The music industry is in mourning after the tragic loss of DMX. The rapper sadly died on April 9 at the age of 50, just one week after suffering a heart attack. He is survived by his fiancee Desiree Lindstrom, with whom he shares his youngest son, Exodus. “We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, passed away at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past few days,” a rep for the musician said in a statement to PEOPLE. “Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end. He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him.” Here’s five things to know about Desiree.
1. She shares a son with DMX.
Desiree welcomed a baby boy named Exodus in 2016. The adorable tot, who is now five years old, is the youngest of DMX’s 15 children. Following his January 2019 release from Gilmer Federal Correctional Institution in West Virginia, after serving a one year sentence for tax evasion, DMX was thrilled to be reunited with his little boy — and Desiree! In a February 2020 Instagram post, Desiree wrote, “Their bond and love is all I could of wanted out of my life as being a mother… thank u God for such a blessing for sending me a wonderful man that is a wonderful father to our son.”
2. The pair were engaged for two years.
The hip hop icon proposed to his then-girlfriend at their son’s third birthday party — and of course, she said yes. At the time of his passing, the pair had been together for more than eight years, and engaged for two of them.
3. She regularly posted pics of the trio.
Desiree’s Instagram feed is full of happy snaps featuring her musician hubby and their adorable son. She even posted a sweet tribute to her man on his 50th birthday in 2020. “SCREAMING HAPPY BIRTHDAY…to my friend, my baby zaddy lol, my FIANCÉ! I love u to the moon and back,” she began. “I know u love me too, to the moon and back regardless of what anybody thinks! This year has been full of surprises some good and some bad but hey it’s nothing that we can’t get through together as a couple, as a family!” Desiree added, “I appreciate the type of father u are to exodus everybody sees a difference in u when it comes to that! The promises u made me about that u keep no matter what!”
4. Desiree shared a video of DMX just days before his passing.
Just two days before he suffered a heart attack, Desiree shared a sweet video of the rapper singing and dancing along to a song in the car. “He talking about record us rocking lol he too funny!!!” she captioned the candid clip.
5. She vehemently defended their relationship.
Desiree previously shut down detractors who criticised her relationship with the father of 15. “People will never understand or get our relationship but guess what… f**k them!” she wrote in a 2020 IG post. “We know we love each other, we both are not perfect by any means but we know were we stand with each other! I love u baby!”