*Mary J. Blige is comfortable with the life she’s built, even as she occasionally wonders what having children might have been like.
The singer recently reflected on her decision to remain child-free during an appearance on the IMO podcast with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. At 55, Blige acknowledged that her feelings about motherhood aren’t quite as straightforward as they were when she was younger.
Blige said growing up in a large family gave her a firsthand look at the challenges that came with raising children. Watching relatives arrange childcare and make sacrifices influenced how she viewed parenthood and ultimately helped convince her that she wanted a different path.
“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.
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As she’s gotten older, however, Blige said she’s gained a greater appreciation for the relationships parents develop with their children. Seeing those bonds evolve over the years has occasionally prompted her to consider the road she didn’t take.
“When you get older, you start to see how valuable their teenagers are to them [and] their kids are to them,” she explained.
The global superstar added, “So now it’s like … ‘Oh man’…But then you’re like … eh…”
Even with those moments of reflection, Blige doesn’t appear to be searching for a different life. She said she’s learned how to enjoy her own company and doesn’t view being alone as something she needs to fix.
“Sometimes I’m lonely, but I’m alone a lot,” Blige said. “I’m in my home, but we have a good time.”
Her views on motherhood have remained consistent over the years. During a 2022 appearance on E!’s Daily Pop, Blige explained that her desire for independence played a major role in her decision not to have children.
“I like my freedom to go and move and do what I want to do. I don’t want to have to tend to someone all the time,” she said. Blige also pointed to what she had observed within her own family, saying, “I’m always watching how people are scrambling for babysitters. I don’t want to go through that.”
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