Who were Kanye West’s parents and when did they divorce? All about Ray and Donda West as singer alleges mom was lesbian

Washington Wizards v Los Angeles Lakers - Source: Getty
Rapper Kanye West and girlfriend Chaney Jones attend a game between the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Lakers in the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena on March 11, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Image Source: Getty)

Donda West, who was an educator and the mother of Kanye West, has been named dropped in a tweet by the rapper. West, whose parents Ray and Donda West, divorced in 1980, has become more infamous for his tweets in recent years.

In his tweet, posted on Sunday, the Runaway singer tweeted about his mother, alleging she was a lesbian. In his tweet, he reflected on an incident from his childhood, writing that while he was in his room, his mother, who was in her room, was allegedly involved with the babysitter. In the tweet, Kanye (@Ye on X), as the singer is now known, wrote:

"You know that day when you her noises coming from your moms room and you and you find out she’s a lesbian and you’re like. Mom that’s my babysitter. You’re sleeping with the employees. See, I got it from you mom."

More about Donda West and her husband, as Kanye West makes new claims about his mother

Donda West was born Donda Clairann West on July 12, 1949, in Oklahoma. She attended Douglass High School and later went on to study at the Virginia Union University, eventually earning her Doctoral degree from Auburn University. She was a professor of Literature at Chicago State University and served as the head of the department until 2004, when she stepped down to help manage her son's careers, according to Oklahoma Gazette.

In a 2004 interview with MTV, the singer expressed his close relationship with his mother and the impact Donda West had on his career. He said:

"I adore her. I could not imagine having a better friend than her. My mother supported me and drove me to the studio so I could work on music."

Kanye West's father, Ray West, on the other hand, was born on August 28, 1949, and was one of the first photojournalists to be hired by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Before this, he was a member of the Black Panther, as per the reports.

It was not known how exactly Ray and Donda West met, but according to reports, the couple married in 1973 and welcomed their only child, Kanye West, in 1977. The couple divorced in 1980 after seven years of marriage.

After their divorce, Donda West got primary custody of the young Kanye West. The two moved to Chicago, where she taught at the University. Due to growing up in different cities, Kanye was not as close to his father as he was to his mother, Donda West while growing up.

Although the exact details of the marriage are not known, Ray West was also married to Cheryl Charmichael West, but the two have since divorced. In a 2019 interview with W Magazine, the Can't Tell Me Nothing singer, whose father was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018, said:

“It took me 42 years to realize that my dad was my best friend."

Kanye West and his father, Ray West became closer, after the death of Donda West in 2007, who passed away from the complications of a plastic surgery procedure.

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Edited by Amey Mirashi