Vybz Kartel, Fiancé Sidem Celebrate His Release In Limo Ride From Prison

Dancehall star Vybz Kartel and his fiancé Sidem Oztürk were greeted by dozens of fans upon his release from prison on Wednesday.

In his first Instagram post since the Court of Appeal acquitted him on murder charges, Kartel and Oztürk are seen sharing a kiss as he leaves the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre in downtown Kingston.

“Me and Wifey #AMOUT,” he captioned the video.

They left the area in a white Perry’s limousine.

Oztürk, a former London social worker of Turkish descent who recently moved to Jamaica, revealed that she started corresponding with the Conjugal Visit deejay in 2015 but didn’t meet him until she first traveled to Jamaica in 2019.

The artist’s long-time common-law wife, Tanesha ‘Shorty’ Johnson, who is also the mother of three of his seven children, was not spotted in any of the photos of his release. The two reportedly separated in 2018. However, in 2020, Kartel released an album titled To Tanesha, which was dedicated to and co-produced by Shorty. 

In September 2022, he released an EP titled New Religion, which was dedicated to Ozturk.

Kartel, 48, has seven children with five women—five boys and two girls—confirmed in the tracks Man Straight (2014) and Family (2015). In addition to Shorty’s three boys—Likkle Vybz, Likkle Addi and World Boss Jr, he has Shahiem, who resides in the US, referenced in About Us (2020), and a fifth son named Kahieme. His oldest daughter is Adi’Anna ‘Girl Boss’ Palmer, shared with entrepreneur Sherika Todd, while his youngest daughter is Amani.

In 2014, Kartel and three other men were convicted for the 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams. The UK-based Privy Council overturned the convictions earlier this year, and sent the case back to Court of Appeal to determine whether there should be a new trial.

On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal ruled that despite the crime’s severity favoring a retrial, several strong factors opposed it. These included the prosecution’s inadequate account of witnesses and trial exhibits, the time and financial costs of a new trial, its impact on the Court’s resources and other pending cases, the psychological, financial, and medical effects on the appellants, and the violation of their right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time.

Several celebrities have reacted to the news.

Drake shared two Instagram Story posts on Wednesday soon after the decision was announced. One showed him in a ‘Free Kartel’ T-shirt, and another depicted a drawing of Kartel with the caption, “Boss Free Up Now! Adidjaaaaaa.”

Popcaan, on Twitter, wrote, “13 years a fight and win that Bomboclaat! World Boss!!”

“🫡 Welcome home 🇯🇲,” commented Nicki Minaj.