Everybody BUT Lauryn Hill Has Something to Say About Rohan Marley’s Engagement
When news broke that Rohan Marley, son of reggae music icon Bob Marley, was engaged to Brazilian model Isabeli Fontana entertainment blogs, Twitter feeds, and Facebook posts brimmed with comments about how Lauryn Hill got played. The common line of thinking? She let that man impregnate her with five kids, only to watch him marry someone else.
While I don’t pretend to know or understand the inner-workings of Lauryn and Rohan’s roughly fifteen-year ordeal, the fact that so many have rushed to call Lauryn every negative name in the book simply because her ex chose to wife-up another woman with her own set of relationship baggage seems quite unfair.
Never mind that we have no clue about what actually happened in their relationship, but to automatically assume that Lauryn 1) wanted to get married to Rohan in the first place, or 2) isn’t already involved with another man is quite presumptuous.
But I get it. We like to throw stones. For many Lauryn Hill was an iconic figure who seemed to be on the cusp of greatness. Her music, her budding film career, her intelligence—it all seemed to go to waste when she began birthing babies instead of dropping albums.
Silly me. Here I thought motherhood was one of the most important roles a woman could have. But I guess that’s not really true when you have a few Grammys stuffed in your closet (and you wonder why Beyonce is making a quick beeline back to the stage).
Lost in all the talk about how sad and tragic and dumb Lauryn is to have missed out on such an obviously stellar catch as Rohan Marley is her sense of agency. L-Boogie has never been conventional. She dropped out of Columbia to pursue her career, she outshined the fellas in her crew, she fell in love with married men, and she had five kids with a man she’d been with for years without feeling the need to rush down the aisle.
While Lauryn Hill’s life in the public eye has been filled with ups and downs, learning that her ex and the father of her children has decided to get married in the Motherland is probably not causing her as much grief as many might think.
Motherhood is very important. That’s why I dont understand why she would have so many and not be married. And yes, while she does have money and can provider them, money does not take the place of a father, a husband, and a stable home.
Lauryn has stated multiple times (most recently in that interview before her set last year at Cochella) that she stepped back from her career to be a stay at home mom for her children; so unless you know something about Lauryn’s children being public enemies, criminals, delinquents, on the public dole, etc, then you’re in no position to be questioning her mothering skills just because she isn’t married. And how do you know Lauryn’s home wasn’t stable for the majority of the time she was with Rohan? For the past 10+ years, Rohan’s name has only been in the press as a footnote when he’s linked to women 10x more relevant than he is. So, again, you’re not in the know about his and Lauryn’s relationship or how good or bad of a father Rohan has been to their children.
Don’t automatically assume that just because a man’s in the house, it’s a stable home. A lot of abused women would beg to differ.
tell it, isolde and noitall!
glad to see youre still around, isolde. i havent had the brainpower to waste here anymore
I may not know the details of their relationships but having 5 children with a married man is just about all I need to know….and I really didn’t NEED to know that.
Esp. when she dropped that single “That thing (Doo Wop)”. It’s hard to engage in the message of that song when you know who she was involved with and the situation behind it.
Ladies and gentleman, this is all that needs to be said on this matter! Glad I’m not the only one who caught onto the hypocrisy of that song, it’s message and her situation.
+ 1
That’s the first thing that came to my mind. “Girl you know you better watch out…”
Why didn’t you Lauryn?
First, Rohan was not married during his relationship with Lauryn. He was divorced in July 1996. The divorce papers are posted on line.
http://avahtaylor.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/a-conversation-with-rohan-marley-pt-1/
Lauryn was having an affair with Wycliff. He was/is married.
He was not married when their relationship started. However, Lauryn was underage. So, what does that make him? Lauryn was only 19 or 20 when the Fugees ended. As the story goes their relationship started long before he was married and continued afterward (if we are going believe everything we read). Wyclef is close to 6 years older than Lauryn. If we want to discuss something, how about we discuss how grown men in the Black community routinely ruin the lifes of young Black girls. Why are these men not held accountable instead of holding these young “GIRLS” not yet women to life sentences?
The message here is loud n simple. Black women are good for only poppin babies but white girl get the big wedding #ok
+1
True. And now he’s taking this white woman to the motherland to be wed? SMH!
lol i was waiting for someone to say this!
@ko
It’s not because she is white that he is marrying her. If he could get away with having her pop out babies without a ring he probably would. Im sure she demanded more and got it. We can do the same Just many of us dont.
OR…maybe it just aint the ex’s business