The Mystery Man Behind the Music
Grammy-winning artist SZA is known for pouring her heart out in her music, offering raw and relatable lyrics about love and loss. However, when it comes to her personal life, she remains notoriously private, leaving fans to piece together the stories behind her powerful songs.
In a candid 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, SZA dropped a bombshell: she had been engaged for five years as part of an 11-year relationship with an unnamed fashion designer. This revelation sent internet sleuths into a frenzy, and one name quickly surfaced as the likely subject of her heartbreak: Scott Sasso.
Who Is Scott Sasso?
While the rumors remain unconfirmed by either party, Scott Sasso fits the description. He is a respected fashion designer and entrepreneur, best known as the founder of the influential streetwear brand 10.Deep. The brand became a cornerstone of urban fashion, worn by celebrities like A$AP Rocky and Kid Cudi.
Sasso, a Vassar College graduate, started 10.Deep in 1995 from his dorm room. After decades of success, he announced in late 2023 that he had parted ways with the company, marking the end of an era for the brand he built from the ground up.
An 11-Year Journey: Inside Their Relationship
According to SZA, she met her ex-fiancé right after high school. Their relationship spanned over a decade, a formative period in the young artist’s life. For five of those eleven years, they were engaged to be married.
The singer also revealed that her former partner was eight years her senior, creating a dynamic that would profoundly shape her personal and artistic journey. This long-term, committed relationship was a central part of her life as she transitioned into adulthood and the music industry.
A Codependent Love Story
SZA has described the relationship as codependent. In the early days, before her music career took off, her fiancé provided for her completely, paying for her food, clothes, and housing. This financial dependence fueled her ambition in an unexpected way.
She admitted that she initially started making music to “prove a point” to him. His success as a designer motivated her to carve out her own identity and find her own path, a drive that ultimately led to her becoming the global superstar she is today.
The End of an Era: The Breakup
The long engagement eventually came to an end around 2017 or 2018. While the exact reasons remain private, SZA has hinted at infidelity. During a 2023 concert in London, she told the audience, “my boyfriend cheated on me in this city before,” a painful memory she connected to one of her songs about a “trash ex-boyfriend.”
The breakup was, in her words, “terrible.” She described feeling doomed, as if nobody would ever understand or motivate her in the same way he did. This profound sense of loss became a powerful source of inspiration for her art.
From Heartbreak to Hits: The Musical Inspiration
The emotional fallout from the breakup is woven throughout her critically acclaimed 2022 album, SOS. SZA has confirmed that the hit song “Nobody Gets Me” is a direct reflection of her feelings about her ex-fiancé and the end of their relationship.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of their shared history and the pain of their separation: “Took me out to the ballet, you proposed, I went on the road… you was feelin’ empty, so you left me.” It’s a testament to her ability to turn personal heartbreak into universally felt music.
Where Are They Now?
Today, SZA is focused on her career, enjoying massive success and a dedicated global fanbase. She is believed to be single, having candidly shared her struggles with maintaining long-term relationships in the spotlight.
Meanwhile, the story surrounding Scott Sasso has a significant twist. Public records show that he has been married to documentary producer Christine Turner since 2010. This fact complicates the fan theories and raises questions about the true identity of SZA’s former fiancé, or the timeline of their relationship.
The Lasting Echo of a Past Love
While the public may never know the full story of SZA and her mysterious ex-fiancé, the impact of their decade-long relationship is undeniable. It shaped her as a person and fueled the creation of some of her most iconic and emotionally resonant work.
The story of SZA and the rumored involvement of Scott Sasso remains a compelling narrative about love, loss, and the powerful art that can emerge from heartbreak. It also serves as a reminder of the line between a public persona and a private life, and the stories we piece together from the echoes left behind in music.
