In a Sirius XM interview with DJ Sway, Akon bluntly stated that he left Lady Gaga at the height of her success.

"I cashed out. I got out when the gooding was hot. It's like a business—you build it to sell it," the R&B hitmaker told Sway of his defunct relationship with the ARTPOP songstress. "When I got it to the peak of where I felt it couldn't go nowhere—and there was nowhere left to go but down—I cashed out. In other words, I sold my share and got out before it was too late."

The pair's relationship has never been particularly rocky: Akon is credited with discovering Lady Gaga, working closely with the pop star on her first two albums.

When asked for Gaga's perspective, Akon said she's not upset. "It's strictly a business decision. My involvement is always going to be whatever she wants it to be. I just know how the business works. You're only hot for so long before you become cold."

Lady Gaga has yet to make a comment, but we're guessing she's more focused on her future than obsessing over her past. 

Watch the full interview below.