Mary J. Blige reflected publicly on her decision not to have biological children during a candid conversation on Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson's IMO podcast on Wednesday. According to Billboard, the 55-year-old singer spoke about how she arrived at that choice and how she feels about it now.
"I saw a lot of people struggling," Blige said. "I see a lot, you know, my family members needing babysitters and them not having a choice, no freedom. So when you're younger, those are the words you make, those are the choices you make. I don't want any kids."
Blige also acknowledged that feelings of regret have surfaced as she has gotten older. "When you get older, you start to see how valuable their teenagers are to them [and] their kids are to them. … Sometimes I'm lonely, but I'm alone a lot. I'm in my home, but we have a good time. We have a good time. I make sure we have a good time," she said. "We by ourselves, we watching movies, I be trying on clothes, I be watching movies. I accept it; it is what it is. I'm not trying to have company and friends; it is what it is."
Michelle Obama also spoke during the conversation about societal pressure on women to become mothers. "You don't have to be a mother. That doesn't make you whole," the former first lady said. "If you're not a whole person, a child will not do that for you. It won't complete you."
Blige, who grew up in Yonkers, New York, married producer Kendu Isaacs in 2003. She filed for divorce in 2016, and the two ultimately settled in 2018. Her most recent album, Gratitude, arrived in 2024.
The singer is currently preparing for another run of her Las Vegas residency, My Life, My Story, which resumes October 23. She also appeared as a guest earlier this month at a Chris Brown and Usher R&B Tour stop in New Jersey.
