is in no rush to date again after her split from ex-husband.
“I’m putting my [Christmas] tree up. That cuddle season is for me. I don’t even know about cuffing [season]. I’m, like, cuffing by myself,” Mai, 45, exclusively told Us Weekly during the Lifetime Channel’s It’s a Wonderful Lifetime event at West Hollywood’s E.P. & L.P. Rooftop on Tuesday, November 19. “I’m enjoying me time.”
Although the television personality isn’t looking for a romantic relationship at the moment, she noted that she has plenty of love in her life.
“The thing about Jeannie Mai is, I orbit around love. Love just follows me, and I’m thankful that my parents built such a foundation of love for me,” she said. “So because of that, I’m not afraid of ever having love and experiencing it, wherever it is.”
Jeezy, 47, filed for divorce from Mai in 2023. The exes, who share 2-year-old daughter Monaco, finalized their split in June after a contentious legal battle. As Mai looks toward the future, she’s learned to be “gentler” to herself.
“I think that especially as a Capricorn, I am so hard on myself. And I need to be more forgiving and I need to be more understanding of why I have certain reservations about people or places or things,” she told Us. “I right now am learning to listen to myself and listen to my gut instinct more than ever. If one eyebrow is twitching because of somebody, I’m not questioning it anymore. I’m just like, ‘Alright, that’s it, shut it down. [We’re] making [a] change of plans, we out this.’”
Mai is also focused on making new memories with Monaco. This holiday season, she’s planning to surprise her daughter with her first trip to Disney World.
“She’s obsessed with characters right now. So all the Minnie [Mouse], Mickey [Mouse], Pluto, Goofy,” Mai shared. “And it’s hard because she has no screen time. She doesn’t watch TV. So, I’m reading books on all of these characters for her, which is so cool.”
Mai travels frequently with Monaco — the mother-daughter duo were in Italy in September — and she has some advice for those who want to try jet setting with a toddler.
“Set up some breaks for yourself. Already know where you’re going to take a break, whether it’s while they nap or look forward to the moment when they go to bed,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to get a great nanny while you’re traveling. Hotels offer great nannies. I like traveling with somebody who can help me. I personally have family that helps me.”
Mai added that Monaco is by her side “all day, every day, whether it’s work or play,” but she also needs “me time” now and then.
The How Do I Look? alum is juggling motherhood and exciting new career opportunities. Her first ever film, Christmas in the Spotlight, premieres on Lifetime Saturday, November 23. She plays Mira, the manager for a popular singer named Bowyn () who doesn’t have time to date due to her busy career.
Mai told Us that it was “intimidating” but “thrilling” to push herself out of her comfort zone for the project.
“I could not believe how different it is from hosting. Every single beat I’m taking, I had to check myself and be like, ‘OK, this isn’t you Jeannie, this is [your character] Mira Vu,’” she said. “It’s very humbling to kind of remind yourself that you can learn new things. And I’ve been hosting for so long. I could do it blindfolded. I really loved seeing myself be tested in something totally new.”
Christmas in the Spotlight premieres on Lifetime Saturday, November 23, at 8 p.m. ET. The premiere is part of the annual It’s a Wonderful Lifetime event.
With reporting by Mariel Turner
