How many baby mamas does Fat Joe have? All about his kids as rapper reveals his ex abandoned their son with down syndrome
Fat Joe, whose real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, made an appearance on the October 16, 2024, episode of Club Shay Shay podcast and stated how his ex-partner allegedly abandoned him and their son Joey as the latter was diagnosed with Down syndrome just after he was born. Fat Joe said:
"So, the doctor tells us, ‘I got bad news to tell you… he has Down syndrome and it’s gonna be a big challenge. And [my son’s] mother said, ‘Yo, I can’t do this, I’m going to have to give him up for adoption.’ My mother was like, ‘You crazy b*tch, I’m not giving up' And so, we raised him.”
He then recalled:
"I never seen his mother again is what I’m trying to tell you. She never visited him again. She abandoned the kid."
Fat Joe has three baby mamas, as he welcomed Joey with a woman when he was 19 years old. Later, his second son, Ryan, was born in the mid-90s when Joe was in another relationship. After that, he married Lorena in 1995, and the couple gave birth to a daughter, Azariah, in 2006.
“It was always available for her to see her son”- Fat Joe reveals that her former partner never came to visit their son, Joey
Fat Joe opened up about being a single father at the Club Shay Shay podcast, as he admitted that his partner at the time of his son’s birth allegedly decided to abandon the kid, as he was diagnosed with Down syndrome and autism.
However, he stated that while he took care of the son, the mother was always allowed to meet him, yet she never turned up. Fat Joe said:
"It wasn’t like I kept the door closed where she couldn’t see her son. It was always available for her to see her son. A father's got to be a father. I don't know how to be a fake father. I have to take care of my kids regardless and do everything I can for them. I don't know how to give up on my kids. I don't know how to not love my kids. That's impossible."
Furthermore, Fat Joe is extremely close to all of his three kids, as he keeps posting images with them on social media. In April 2024, he also shared a picture with his son, Joey, as he posted a message on account of World Autism Day. Sharing the father-son photo, Joe wrote for his eldest son:
“WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY Joey this one’s for you.”
Joe and Lorena have been married for almost 3 decades now, and the two parent all three kids, including the two kids born out of Joe’s previous relationships, together. The two share a great bond, as they also talked about it in the 2022 documentary, Origins of Hip Hop. The couple reflected on their wedding and said:
“We made an oath. We said, 'No matter what comes our way, we're gonna always be together.' We live by that rule. We want to show our people that you can be a family man. You can be with your wife and still be successful and show people a great example."
Furthermore, in the Club Shay Shay podcast interview, Fat Joe stated that he and his wife never gave up on Joey and called him their “biggest blessing.” He stated that he is an extremely happy kid who is very friendly and loving towards his brother and sister.
