The breakup between Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas and Dallas Austin nearly overshadowed their musical partnership.
Austin, who shares a 28-year-old son, Tron, with Chilli, looked back on their breakup during his recent visit on T.I.'s expediTIously podcast. Around the 45-minute mark of the episode, Austin called it "suffocating" to be in the Atlanta music scene at the time, which he and the TLC member were a part of.
"That's why I went to Miami. You know, I was like, 'It's too much,'" Austin said.
Austin added that it took "a couple years" for him to heal after breaking up with Chilli, adding that it was "weird" to navigate the confined music industry space with her. The music producer also recalled thinking that Chilli and Usher would eventually date, which they did from 2001 to 2004.
By the time Austin and Chilli's relationship was over, the singer notified Austin that she'd been doing a music video with Usher, although he didn't specify if it was "U Remind Me" or "U Got It Bad."
"I was like, 'You should go do it.' And she's like, 'See, you just don't care. You just throw me out to the woods and everything,'" Austin recalled.
Austin added that he and Usher were "tight" before his relationship with Chilli and have become friendly in the years since.
"Life goes on and me and Usher. We did Gumball [3000] together where we ride around the car for eight days for seven, eight hours a piece in a two-seater," Austin said.
While Usher is now married to his third wife, Jennifer Raymond, née Goicoechea, Chilli is inching toward marriage with her partner of three years, actor Matthew Lawrence. Last week, the Second Chance Love co-hosts revealed on Sherri that they've vowed not to argue.