
Because you know when you go to prison, gets weird. And like I said, she held it for years. And then she couldn’t hold it anymore.”
What stands out is how much credit he still gives her. Shorty was a visible pillar of support through much of his 13 years behind bars, and Kartel made sure to say she kept his affairs running while he couldn’t. “I still respect her. Because I understand human beings. I’m sure she loved me. Because she rode with me,” he said.
He described the day-to-day reality of running his life from a prison phone. “Even when she was slacking, I could still jump on my phone in prison. Jordy, go to the bank. Jordy, make sure the lawyer gets that. Pay this bill give this person money and she was there right through,” he explained.
That’s the side of the story that complicates the easy headline. Publicly, Shorty stood by him for years, and the private picture was messier than anyone outside the relationship could see.
Kartel’s response to the betrayal surprised a lot of people who have followed his story. There was no anger, just a blunt look at the math of his situation. “But come on, I’m in prison for 30 years. What do you expect her to do? But I forgave her immediately because I understand. But I just had to move on,” he said.
He also couldn’t resist a jab when asked how he learned about it. “The other baby mum that told me, the snitch… kidding,” he quipped, which got the kind of laugh you’d expect on a show built around loose, late-night conversation.
The context matters here. Kartel was convicted in 2014 for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams and handed a sentence of 35 years before parole eligibility, later reduced on appeal.
In March 2024 the Privy Council in London quashed the conviction over juror misconduct, and Jamaica’s Court of Appeal declined to order a retrial, clearing the way for his release in summer 2024.
Since walking out, Kartel has rebuilt fast, both on stage and at home. He’s now engaged to Sidem Öztürk, a Turkish woman who stood by him after his release and helped him through his recovery and return to health.
So the man who once ran his whole world through a prison phone line is talking about heartbreak on American podcasts and planning a wedding.
Shorty hasn’t publicly responded to the interview yet, and given how much dancehall fans love a back-and-forth, that silence may not last long.
