Who is J. Cole's wife, Melissa Heholt? Bio, family and facts
It took many by surprise when news came out that J. Cole was off the market. The Grammy Award-winning rapper accidentally revealed he was married during an interview in 2016, though the wedding happened in 2015. The revelation triggered curiosity, with many wanting to know the lucky woman. So, who is J. Cole's wife, Melissa Heholt? Read interesting facts about her below.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Melissa Heholt gained fame when people realized that she was married to J. Cole.
- She is an American events planner based in the US.
- J. Cole's wife is also an executive director at Dreamville Foundation, a non-profit organization that was started by the rapper.
- Melissa has two sons with the American rapper.
Melissa Heholt's profile summary
Full name | Melissa Heholt |
Gender | Female |
Date of birth | 10 October 1987 |
Age | 37 years (as of September 2025) |
Zodiac sign | Libra |
Place of birth | New York, USA |
Current residence | New York, USA |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | African-American |
Religion | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight |
Height | 5'4" (163 cm) |
Weight | 130lb (59 kg) |
Body measurements | 33-27-34 inches (83-68-86 cm) Estimated |
Hair color | Black |
Eye color | Black |
Siblings | 3 |
Marital status | Married |
Partner | Jermaine Lamarr Cole |
Children | 2 |
School | Archbishop Molloy High School |
University | St. John's University |
Profession | Event planner |
Net worth | $700,000 Estimated |
Who is J. Cole's wife, Melissa Heholt?
American rapper J. Cole has been married to his wife Melissa Heholt since 2015. They started off as college sweethearts meeting at St. John's University in Queens, New York.
What is J Cole's wife's ethnicity?
Melissa is generally understood to be African-American, though details about her ancestral background are not widely publicized.
While details about Melissa Heholt's parents are unknown, J. Cole's parents, James and Kay, have always been supportive in his life and career decisions.
James is an African-American veteran who served in the US Army, while Kay is a white American who was a postal worker for the United States Postal Service.
The couple had the rapper (born Jermaine Lamarr Cole) in a military base in Germany and raised him in Fayetteville, North Carolina. They divorced when Jermaine was young, and he has a somewhat strained but improving relationship with his father.
What is Melissa Heholt's age?
Born in 1987 in New York, the mother of two is 37 years old as of September 2025. Melissa is a year and some months younger than her husband, who was born on 28 January 1985.
Source: Original
Educational background
J. Cole's wife attended Archbishop Molly High School in New York, then joined St. John's University in Queens, New York, to pursue an undergraduate degree in Health Administration. She later did a master's degree in Elementary Education at the same university.
Career history
Being the eldest child in her family, Melissa Heholt spent a significant part of her childhood taking care of her three siblings. That greatly influenced her interest in caretaking and nurturing. So, right after completing her high school education, Melissa became a teacher.
Nonetheless, instead of choosing a teaching course at the university, Heholt opted for a business course after she was discouraged from teaching (that it would not lead to well-paying jobs).
In the early stages of her degree course, Melissa changed her major a few times before settling on a bachelor’s degree in Health Administration. After graduation, the jobs she got were not satisfying, so she opted to go for a master's degree in Elementary Education.
Even though Heholt loves children and teaching them, she was not impressed with the state of the education system in the US. As a result, Melissa decided to quit the profession.
She discovered her second passion, event planning, and in 2014, Heholt established her company called Statice Events. According to her 2013 interview with online lifestyle blog Karla With A Kay:
The main focus of Statice Events is to provide exceptional client service while creating memorable events with a unique flair.
When I produce a successful event that my clients and their guests continuously reminisce about, I know I have accomplished my goal for that event.
Besides event planning, she works as an executive director at Dreamville Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 2011 by her spouse, J. Cole. The foundation uplifts disadvantaged urban youth and families, particularly in J. Cole's hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina.
It provides school supplies, sponsors community events like book clubs and career days, and has programs like a housing initiative for single mothers. The foundation also supports other charitable programs by providing donations and forming strategic partnerships.
Source: UGC
J. Cole's wife and kids
The pair have been together since the 2000s when they met as students at St. John's University in Queens, New York. For close to a decade, they managed to keep their relationship low-key.
Melissa Heholt's status changed for good in 2015 after she moved from being J. Cole's girlfriend to being his wife. However, the public knew nothing about their marriage until J. Cole revealed it during a #MLKNow livestream on 18 January 2016.
Director Ryan Coogler, not realizing the marriage was unannounced, slipped and asked the rapper:
How did getting married change you?
Cole, visibly flustered and surprised at being put on blast, responded:
Wait, come again?!
Realizing his mistake, Ryan apologized:
I never interviewed someone before, my bad.
Cole, who was aware that the director didn't mean to reveal his secret nuptials to Melissa, played along, telling him:
That was like one thing to not do. But it's all good...They know now.
Melissa Heholt and J. Cole's kids
The couple is blessed with two kids, whom they keep out of the spotlight. Their firstborn was born on 8 December 2016, while the secondborn was born in 2019.
J. Cole did not confirm the arrival of his first son until May 2018 during an interview with radio DJ Angie Martinez, where he stated:
I feel like I've created a life where my purpose is too placed in music...Where I put too much of my purpose in music... to when I come home, outside of playing with my son... I start to feel like I'm miserable.
Source: UGC
Furthermore, he said in an interview with GQ in March 2019 that he had prepared to welcome his son:
I changed my life in order to get ready to have a family and to have a son. I literally changed my life, where I was living, and the things that I was doing. I changed. So because of that, when my son came, I was ready. I already made room.
In 2019, the public speculated that Melissa Heholt was pregnant when J. Cole mentioned in his song, Sacrifice:
She gave me the gift of my son, and plus we got one on the way / She gave me a family to love, for that, I can never repay / I’m crying while writing these words, the tears, they feel good on my face.
In July 2020, J. Cole confirmed to The Players' Tribune that he was a father to two sons in his essay titled The Audacity. He wrote:
Four years have passed. In that time, I’ve been blessed with two sons...
Melissa Heholt's net worth
The American event planner is estimated to be worth over $700,000. She has been working as an event planner since 2014. Her husband, J. Cole, has a net worth of $60 million. He has made a fortune from his diverse career as a hip-hop recording artist, songwriter, and record producer.
How tall is Melissa Heholt?
Melissa Heholt's height is 5 feet and 4 inches, around 163 centimeters tall.
Melissa Heholt's social media presence
There is no verified Melissa Heholt's Instagram account, and she does not appear to be on any known social media platform. She has a very private life, which includes keeping her children off public platforms.
Meanwhile, her husband, J. Cole, is active on Instagram, has a Facebook page, and is also an active X(Twitter) user. The rapper has millions of followers and uploads his music on streaming platforms like YouTube.
Source: UGC
How many baby mamas does J. Cole has?
The famed rapper does not have a "baby mama"; J. Cole is married to Melissa Heholt, with whom he has two children.
Is J. Cole married?
The American rapper is married to his wife, Melissa Heholt.
Who is J. Cole's wife now?
His wife is Melissa Heholt.
Is J. Cole still with Melissa?
Yes, the hip-hop artist is still married to Melissa.
Facts about Melissa Heholt
- She attended the same university as J. Cole.
- They began dating in the 2000s.
- He proposed to her in 2015 and married her in the same year.
- Their relationship became public in 2016.
- She is the mother of his two sons.
So, who is J. Cole's wife, Melissa Heholt? She is an American events planner and the executive director of the Dreamville Foundation. The couple has kept their relationship out of the limelight for a long time, focusing on their careers and bringing up their kids.
Legit.ng published an article about Burna Boy, a Nigerian singer who originally received widespread attention in 2012, following the release of his smash hit Like to Party.
The artist has received various prizes and accolades for his fusion of dancehall, reggae, afrobeat, and pop, including a Grammy Award in 2021. Follow the above link for more on the talented musician.
Source: Legit.ng
Peris Walubengo (Lifestyle writer) Peris Walubengo has vast experience in search engine optimization through digital content generation, research, editing, and proofreading. She joined Legit.ng in April 2022 and completed the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can email her at perisrodah254@gmail.com.
Adrianna Simwa (Lifestyle writer) Adrianna Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng where she has worked since mid-2022. She has written for many periodicals on a variety of subjects, including news, celebrities, and lifestyle, for more than three years. She has worked for The Hoth, The Standard Group and Triple P Media. Adrianna graduated from Nairobi University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2020. In 2023, Simwa finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her through her email: adriannasimwa@gmail.com
