Ciara Wouldn't Say Future's Name During Billboard Music Awards Nominations, Talks Being a Single Mom

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Well, this was awkward.

While announcing the nominees for the 2016 Billboard Music Awards on Monday, Ciara wouldn't say ex fiancé Future's name. During the "Top Rap Artist" category, the singer happily called out Drake, Fetty Wap, Silento and Wiz Khalifa, but fell silent as Future's face appeared on screen, forcing co-host Ludacris to step in.


WATCH: Ciara and Russell Wilson Are Engaged -- See Her Enormous Ring!

Essence Magazine

The 30-year-old "Goodies" singer doesn't mention her rapper ex by name in her Essence magazine cover story either, but she does open up about their breakup and being a single mom.

"I'd always wanted to have my own family,” Ciara, who gave birth to Future Zahir in 2014, said. “My pregnancy was planned when I was at a point in my life when I was finally ready to take on the responsibility."

She says the couple's eventual split wasn't part of her "vision." "But the moment I realized I was going to be a single mother, I had to reflect and reorganize my thoughts," she added. "I decided to trust that God had a plan for me, and move forward one day at a time."

That plan appears to have paid off, as Ciara got engaged to her boyfriend of a year, NFL star Russell Wilson, last month.

"Marriage is something I look forward to. I believe in family, and the beauty of two people committing to spend their lives together," she told the magazine of her engagement. "We talk about everything. To me, to both of us, that’s the foundation you need for love to flourish and reach its highest place."


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ET caught up with Ciara following the Billboard Music Awards announcements and asked what the Essence cover means to her. The GRAMMY winner said it's "huge."

"It's my first Essence cover and it's for the Mother's Day issue and being a new mom, it's an incredible feeling to be on the cover," she told ET. "To be celebrating moms and the life of being a mom, and then also talking about that woman stuff that we like to talk about in the article as well, so I'm super proud of it."

Meanwhile, Ciara says she gets "so funny" when it comes to revealing anything about her big day, but she couldn't help but gush about how happy Wilson makes her.

"Oh gosh, God is so good, honestly, he's amazing and I feel great," she said. "I know I'm truly in the best spot of my life with everything."

Ciara flashed her massive ring at her first post-engagement event with Wilson. Check out her giant 16-carat sparkler in the video below.