Vybz Kartel’s fiancée, Sidem Öztürk, described her pursuit of the dancehall star as a romantic journey to meet “the man of my dreams.” This was in 2022. However, Kartel recently shared a less fairy-tale version of their story, revealing that Öztürk’s determination went as far as tracking down one of his ex-partners to locate him.
“We met in 2015,” Kartel explained during an appearance on the Juan EP is Life podcast. “She actually stalked one of my babymother’s Instagram accounts because she couldn’t find me. So, she had to watch who my babymom was following, and that’s how she found me.”
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Öztürk’s dedication to finding Kartel isn’t surprising, given what she shared in her debut interview on OnStage. A devoted fan of Gaza, she admitted to falling for the artist from afar, captivated by his music, interviews, and looks. “I found him very handsome, so I was very attracted to him,” she confessed. “You could kind of call it an obsession because I thought he was the most perfect man for me, walking the Earth. So, I just really wanted to meet him and get to know him.”
Her persistence paid off. Over the last nine years, she’s been by Kartel’s side, even as he maintained an on-and-off relationship with Tanesha ‘Shorty’ Johnson, the mother of three of his children and his most well-known partner. Kartel also has a daughter with Sherika Todd, another of his ex-partners.
Öztürk was publicly introduced as Kartel’s future wife on FOX5 New York two years ago, and the deejay confirmed that wedding plans are in the works. “Yes, there are plans to get married soon. She is my fiancée. I proposed to her while I was in prison,” Kartel said, noting that he was confident about his release.
That confidence was so strong that he relocated Öztürk from the United Kingdom to Jamaica in 2022 and even purchased a fleet of new vehicles months before his release in July. After serving 12 years and 10 months behind bars, Kartel wasted no time enjoying his newfound freedom. “I had sex; that’s the first thing,” he candidly shared.
The couple has since launched a YouTube vlogging channel called Kiss Me Baby TV, which also has an Instagram page. With over 50,000 subscribers, the channel features short videos of the pair running errands, traveling, and sharing their experiences as Kartel reintegrates into society.
