On January 28th, Jermaine Cole celebrated his 39th birthday, surrounded by close friends and his beautiful family. Unlike some lyricists who keep their marriage and children in the spotlight for critics to pick apart, the North Carolina native has been notoriously private about his bride, Melissa Heholt. In fact, the longtime coupled planned to keep news of their wedding away from the public indefinitely, though director Ryan Coogler let it slip that vows had been exchanged during a 2016 interview. Even with the cat out of the bag, J. Cole has managed to keep people from prying too far into his personal life.
We still have a lot to learn about Heholt, her husband and their two sons, but what we were able to dig up suggests she’s a woman of great intelligence and compassion. Cole’s muse is largely off of social media, but there are countless throwback photos of the couple from their college days together in Queens, New York. Earlier on in their union they were plagued by gossip about the rapper’s alleged infidelity; Cole went on to address this in several songs, but outsiders have no idea how he and Heholt were able to navigate this tumultuous period. Read on to learn more about the mysterious wife of one of today’s biggest artists.
Who Is Melissa Heholt?
Unlike most of those who love the “No Role Modelz” hitmaker, Heholt knew Cole long before he amassed fame and fortune. They’ve been together since the 2000s, when he dropped his first mixtape after meeting at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. The mother of two began her studies as a business major, but eventually graduated with a degree in health administration. Before that, Heholt graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School. After, she earned a master’s degree in elementary education, where she worked for a few years before ultimately pivoting.
“Like many young teens, when I started college, I was unsure of the career path I wanted to follow,” the lowkey rap wifey told Karly With A Kay in a past interview. “As the oldest of 4 and always being around kids, my natural instinct was that of a nurturer and caretaker. So I thought, ‘why not be a teacher?'” Despite her best efforts, Heholt realized that teaching wasn’t her life’s calling, leading her to take an internship with a lifestyle and marketing agency. This proved to be where her strengths shone, as the organization offered Heholt a position with them after just two months. After taking time to learn the ropes, she eventually felt confident enough to step out on her own and launch Statice Events – a play on the word “status,” and a nod to the flower of the same name representing success.
“The main focus of Statice Events is to provide exceptional client service while creating memorable events with a unique flair,” Cole’s wife told Karly in 2013. “When I produce a successful event that my clients and their guests continuously reminisce about I know I have accomplished my goal for that event.” Though she had a seemingly successful run, Heholt seems to have closed down her business as of 2023. Instead, she’s focusing on her family and aiding her husband with his Dreamville Foundation, which they launched in 2011. The Cole matriarch acts as Executive Director, helping to “serve underserved youth by providing programs and resources through advocacy and partnerships, particularly in the rapper’s hometown of Fayetteville.”
How Did She Meet J. Cole?
It’s rare to see long-lasting connections thrive in the music industry, but the “a lot” collaborator proves that it’s possible with the right boundaries in tact. He and Heholt have become pros at this after decades together, and they thankfully had plenty of time to form a strong bond before his career took him out on the road with temptations and distractions. Cole was studying Communications at St. John’s when he met his future wife, and after they both finished their undergrad degrees, he proposed to her in 2010. They secretly tied the knot in 2015, but as we mentioned earlier, the Black Panther director accidentally broke the news in an interview the next year.
Cole Addresses Infidelity Rumors, References Melissa Heholt Throughout His Lyrics
At this point in their relationship, Melissa Heholt and Cole share two sons who remain out of the spotlight. “I’ve been blessed with two sons, learned the delicate art of balance between parenthood and career… I had been taking steps to change my life for the past couple years, and I felt ready,” he wrote in a 2020 personal essay published in The Players’ Tribune. It’s obvious from the way that the Dreamville founder talks about his family that he adores them, but still, he hasn’t totally been able to avoid rumors of infidelity.
The former event planner hasn’t given the world her take on the gossip, though a number of Cole’s songs hint at past unfaithfulness weighing heavily on his mind. “I’m feeling myself, I’m building my wealth up ’til it’s towerin’ / I put my tongue all in my b**ch, she get to hollerin’ / I ain’t doin’ no dirt no more, I stopped creepin’ six years ago / Fun f**kin’ them hoes until you realize that you is the hoe,” he reflects on 2021’s “hunger on hillside.” Before that, the aptly titled “Kevin’s Heart” on 2018’s KOD reflects similar themes in its lyrics.
Of course, not all references to love in his music are negative. The North Carolina-born entertainer has several heartwarming bars about his wife as well, such as “I had nowhere to go, she gave me a place to stay / She gave me her heart to hold / I still got that s**t to this day / She gave me the gift of my son / And plus we got one on the way / She gave me a family to love, for that, I can never repay” on “Sacrifices” from Revenge of the Dreamers III. The LP’s final song confirmed Cole and Heholt becoming parents for the second time, much to their excitement.
What Else Has KOD Rapper Said About Marriage?
Hip-hop heads would surely love to see J. Cole and his better half give an interview together to give us a better idea of their relationship dynamic. It’s unclear if they’ll ever be willing to let us in on their personal lives, but when the MC does let his guard down with the media, his love for Melissa Heholt is loud and clear.
“I’m a f**king successful rapper, who can literally at the drop of a hat go anywhere, do anything, have mad adventures. But there was no better decision I could have made than the discipline I put on myself of having responsibility, having another human being — my wife — that I have to answer to. Family can literally be the thing you always needed, bring balance and meaning and fuel your creativity, give you purpose,” he gushed to Rap-Up in 2018. When chatting with Angie Martinez that same year, Cole declared that his sole purpose in life is “to be a father and a husband.”