Ya Ya Mayweather’s Turbulent Obsession with NBA YoungBoy: A Cautionary Tale

To the outside world, Iyanna “Ya Ya” Mayweather seemed to have it all: the famous last name, the luxury, and a life surrounded by fame and privilege as the daughter of boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.

She was academically gifted, graduating at 15, and appeared to live a charmed life. Yet beneath the surface, her story took a chaotic turn when she became entangled with Baton Rouge rapper NBA YoungBoy (Kentrell Gaulden), a man with a notorious reputation and a complicated personal life.

Ya Ya and YoungBoy’s relationship began in late 2018 when she was just 18 and he was 19. At that time, YoungBoy was already the father of several children by multiple women, and his life was marked by drama and legal troubles.

Despite her intelligence, Ya Ya found herself repeatedly drawn into his tumultuous world—a pattern some psychologists attribute to the lingering effects of emotionally distant parenting. With Floyd Mayweather often focused on his career, Ya Ya may have grown up craving emotional connection, making her vulnerable to unhealthy attachments.

Their relationship quickly became a public spectacle. Rumors swirled about Ya Ya slashing YoungBoy’s tires, which he later confirmed in his song “Dirty Iyanna.”

Instead of ending things, the couple flaunted their toxic dynamic online, exchanging affectionate messages for all to see. The situation escalated in April 2020 when Ya Ya was arrested for stabbing one of YoungBoy’s other girlfriends during a heated altercation. This act of violence, experts say, can be a result of the psychological chaos that comes from being trapped in emotionally volatile relationships.

YoungBoy’s behavior only intensified the drama. Despite his constant involvement with other women and fathering more children, he continued to give Ya Ya sporadic attention—publicly validating her after the stabbing incident by featuring her in his album art.

This intermittent reinforcement, where affection is given unpredictably, can create a powerful psychological dependency, making it even harder to break away.

The cycle continued. Even as YoungBoy had more children with other women and eventually married someone else, Ya Ya remained tethered to him.

In 2025, he gifted her a luxury SUV for her birthday, and she responded by tattooing his face on her arm—despite his new marriage and ongoing legal issues. These actions, experts suggest, are less about love and more about a desperate attempt to hold onto emotional validation.

Critics argue that Ya Ya’s wealth and privilege should have shielded her from such a destructive relationship, but trauma and emotional wounds don’t discriminate based on status.

For young women like Ya Ya, raised in the public eye and under pressure to appear loyal and unbothered, the line between love and chaos can easily blur.

Ultimately, Ya Ya’s story is not a love story—it’s a cautionary tale about seeking validation in all the wrong places. Her journey highlights the importance of self-worth and the dangers of confusing pain with passion.

True healing, the story suggests, begins when she decides to love herself and break free from a cycle that has only brought her heartbreak.

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