"I forgave her immediately" — Vybz Kartel says he still respects his wife despite her cheating on him while he was serving 13 years in prison

International dancehall star Vybz Kartel recently reaffirmed his respect and love for his wife despite revelations of her alleged infidelity during his 13-year prison sentence.

On February 25, 2025, a clip from episode 443 of the Drink Champs podcast circulated on X, featuring Kartel candidly discussing his wife, Tanesha "Shorty" Johnson's infidelity.

Despite the revelation, the artist expressed his continued respect for her, acknowledging her humanity and further stating that he "forgave" her immediately after knowing.

"But I still respect her because I understand [she is a] human being... I forgave her immediately because I understand, but I just had to move on," Kartel said.

This statement comes after the Jamaican artist was released from prison in August 2024. He had been incarcerated following charges for two alleged murders, one of which resulted in a conviction and subsequent imprisonment.

---

Vybz Kartel shares his thoughts on his wife's infidelity

On the February 23 episode of the Drink Champs podcast, Vybz Kartel reflected on the challenges of incarceration and addressed his wife Shorty's alleged infidelity. He suggested that she remained faithful for a long time but ultimately could not continue, expressing his understanding of her situation.

"I have been with her since before I got famous and rich, but like I said, you see, prison is dangerous because when you go to prison, sh*t gets weird. And like I said, she held it for years, and then she couldn't hold it anymore," Kartel said.

Moreover, the Jamaican artist emphasized that his wife, Shorty, remained by his side despite everything that transpired. He mentioned that while in prison, he could make calls to her, and she followed his directions outside. Kartel suggested that she remained supportive throughout his incarceration.

"She was there right through, but come on, I am in prison for f**king 13 years; what do you expect her to do? Like, save the p**sy?" Kartel added.

In addition, when asked how he found out about his wife's infidelity, Vybz Kartel initially laughed before revealing that another woman, with whom he shares a child, informed him. However, he chose not to disclose her identity.

"Big up, Shorty, my love. She made me cry. I was in prison [crying], the other prisoners were like, why worry about us... The other baby mum that told me, the snitch, she told me," Kartel revealed.

There is no documented record of when Vybz Kartel and Shorty got married or whether they are still together. However, the two have frequently shared pictures and videos of each other on social media.

Additionally, Shorty has not addressed the allegations of infidelity, nor has Kartel revealed the identity of the person she was allegedly involved with.

Vybz Kartel was first arrested on September 29, 2011, for alleged possession of an illicit drug, and the Jamaican Major Investigation Taskforce also charged him with the alleged murder of Jamaican businessman Barrington Burton.

In March 2012, he was granted bail in this case, with a bond of JMD 3,000,000. Further, in July 2012, he was found not guilty of Burton's murder. However, he remained in custody on charges related to the alleged murder of Clive Williams in 2011 at his home in Havendale, Kingston, as per Tuko in September 2024.

Kartel's trial officially began on November 18, 2013, and on March 13, 2014, he was found guilty of the murder of Clive "Lizard" Williams. Meanwhile, Kartel consistently maintained his innocence.

He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 35 years, which was later reduced to 32 and a half years on appeal.

---

According to BBC in August 2024, Kartel was released, reportedly being in poor health, and the court ruled that he should not face a retrial for the murder case.