Cori Broadus, the daughter of hip-hop pioneer Snoop Dogg, and her fiancé Wayne Deuce are facing an unimaginable loss. On January 31, Broadus shared that their baby daughter, Codi Dreaux, had passed away only 20 days after coming home following a lengthy stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
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It was just weeks before what would have been her first birthday.
According to PEOPLE, 26-year-old Broadus shared the heartbreaking news on her Instagram story, posting a black-and-white photo of herself holding Codi with the caption: “Monday, I lost the love of my life. My Codi.”
The announcement came just weeks after Broadus’ January 6 Instagram post celebrating Codi’s homecoming after a 10-month stay in the NICU. Broadus reposted that celebratory post with painful reflection, writing, “20 days later? Dawg I’m sick,” according to US Weekly.
Codi was born at just 25 weeks of gestation in February 2025—15 weeks before a full-term pregnancy. The premature birth was due to Broadus developing HELLP syndrome, a rare and dangerous pregnancy complication that threatens both maternal and infant health, which is a variant of preeclampsia. That necessitated NICU care, which supports newborns with functions such as breathing, feeding, digestion and body temperature maintenance, as well as monitoring and managing critical health complications, according to Stanford Medicine.
Throughout her journey as a NICU mom, Broadus shared her experiences on Instagram with honesty and gratitude. In September, she wrote, “Becoming a NICU mom was not part of the plan, but it became part of my story.”
The NICU is a part of the story for many Black families, as Black mothers face significantly higher rates of low birth weight and infant mortality. The National Library of Medicine reports that Black infants in the U.S. are 50% more likely to be born preterm, nearly twice as likely to have low birth weight and face more than double the risk of dying before their first birthday compared to white infants.
In another post, Broadus read a poem titled “For Codi,” dedicated to her “miracle wrapped in tubes and tape,” reflecting the guilt, faith and love sustained by the belief that her daughter waited for her each day.
Broadus has battled serious health issues of her own, including lupus, an autoimmune disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic, lupus causes the immune system to attack the body’s own tissues and organs. Broadus also suffered a stroke in 2024.
Codi was Snoop’s eighth grandchild, according to PEOPLE.
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