She is the most-streamed French-speaking artist in the world, the one who won over the entire planet with Djadja and Pookie. But behind the hits and the glitter, Aya Nakamura has lived a love life that looks less like a fairy tale than a Netflix thriller series. Married at 20, an abusive rapper, a baby daddy, a landmark trial and a new romance with a rapper 7 years her junior… Buckle up.
Chapter 1: Married at 20, Already
Before fame, there was a man. In an interview with Paris Match, Aya Nakamura revealed that she got married at 20. A marriage that gave her welcome stability: her husband provided for their needs, allowing her to devote herself entirely to her musical dream without worrying about paying rent.
But fame would get the better of this love story. In that same interview, she explains that as she rose to the stage, the gap widened: she was no longer home as much, no longer had the same desires. “Between 19 and 23, you don’t have the same mindset,” she confided. First chapter, end of story.
Chapter 2: Niska, or the Relationship That Turned Into a Nightmare
This is the darkest chapter. Between 2018 and 2019, Aya Nakamura was in a relationship with rapper Niska, during which she suffered domestic violence. Rumors began circulating as early as March 2019, fueled by screenshots and shocking photos. According to information reported at the time, Niska regularly hit Aya and she “took it, kept it together until the day she broke down and decided to leave him.”
What followed was surreal: faced with the scale of the controversy, the two artists appeared together on an Instagram live, suggesting it had all been a publicity stunt for their joint music video “Sucette“. Except the next day, Aya broke down and told the truth. She posted an apology on Instagram, confirming she had been a victim of domestic violence and explaining that the live with Niska had been a “rescue mission” driven by guilt. “I apologize for trying to cover that up,” she wrote. The “Sucette” video was cancelled.
Chapter 3: Vladimir Boudnikoff, Love… Then the Courtroom
After the Niska storm, Aya apparently found safe harbor. In December 2020, she went public for the first time as a couple with video clip producer Vladimir Boudnikoff. The relationship looked serious: together, they welcomed a baby girl named Ava on January 6, 2022. Aya already had a daughter, Aïcha, born in 2016.
But appearances were deceiving. Less than ten months after Ava’s birth, everything exploded. Franceinfo covered the case in detail: on the night of August 6 to 7, 2022, a dispute broke out at their home in Rosny-sous-Bois. Shouting, flying objects, and physical violence in the music studio set up in the basement.
The details brought before the court were staggering. Aya described a Vladimir who “was trying to calm her down in his own way” by grabbing her, before she slapped him and knocked him to the ground. Vladimir, for his part, admitted to losing his temper, particularly when Aya came back that evening to collect her belongings accompanied by two friends: out of “fear” in the face of these men, he pointed a fake weapon at them. A real domestic western.
The judicial outcome was unprecedented in French celebrity culture: on February 23, 2023, the Bobigny criminal court convicted both of them for “reciprocal violence against a partner.” Aya Nakamura was fined 10,000 euros, Vladimir Boudnikoff 5,000 euros, both amounts exceeding the prosecution’s requests. The official separation had been announced back in October 2022.
Chapter 4: RK, the Unexpected Love Story
After two such turbulent relationships, one might have bet that Aya would take a long romantic break. Wrong. Since the summer of 2025, rumors have been swirling: she has been seeing RK, whose real name is Ryad Kartoum, a rising figure in French rap aged just 23, seven years her junior.
The news did not please everyone. Ex Vladimir Boudnikoff got involved in the controversy, going as far as leaking a supposed list of the singer’s famous conquests. Classy.
Official confirmation came in early 2026: appearing on the show Clique on Canal+ on January 15, RK confirmed the relationship while remaining discreet about the details. He explained their choice to keep part of their life private: when you are both public figures, protecting a personal space is a permanent challenge, so they might as well play the game on their own terms.
In Short: A Love Life as Intense as Her Discography
Early marriage, quiet breakup, abusive rapper, producer who ends up in court, and now a romance with a young rap wolf. Aya Nakamura collects stories as memorable as her hits. One thing is certain: she has at least as much material for her next albums as for the tabloids. And as she has sung, she owes no one any explanations. Nada.
