Mary J. Blige intentionally chose to live a child-free life when she was younger, largely because of the challenges she saw family members experience as parents. As she grew older, however, her perspective on motherhood began to shift slightly. The Grammy Award-winning singer opened up about her decision not to have children during an Aug. 19 episode of the IMO Podcast with Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson. During the conversation, Blige reflected on what shaped her decision when she was younger and how growing older gave her a different perspective on motherhood.
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Mary J. Blige on The IMO Podcast: Blige said she wanted her freedom when she was younger.
Around the 45:15 mark, Robinson brought up Blige’s decision not to have children, prompting the singer to explain what influenced her choice.
“I said a lot of things when I was younger,” Blige, 55, told the brother-sister duo during the interview. “I didn’t want no damn kids,” she chuckled before opening up about some of the difficult experiences she witnessed among relatives who had children.
“I saw a lot of people struggling. I see a lot, you know, my family members needing babysitters and them not having a choice, no freedom. When you’re younger, those are the words you make, those are the choices you make: ‘I don’t want any kids,’” she said.
But her perspective changed as she got older.
Blige explained that her perspective began to change as she got older and started noticing the close relationships parents can have with their children, particularly as they grow into their teenage years.
“When you get older, you start to see how valuable their teenagers are to them [and] their kids are to them,”…
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