Mary J. Blige Says She ‘Learned To Be Happy With Just Mary’ After Her Divorce

Mary J. Blige recently shared some of her journey into finding peace after her divorce from her former manager, Kendu Issacs, during a recent interview with People.

The nine-time Grammy-winning music icon told the publication that things turned around positively for her after her very public divorce from Issacs was finalized last year, according to an article published Wednesday. 

“I think I turned that corner when I got my divorce,” she said. “I think that I realized that no matter what comes to me, no matter how big or bad it is, I have to keep moving, I have to keep living. I said, ‘No, I’m not going to stay in this marriage. I’m out of here.’ That’s what thriving is about.”

Blige, often referred to as “The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” was honored with the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award at the BET Awards on Sunday. The 48-year-old performed a stunning medley of her classics at the award show that same night. 

The “Real Love” singer told People that creating and performing music about painful experiences, like her divorce, is “therapeutic.”

“To travel back and to relive something again and not have it drive you crazy is a true gift from God,” she said. 

In 2017, Blige released the album “Strength of a Woman,” which notably reflected on her divorce from Issacs. She filed for divorce after 12 years of marriage in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences.

“To be able to touch people with what you’ve gone through and pull them though … The sadness makes me happy almost,” she told People. “I can’t even describe it.”

Blige, a two-time Oscar nominee, is set to return as a headliner for the Essence Festival in New Orleans this July, as the festival celebrates its 25th anniversary.