Lenard McKelvey, a.k.a. Charlamagne Tha God, appeared on the April 7, 2025, episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast. During this candid interview, The Breakfast Club host opened up about his past mistakes, his transformation, and how being a father to daughters has shaped his journey.
Charlamagne Tha God, known for his unfiltered commentary and raw honesty on air, credited his daughter for his self-improvement. When host Mel Robbins asked, “How has having daughters changed you?” the 46-year-old responded without hesitation:
"In ways that I can’t even imagine."
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As reported by Essence on June 6, 2024, Charlamagne Tha God has four daughters with his wife, Jessica Gadsden, whom he married in 2014.
Nonetheless, Charlamagne Tha God didn't shy away from talking about his daughters during The Mel Robbins Podcast. He stated that he didn't know yet how his daughters had changed him, but he was aware of the change from an emotional perspective.
"I just know I am being changed—like I know that. There’s just something that’s changing me as just a human because the one thing I’m really fighting now is realizing that you got to relinquish control," Charlamagne added
He further elaborated on this internal transformation, stating that he "cannot control anything that happens to these four little beautiful souls." However, as their father, he would support his daughters in the best way possible without trying to control their lives and help them become "really great people."
"Only thing you could do is love them, encourage them… you know, I try to give my daughters the best experiences that they possibly can have and just teach them to be really great people," Charlamagne Tha God remarked.
Charlamagne Tha God opens up about his parenting methods, says he apologizes to his daughters "a lot"
During the podcast episode, Charlamagne Tha God also reflected on his parenting style and how it has drastically shifted from the way he was raised.
"Because I’m nowhere near the type of disciplinarian my father was. I’m not putting any type of hands on my daughters—in any way, shape or form," he explained.
He further acknowledged a key difference between himself and his father, stating:
“I apologise to them a lot."
In this context, Charlamagne Tha God shared an incident involving his eldest daughter, who is 16 years old. The 46-year-old recalled how, after a heated exchange, he had to pause and recognize that the issue wasn’t about her behavior—it was about his own unresolved fears.
"I snapped at her about something and we’re going back and forth...And I had to check myself and realize, ‘Oh, this don’t got nothing to do with her. It’s something I’m projecting on her,'" he explained.
He traced that projection back to his childhood, sharing how his father often parented from a place of fear rather than love. That realization led him to apologize to his daughter.
"I remember apologizing to my sixteen-year-old daughter, and she said to me, ‘It’s okay, you’ve never done this before...This is your first time as a father, this is your first time raising a 16-year-old girl," he explained.
Charlamagne further remarked how his daughter's words were a reminder that just as children are learning, so are parents, and that's why he doesn't "always get it right." Therefore, apologizing to his child was not a big deal for him.
At present, Charlamagne Tha God continues to build on his media legacy. In addition to co-hosting The Breakfast Club, he is also developing new content through his Black Effect Podcast Network.
