Mary J. Blige Comes Back Strong from Alimony Battle
Alimony is almost always a topic in the news, and as of late some of the most famous stars are coming out to talk about their financial struggles of recent years and difficulties following the pandemic. Mary J Blige, seen this Sunday in a spectacular half-time show performance sparked my attention a great deal with her song “Family Affair” (which if you don’t know it, please go play it now because it is a great song) that was one of my favorites on Kids Bop 3 as a kid and makes me so happy to hear. However, it’s been a difficult road for Blige in a very public divorce with Martin “Kendu” Isaacs her once producer the past few years. In 2017, Blige was ordered to pay $30,000 a month in alimony to her ex, an insane amount that was originally requested to be four times as much by Isaac’s lawyers.
“I had to give up all this alimony, and I didn’t have no more money to give because he had spent it all,” she explained. So, I had to go, you know, I had to go on tour, and make all the money back to pay the alimony… I didn’t have no money to pay my rent and all this other stuff,…But it’s also a metaphor like, I didn’t have my soul. I was just drained of everything. So it was time for somebody to pay; sometimes you just feel like somebody gotta’ pay” (Blige).
This was an unbelievable court order, and has placed serious troubles onto Blige, even having described it as losing her soul. These sorts of orders make you question more and more of the judicial system and its failings. Why was a woman who was being possibly domestically abused by her husband and producer, being forced to a sentence of monthly thousand dollar payments? It isn’t the first time it’s happened as we’ve seen with other female stars such as Britney Spears and her conservatorship which permitted her father to have complete control over her finances. Britney’s true safety went into question in 2020, when she would reply in colored shirts in videos in response to Tik Tok comments signaling she needed help.
Blige has been so strong through this situation and at 51 her strength shines through as she performed this past Sunday for the Superbowl better than ever! I’m personally so glad she’s made it out of the toxic and abusive relationship, and that she is working on her new freedom and is on a path of healing.
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This is so sad. I never knew that Mary J Blige was going through this. The judicial system is so corrupt sometimes and it is horrible. They were really kicking Blige while she was down. I am happy to hear she is doing better; her strength is truly inspiring. Good for her for picking herself back up coming out stronger.
The requirements presented by alimony rulings are often harsh and demanding since they cause pressure on one individual. Alimony has allowed individuals to take advantage of others' wealth, which one has worked hard to get, hence undermining their dedication in their careers and jobs. The courts must work together with the couples to develop equitable decisions.
As a viewer of the Super Bowl halftime show, I personally would have never known about Mary J. Blidge's alimony struggles. Her words are very powerful in the piece that you shared, and I could understand how it felt like she "didn't have her soul". I think there is a misconception that all celebrities are mega-rich without complications, but more often than not they deal with serious difficulties and legal nuances. Mary J. Blidge has handled this legal battle quite eloquently, and even though this must have been incredibly taxing, she was thriving last month at the Super Bowl.
This was very intriguing to read as many "famous" women go through similar things. Although Mary J. Blidge did indeed go through some troubles throughout her career and particularly during the pandemic, the fact that she came out of it as a stronger person shows her power, resilience, and strength. Mary J. Blidge is a great example to look up to and I personally look up to her myself. In addition, this situation proved that men still have the upper hand not only in the music industry but all professional industries. Something needs to be done to put women and men on equal playing fields once and for all.
This was such an interesting read! It's hard to imagine successful women like Mary and Britney going through these troubles, but I think it demonstrates the systemic power that they are still trying to break into in 2022. Where even powerful women in the industry like Blige are still facing unfair legal predicaments that benefit men for the money she worked to earn. This story also reminded me of the Taylor and Scooter Braun story, and how women in the music industry are often blindsided by side deals that are usually made by males with high positions in power and later are used as cash cows.