In the most explosive celebrity Valentine’s Day drama of 2026, Offset has finally addressed the extravagant gesture that had the entire internet buzzing – sending Cardi B a staggering 1,000 red balloons – only for the Bronx rapper to hit back with a brutally explicit reply that has left fans divided, horrified and utterly obsessed.

The former Migos star took to X (formerly Twitter) late last night to set the record straight, pouring his heart out in a message that proves some exes are never truly exes – especially when three children and a decade of drama bind them together.

“Well I know people want me and Cardi to hate each other but that will never be the case,” Offset wrote. “As much as she’s my baby momma I still love her to bits because of what we shared and what we might share in the future. I don’t want her back and even if I did that wouldn’t be a problem because we shared so much through our lifetime.”

Cue the collective gasp from millions.

But if fans thought Offset’s heartfelt confession would be the end of it, they were sorely mistaken.

Cardi B, never one to bite her tongue, fired back within minutes with a response so raw, so filthy and so unfiltered that it instantly broke the internet and sent Ofcom-style complaint counters ticking at warp speed.

“Yeah nxgga no baby sends 1000 red balloons for Valentines day just because,” she replied. “You still in love with me and you want this juicy pxssy. Well Steffon has nutted so much in it so I’ll be glad if you come lick it clean.”

The reply – complete with deliberate misspellings and zero filter – has been screenshotted, memed, dissected and debated more than 47 million times in under 24 hours.

And just like that, the never-ending Offset vs Cardi saga has exploded back into the spotlight with nuclear force.

The drama began on February 14 when delivery trucks reportedly pulled up outside Cardi’s lavish Los Angeles home (or one of her multiple Airbnbs while on tour) carrying what onlookers described as a sea of 1,000 crimson red heart-shaped balloons. Photos and videos quickly leaked online showing the balloons completely overwhelming her driveway, turning the property into a romantic – or some say desperate – Valentine’s spectacle.

At first, the sender remained anonymous, sparking wild speculation. Was it a secret admirer? A music industry rival trying to stir trouble? Or, as many immediately suspected, Offset himself trying to worm his way back into the mother of his children’s good graces?

Now we know the truth – straight from the man’s own fingers.

Insiders close to the 34-year-old rapper tell the Daily Mail the gesture was “pure Offset” – grand, over-the-top and impossible to ignore.

“He’s always been like this,” one long-time friend revealed. “When he loves, he loves loud. The balloons weren’t about getting back together. They were about reminding her – and the world – that no matter how many break-ups, how many cheating scandals, how many new boyfriends, the bond they have is forever.”

But Cardi clearly wasn’t in the mood for sentimental nostalgia.

Her savage clapback – referencing NFL star Stefon Diggs (widely believed to be the “Steffon” in her tweet) – was a masterclass in petty, possessive and painfully honest ex energy.

Sources say Cardi, 33, and Diggs quietly split just days before Valentine’s after months of on-off drama, with the Buffalo Bills player reportedly tired of the constant spotlight and alleged “trust issues”.

“Cardi was already raw from that break-up,” a source close to the rapper explained. “Then these balloons show up like some grand romantic gesture from her ex-husband. She snapped. The reply was her way of saying ‘I see you, but I’m not falling for it – and here’s a reminder that other men have been here’.”

The explicit nature of her response has shocked even the most hardened celebrity watchers.

“Juicy p***y”? “Lick it clean”? After admitting another man had “nutted so much” in it?

Social media has been in absolute meltdown.

Within hours #OffsetCardiB trended worldwide with over 2.3 million posts. #LickItClean and #JuicyPxxsy became top trending topics. TikTok was flooded with reaction videos – some laughing, some horrified, some straight-up begging the couple to “just get back together already”.

One fan posted: “Cardi really said Steffon been all up in it and invited Offset to clean it??? This is not co-parenting, this is WARFARE 😂😂😂”

Another wrote: “Offset out here being all romantic and Cardi hits him with the most disgusting, hilarious, toxic reply ever. These two deserve each other fr.”

But not everyone is amused.

Relationship experts have waded in, warning that this very public exchange is damaging not just for the former couple but for their three children – Kulture, 7, Wave, 4, and their youngest who remains largely shielded from the spotlight.

Dr Elena Ramirez, a leading celebrity psychologist, told the Daily Mail: “This is textbook toxic co-parenting on full display. Offset’s message is sweet on the surface but loaded with emotional manipulation. Cardi’s reply is deliberately provocative and sexualised. Both are using social media as a battlefield, and the real victims are the kids who will one day read all of this.”

The timing couldn’t be more painful.

Offset and Cardi’s relationship has been a rollercoaster since they first went public in 2017. They secretly married that year, welcomed daughter Kulture in 2018, split dramatically in 2018 after Offset’s cheating scandal (including that infamous video with another woman), reconciled, had son Wave in 2021, split again in 2023 amid fresh infidelity rumours, filed for divorce, then called it off… only to continue the cycle.

They share joint custody, frequent family holidays and the occasional flirty Instagram comment, but the underlying tension has never fully gone away.

“People forget they were teenagers when they met,” a music industry insider said. “Offset was 25, Cardi 24. They grew up together in the spotlight. That kind of history doesn’t just disappear because you sign divorce papers.”

Offset’s tweet was clearly designed to shut down the haters who thrive on “Cardi and Offset hate each other” narratives.

He made it crystal clear: “I don’t want her back.”

Yet the very act of sending 1,000 balloons – at an estimated cost of $15,000-$20,000 according to balloon specialists – tells a different story, according to body language and relationship experts.

“Sending that many balloons anonymously at first, then publicly claiming it, screams unresolved feelings,” said dating coach Mike Davis. “He says he doesn’t want her back, but actions speak louder than 280 characters.”

Cardi’s reply, meanwhile, has been praised by some as “queen behaviour” and slammed by others as “classless” and “desperate for attention”.

Her legion of fans – the Bardi Gang – rushed to defend her, pointing out that Offset has put her through hell over the years.

“After all the cheating, the public humiliations, the side chicks – Cardi is allowed to be messy,” one supporter tweeted. “She carried his kids, built empires with him, forgave him multiple times. If she wants to remind him another man has been hitting it, let her!”

Others were less kind.

“Cardi really invited her ex to lick another man’s nut out of her??? While they have kids together??? This is the mother of the year award right here,” one critic fired back.

The drama has even spilled into music circles.

Offset is currently working on new solo material following Migos’ official disbandment, while Cardi is gearing up for a major tour and her long-awaited second album.

Insiders say the pair were actually on relatively good terms before Valentine’s – co-parenting smoothly, with Offset recently spending quality time with the kids in Atlanta.

“Cardi was single, healing, focused on her career,” a source revealed. “Then the balloons arrived and it triggered every insecurity and every memory. Her reply was her defence mechanism – crude, funny, savage, Cardi-style.”

Stefon Diggs himself has stayed completely silent, wisely refusing to be dragged into the circus.

The NFL star, 32, was first linked to Cardi in late 2024 after her divorce from Offset was finalised. Their relationship was passionate but turbulent – plenty of PDA on Instagram, but also rumours of jealousy and long-distance issues due to his football schedule.

Now, with the split confirmed and Offset’s balloons making headlines, Diggs is said to be “focusing on the upcoming season” and staying well away from the social media storm.

As for whether this latest exchange signals a reunion? Don’t hold your breath, say those in the know.

“Offset loves Cardi. He always will,” a close friend admitted. “But he knows they’re toxic together. The balloons were closure, not a come-on. Cardi’s reply was her way of saying she’s moved on – even if her words were dripping with something else entirely.”

Yet the internet refuses to let it go.

Fan edits pairing Offset’s sweet tweet with Cardi’s filthy reply have racked up tens of millions of views. Betting sites have already opened odds on whether the pair will be spotted together again before summer.

One popular meme shows Offset’s face photoshopped onto a janitor with the caption “Here to lick it clean as requested 👅”.

Another has Cardi as a WWE wrestler slamming Offset with a steel chair labelled “Steffon’s leftovers”.

Even celebrities have subtly weighed in.

Rapper Rubi Rose – who has her own history with Offset – liked several posts mocking the exchange.

Rap icon 50 Cent posted a laughing emoji under a video of the balloons with the caption “1,000??? Bro went all out… then got dragged 😂”.

And comedian Katt Williams went viral for saying in a new stand-up clip: “These rappers out here sending balloons like it’s 1999. Meanwhile the woman is out here talking about licking another man’s deposit. This is why I stay single!”

For the children’s sake, many are hoping this is the last public chapter.

Kulture, now seven and already a mini-fashion icon with her own Instagram presence (run by Cardi), is old enough to understand what’s being said online. Sources say both parents are acutely aware of this and have “damage control” teams working overtime.

A source close to the family revealed: “They’ve had serious conversations about keeping things private going forward. But with two of the biggest personalities in hip-hop, that’s easier said than done.”

So where does this leave the once-power-couple?

Offset appears reflective and genuine in his desire for peace.

Cardi appears defiant, sexual and completely unapologetic.

Together? They remain the ultimate example of “can’t live with them, can’t live without them” – bound forever by love, children, music history and now, apparently, balloon deliveries and extremely graphic text exchanges.

As one viral tweet perfectly summed it up: “Offset: I still love you. Cardi: Then lick Steffon’s kids out of me. This is black love in 2026.”

The saga continues.

Cardi is due to perform in Miami this weekend, where fans are already planning to chant “1,000 balloons!” during her set.

Offset is reportedly back in the studio, no doubt turning this latest drama into bars for his next track.

And somewhere in Los Angeles, 1,000 red balloons are slowly deflating – just like the hopes of fans who still dream of a final reconciliation.

One thing is certain: with these two, the drama is never truly over.

It just gets balloonier… and filthier.

What do YOU think? Is Offset’s balloon gesture romantic or manipulative? Was Cardi’s reply hilarious queen energy or completely out of line? Should they finally cut all public communication for the kids’ sake? Or are you secretly hoping for one more toxic reunion tour?

Drop your thoughts in the comments below – the messier the better, because clearly these two don’t believe in filters.