Mary J. Blige, who has reigned as an R&B icon married Kendu Isaacs back in 2003, but by 2016, the 'Just Fine' singer wasn't "fine" anymore when it came to her marriage.
That same year, she had filed for divorce following reports that her ex-husband had been leading a double life, with sources alleging that her hard-earned money was used to pamper Isaacs’ women. Nuh-uh, Mr. Isaacs, not cool!
Blige, with a fortune of $20 million, based her decision to divorce her husband, who was also her manager at the time, ultimately leaving the man she had been married to for 12 years. Considering they'd spent so much time together, it became clear that their split wasn’t going to be cheap! So, how much did Kendu Isaac end up receiving in spousal support? Let's dive in.
Updated on July 25th, 2021, by Michael Chaar: Mary J. Blige found love in Kendu Isaacs, who became her husband and future manager in 2003. Despite 15 years of marriage together, Mary filed for divorce following reports regarding Isaacs cheating and living a double life. The 'Family Affair' singer split from Kendu, but not before being ordered to pay him $30,000 a month in spousal support. While Mary J. Blige has said she won't allow her divorce to break her spirits, the singer remains single, as she is not yet ready to start dating.
How Much Did Mary J. Blige Pay In Spousal Support?
Despite his outrageous spousal support request for almost $130k a month, a judge ended up awarding Isaacs with a total of $30,000, which Blige already found to be much higher than what she would have willingly given to her ex.
Again, the divorce is said to have been brought upon by cheating scandals and affairs, which the 'No More Drama' hitmaker had stressed in her court documents. She even claimed that the money she had been giving Isaacs was used to fund his many trips with the other woman in his life. Yikes!
When the former couple parted ways, it was also said that Isaacs was keeping Blige’s possessions without her consent, such as her Grammy award and other prestigious accolades. He also continued driving the cars that Blige was said to have been leasing, giving her all the more reason to fight tooth and nail for her fortune during the divorce battle.
Following her 2017 BET Awards performance, Isaacs had taken to his Instagram to address the split for the very first time on social media.
“I love you to death, Mary J. Blige. I can’t even begin to understand why you are going on about this the way you have been. I never wanted to discuss our life, airing the laundry,” he wrote.
Blige chose not to respond to Isaacs’ comments. Instead, she had made an appearance at the Essence Festival in July, where she described her breakup with Isaacs as one of the worst times of her life, mostly for the things that had gone down after their split.
“I don’t know if people saw the last eight or five years of my life, but it’s been hell. And it’s been ugly and it’s been public and it’s been nasty,” she explained.
So, in the midst of all that. And the stuff that people don’t even know about- fighting for my life, fighting for my marriage, fighting for my morals and everything- I discovered my strength. My strength, my real strength is discovered.”
Further court documents filed by Blige revealed how Isaacs allegedly spent more than $420,000 during their marriage on travel expenses that were believed to have involved another woman he was having an affair with.
Mary J. Releases Music Inspired By Divorce
Her thirteenth studio album, Strength of a Woman, which the New York native released under Capitol Records in April 2017, was dedicated to the ups and downs she’d faced since parting ways with her longtime partner.
The divorce was particularly hard on Blige, who once called Isaacs the love of her life, who she recalls as the first man to ever tell her she was beautiful. Despite their love for one another, and the romantic start to their marriage, the couple did not stand the test of time.
Then, in March 2019, it was reported that Blige and Isaacs had quietly settled their divorce just days before the songstress would attend the Oscars where she’d been nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Mudbound, as well as Best Original Song for Mighty River.
Who Is Mary J. Blige Dating Today?
While the singer remains active in the industry, performing across the U.S all while serving some of the best looks on her Instagram, Mary J. Blige remains single.
The star has spoken out about her journey through dating following her divorce, claiming that it posed itself as quite the challenge! Although she's determined to carry on without allowing her divorce to break her spirits, Mary isn't jumping into anything serious.
As Blige continues to live her best life, she can do it all while enjoying her $20 million net worth, which is only set to grow despite her monthly payments to Kendu Isaacs.