I Dated Madonna's New Boyfriend for 2 Years. How It Feels to See Him Move On with the 'Biggest Pop Star on Earth' (Exclusive)

Reagan Rice tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview about her past romance with Akeem Morris, who went from "very humble beginnings" to dating the Queen of Pop

Imagine scrolling through Instagram and learning your ex is dating the biggest pop star in the world.

Well, that's exactly what happened to Reagan Rice, a 27-year-old marketing director who was shocked to find out her former boyfriend of two-and-a-half years is now romantically involved with Madonna after the new couple "hard launched" their romance on July 5.

"It's such a weird thing," Rice, 27, tells PEOPLE exclusively about seeing her ex, Akeem Morris, move on so publicly with the Queen of Pop less than a year after their September 2023 breakup. "I found out with the rest of the world when they went public on social media."

Related: Who Is Madonna's Rumored Boyfriend? All About Akeem Morris

The initial shock was especially jarring for Rice, a self-described "regular girl" who first met Morris, 28, in March 2021 after a coincidental run-in on the streets of Las Vegas during their respective vacations. She was in college at the time in Utah and he was already graduated living in New York.

After immediately hitting it off and exchanging numbers that night, the two returned home and decided two months later to attempt a long-distance relationship, taking turns visiting each other over the next nearly three years.

In the summer of 2022, Rice claims that Morris — a former New York-based soccer player — began working for Madonna part-time as what she describes as a caretaker for one of her children. The singer is mom to six kids: Lourdes, 27, Rocco, 24, David, 19, Mercy, 18, and twins Stella and Estere, 12.

That August, Madonna was tapped as Paper magazine's cover star and Morris was featured in a few of the photos from the shoot alongside her.

Related: Madonna's 6 Children: All About Lourdes, Rocco, David, Mercy, Stella and Estere

The high-profile photoshoot marked a turning point in Rice's relationship with Morris, and the pair briefly split before rekindling their relationship in December 2022 after a trip to his native Jamaica with his family.

"I've seen where he came from," Rice says, referencing his "very humble beginnings in a really poor part" of Jamaica. "And obviously, now he's going to Portofino, Italy, living in an estate, doing all these things dressed head-to-toe in designer, which is great for him. Incredible. So cool for him."

After giving their relationship another go, Rice and Morris officially broke up for good in September 2023.

"We're hitting our one year [since our breakup]. I held out hope for a long, long time," she says, "but it wasn't until seeing the proof and the picture of them on the 4th of July... that was the final nail in the coffin."

"I'm now finally able to put it behind me and appreciate the relationship for what it was," Rice continues. "I don't think he's a bad person. I do have so much love for him. He was a great partner to me for the time we were together, so no ill will towards him whatsoever."

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Still, while Rice says she's now "ready to move forward," mending a broken heart can be complicated when your ex is making headlines with his pop sensation girlfriend on a near-daily basis.

Over the last few months, Morris and Madonna have been jet-setting around the world, celebrating Madonna's lavish 66th birthday in Italy and stepping out together during New York Fashion Week.

"I definitely can't avoid it. It's just crazy," Rice says of the nonstop media exposure of the pair. "It's insane. I still can't wrap my brain around it. It's still so shocking. It makes me laugh at this point. I'm past the point of crying about it, which is a great feeling."

Fortunately for Rice, she's had "such great support" in her corner. "My friends and family make me laugh about it, send memes," she says.

She's also turned to TikTok as a platform to share her feelings about coping with the unique situation.

Related: Madonna Throws Twins Estere and Stella Lavish 12th Birthday Party Attended by Rumored Boyfriend Akeem Morris

As for whether she's had contact with Morris since his high-profile romance began? "He blocked me. I blocked him," Rice says. "We haven't spoken. I've heard from his inner circle. I just have not heard from him."

While it's near-impossible to avoid seeing media coverage of her ex's new relationship, Rice says she tries to compartmentalize.

"I definitely don't compare myself to her," she says. "I can't imagine she and I have one thing in common besides him."

So what exactly does Rice think is Morris' draw? "He's hot. He is very attractive for sure and he is a great conversationalist," she says. "He is intelligent. He's great to converse with. He's funny and he has the characteristics and charisma, I guess, to fit into that lifestyle... to mold into that lifestyle."

She continues, "I don't think it's made for everybody. I don't think everybody could be in such a high-stress environment all the time. He's super adaptable... I think that there's a lot of things about him that are very magnetic. He's the most traveled person I had ever met in my life."

Related: Madonna Gets Cozy with Rumored Boyfriend Akeem Morris in New Photos from Italian Birthday Getaway

Rice also believes her ex would embrace Madonna's role as a mom. "He definitely wanted kids," she says. "He was the one in the relationship who really, really wanted to start a family."

While it's taken Rice time to process an unimaginable situation, she's ultimately learning to "appreciate" her past romance — and it's helped her come to a conclusion about Morris and Madonna.

Says Rice simply: "He just fits the bill perfectly for her."

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