LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Renowned singer Kelis has found herself in the spotlight due to the swirling romance rumors with the legendary actor Bill Murray, who is 29 years older than her. At the age of 43, the beloved 'Milkshake' singer is seeking solace in the presence of the iconic 'Ghostbusters' star, aged 72, following the death of her husband Mike Mora last year from stomach cancer, aged just 37.

However, before her marriage to Mora, Kelis was in an abusive relationship with her first husband rapper Nas (Nasir Jones). The couple's relationship was marred by "physical and mental abuse" which ultimately led Kelis to leave the rapper when she was seven months pregnant with their son Knight Jones. It was during this challenging time that Kelis drew her strength and inspiration from the highly publicized tumultuous romance between Rihanna and Chris Brown, which influenced her decision to leave Nas.

Kelis's troubled marriage to rapper Nas

Kelis crossed paths with the 'Illmatic' artist at the age of 22, while he was 28, and shortly after exchanged vows on January 8, 2005. However, after only five years of marriage, rumors of domestic violence started to emerge. "It was dark. It was really dark," she said. "There was a lot of drinking. There was a lot of physical and mental abuse. And it just got to the point where... God is so good, because being pregnant - I probably would have stayed longer had I not been pregnant. Because I really did love him and we were married. This was my person."

"Did he hit me? Mhmm. Did I hit him back? Mhmm," she said. "He would black out. He would drink too much. He drank way too much. He will never admit it... so a lot of the stuff he may not remember." She added, "I remember so clearly when the [Rihanna] pictures came out. Because I had bruises all over my body at that time. I wasn't ready to walk. I just wasn't. I'm not weak but I'm really private. I don't like people knowing my business. I felt like, 'this is my partner. I chose this. We're gonna do this, we're gonna make it work.'"

'I was stupid thinking I was built for this'

Rihanna and Chris Brown's relationship captured widespread attention and became one of the most talked-about romances of the 2000s. However, their world came crashing down when the public witnessed Rihanna's injuries and learned about the physical assault she endured from her former partner. Chris Brown admitted to being unfaithful with a coworker, which triggered Rihanna's reaction. The incident took place eight years ago, when the pair were in a Lamborghini, on the night before the Grammys. The image of Rihanna with a busted lip, a black eye, and bruises on her face spread rapidly across the internet.

Chris Brown was sentenced to five years of probation after the physical assault. But in 2012, the couple got back together and Rihanna thought that she could change the singer. Reflecting on the incident, the 'Diamonds' singer said in 2009, “You want the best for them, but if you remind them of their failures, or if you remind them of bad moments in their life, or even if you say I’m willing to put up with something, they think less of you – because they know you don’t deserve what they’re going to give. And if you put up with it, maybe you are agreeing that you [deserve] this, and that’s when I finally had to say, ‘Uh-oh, I was stupid thinking I was built for this.’ Sometimes you just have to walk away,” She concluded.