Think about scrolling by Instagram and studying your ex is relationship the largest pop star on this planet.
Effectively, that is precisely what occurred to Reagan Rice, a 27-year-old advertising and marketing director who was shocked to seek out out her former boyfriend of two-and-a-half years is now romantically concerned with Madonna after the brand new couple “hard launched” their romance on July 5.
“It is such a bizarre factor,” Rice, 27, tells PEOPLE completely about seeing her ex, Akeem Morris, transfer on so publicly with the Queen of Pop lower than a 12 months after their September 2023 breakup. “I discovered with the remainder of the world once they went public on social media.”
The preliminary shock was particularly jarring for Rice, a self-described “common lady” who first met Morris, 28, in March 2021 after a coincidental run-in on the streets of Las Vegas throughout their respective holidays. She was in school on the time in Utah and he was already graduated dwelling in New York.
After instantly hitting it off and exchanging numbers that night time, the 2 returned residence and determined two months later to aim a long-distance relationship, taking turns visiting one another over the subsequent practically three years.
In the summertime of 2022, Rice claims that Morris — a former New York-based soccer participant — started working for Madonna part-time as what she describes as a caretaker for one in all her youngsters. The singer is mom to six kids: Lourdes, 27, Rocco, 24, David, 19, Mercy, 18, and twins Stella and Estere, 12.
That August, Madonna was tapped as Paper Magazine‘s cover star and Morris was featured in just a few of the photographs from the shoot alongside her.
The high-profile photoshoot marked a turning level in Rice’s relationship with Morris, and the pair briefly break up earlier than rekindling their relationship in December 2022 after a visit to his native Jamaica along with his household.
“I’ve seen the place he got here from,” Rice says, referencing his “very humble beginnings in a extremely poor half” of Jamaica. “And clearly, now he will Portofino, Italy, dwelling in an property, doing all this stuff dressed head-to-toe in designer, which is nice for him. Unimaginable. So cool for him.”
After giving their relationship one other go, Rice and Morris formally broke up for good in September 2023.
“We’re hitting our one 12 months [since our breakup]. I held out hope for a protracted, very long time,” she says, “however it wasn’t till seeing the proof and the image of them on the 4th of July… that was the ultimate nail within the coffin.”
“I am now lastly in a position to put it behind me and admire the connection for what it was,” Rice continues. “I do not assume he is a nasty individual. I do have a lot love for him. He was an excellent companion to me for the time we have been collectively, so no ailing will in direction of him in any respect.”
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Nonetheless, whereas Rice says she’s now “prepared to maneuver ahead,” mending a damaged coronary heart will be sophisticated when your ex is making headlines along with his pop sensation girlfriend on a near-daily foundation.
Over the previous couple of months, Morris and Madonna have been jet-setting world wide, celebrating Madonna’s lavish 66th birthday in Italy and stepping out collectively during New York Fashion Week.
“I undoubtedly cannot keep away from it. It is simply loopy,” Rice says of the nonstop media publicity of the pair. “It is insane. I nonetheless cannot wrap my mind round it. It is nonetheless so surprising. It makes me snicker at this level. I am previous the purpose of crying about it, which is a superb feeling.”
Fortuitously for Rice, she’s had “such nice assist” in her nook. “My family and friends make me snicker about it, ship memes,” she says.
She’s additionally turned to TikTok as a platform to share her emotions about dealing with the distinctive state of affairs.
As for whether or not she’s had contact with Morris since his high-profile romance started? “He blocked me. I blocked him,” Rice says. “We have not spoken. I’ve heard from his interior circle. I simply haven’t heard from him.”
Whereas it is near-impossible to keep away from seeing media protection of her ex’s new relationship, Rice says she tries to compartmentalize.
“I undoubtedly do not evaluate myself to her,” she says. “I can not think about she and I’ve one factor in widespread in addition to him.”
So what precisely does Rice assume is Morris’ draw? “He is sizzling. He’s very enticing for positive and he is a superb conversationalist,” she says. “He’s clever. He is nice to converse with. He is humorous and he has the traits and charisma, I assume, to suit into that life-style… to mildew into that life-style.”
She continues, “I do not assume it is made for everyone. I do not assume all people could possibly be in such a high-stress surroundings on a regular basis. He is tremendous adaptable… I feel that there is a number of issues about him which are very magnetic. He is probably the most traveled individual I had ever met in my life.”
Rice additionally believes her ex would embrace Madonna’s function as a mother. “He undoubtedly needed youngsters,” she says. “He was the one within the relationship who actually, actually needed to start out a household.”
Whereas it is taken Rice time to course of an unimaginable state of affairs, she’s finally studying to “admire” her previous romance — and it is helped her come to a conclusion about Morris and Madonna.
Says Rice merely: “He simply matches the invoice completely for her.”