Tag Archives: Mary J Blige

In her continued efforts not to pay her estranged husband/ex-manager, Kendu Isaacs, one red cent in spousal support, Mary J. Blige, just laid it on thick, as to why she should not and cannot pay him in new court documents. From the looks of it, her new argument just made it much tougher for Kendu to get that $100K+ he’s demanding per month from Mary. Just one month ahead of their divorce trial, Mary J. just filed new court docs, blaming Kendu for her financial downfall and claims that she barely has the means to fully support herself at this time, let alone a grown man. See details below…

Mary Says Kendu Should Not Get Any New $$ From Her New Movie

Apparently, Kendu may be under the impression that Mary made a huge amount of bread off of the recent Hollywood film Mudbound, in which she starred. For her role, she earned a nomination for an Academy Award, but according to the “Real Love” singer, she didn’t earn a damn thing from it. In fact, Mary stated, in new court docs, that her Mudbound role actually left her with expenses that were far larger than the paycheck she earned for her work on the film. She also revealed that her financial downfall has forced her to have to seek new TV and film projects, but at this point, those still are not paying off financially for her either. The only thing those projects are doing, is helping her to keep her brand and image relevant, with the hopes of eventually earning bigger paydays for future work.

Her Main Source Of Income

Although Mary’s TV and film ventures aren’t yet earning her a lotta income right now, she said that she’s staying afloat by doing what she does best, touring and performing for her fans. However, in the new court docs, Mary pointed out that because she’s a “legacy artist, there is no market for her to embark on a major world tour every year.” That means, the tour money is good, but not necessarily magnificent. She also argued that Kendu still should not get any of her tour earnings either, because it’s barely there, due to the debt he left her in…

She Makes No Money From Her Music

According to The Blast, Mary is making nothing from her music catalog, so Kendu can’t get that money either, apparently:

Via TB: As for her old music, Blige says she doesn’t own her music catalog, and in fact, she owes $25 million in advances she’s taken.

The Debt Mary Says Kendu Left Her In Is Major

Mary’s argument didn’t stop at the $25M’s she currently owes in record label advances, she then pointed out there is another $12 MILLION both she and Kendu acquired as a couple. The main problem is that she says he left her to pay the entire bill, without contributing a dime. Therefore, she’s stating in court docs, that for that reason as well, she should not have to pay Kendu anything in spousal support. As we told y’all a few months ago, Mary and Kendu owe millions in taxes. She also stated that Kendu has yet to seek a job and simply views her as a “bank.” Dayumn!

Like we said, Mary laid it all out there and the battle just got tougher for Kendu. They will get their final answer when they start their divorce trial in a month though. Meanwhile…

Kendu’s Latest Court Filing Against Mary Demands Even More $$

As we previously reported, a judge ordered Mary to pay Kendu $30K a month in temporary spousal support, which is about $70K+ shy of what he actually wanted monthly. In January (2018), Kendu filed new court docs of his own, asking the judge to grant him even more of Mary’s money and here’s why:
Claims Mary’s Earning Money Off Their Divorce…
It has been reported that Kendu ain’t happy about Mary’s new music, her latest appearances, and her tour. Apparently, he believes she’s profiting off their divorce. For that particular reason, Kendu wants more money. However, he isn’t stopping there. He’s also accused Mary of withholding his pay from the time he worked as her personal manager for her previous King & Queen of Hearts tour. For his work on that tour, he’s now demanding another $345,000.
Claims Mary Is Defaming His Character In The Media…
Kendu also insists Mary has been using interviews as an opportunity to defame and criticize him. He’s actually blaming Mary’s criticism for his inability to find another job, despite his “aggressive efforts” to do so, according to the publication:

“In fact, petitioner has financially benefitted from this divorce because she used it as a platform to promote her new music, album, and tour,” Kendu wrote in court papers, which were obtained by the publication. “Since the divorce was initiated, she has released at least two songs that have been dubbed her ‘divorce’ songs. The evidence will show that petitioner reaped a substantial profit from this divorce.”

With the latest filing, Isaacs is still arguing that he should be entitled to half of Mary’s earnings for work she did throughout their marriage. He’s reportedly demanding “half of her royalties, residuals, and commissions that Mary earned from her music, film, and TV work during their nearly 13-year marriage.”

Kendu Wants Spousal Support To Support Himself & His Kids

After Mary originally filed for divorce in 2016, Kendu hit her with a long list of demands for his initial request of $129K+ monthly. As we reported in October 2016, according to V103 Chicago, a full list of Kendu’s monthly demands is circulating on social media. Apparently, he wants everything from $8,000 a month for a private chef and $5,732 on groceries to $5,000 a month in child support for his two kids from a previous relationship. He even wants a whopping $21,000 for monthly charities and $10,000 just for entertainment, gifts and vacations. Here’s the full list:

Then, in March of 2017, Daily Mail reported that Kendu had lowered his initial $129K+ down to $110K:

Via Daily Mail: In the latest [divorce] paperwork, filed to the Los Angeles Superior Court last week and seen exclusively by DailyMail.com, Isaacs seems to have dropped $20,000 of expenses- cutting requests for Mary to pay $8,000 for his private chef and $3,200 for his personal trainer, as well as other monthly reductions.

Mary Revealed Their Debt LeftHer Homeless After Divorce Filing

In January 2018, Mary dropped a bombshell revelation that she was homeless after filing for divorce and that music exec, Jimmy Iovine, and his wife stepped in to help her, by opening up their home to her:
When the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul received her star on the Walk of Fame, she tearfully explained just how important the defining moment was for her.

“I’m so grateful for this star right now because I’ve earned it probably three times,” Blige told the crowd. “I say that with confidence and not arrogance. I say it because I know that now, and I know my worth, and what this means.” […] “When all hell was turning loose in 2016 and I had to file and all of that stuff, I was homeless last year,” she added. “Jimmy Iovine took me into his Malibu home- him and his beautiful wife, Liberty- and I will never forget that.”

Hopefully Mary and Kendu can reach an amicable resolve once their divorce process is said and done.

Once upon a time, Mary J. Blige was a happily-married woman to a man she once called her ‘lifesaver.’ Kendu Isaacs became her husband and manager in 2003, which is a decision that the ‘Queen of Hip Hop Soul’ now painfully regrets.

Learned The Hard Way

She turned over her financial affairs to Isaacs and now is paying for it– literally and figuratively. But Mary has learned a hard lesson through it all. Even if you have a great team, you still need to know what’s going on with your bread.

Mary sat down with New York Magazine to talk about her recent successes and her hopeful perspective on life. She didn’t want to go into the details of her messy divorce, but Blige did talk a bit about the impact it has had on her finances.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BezKf3dBPsx/

Her Divorce Is The Best And Worst Thing That Could Happen To Her Finances

In divorce documents, Mary told the court that she was in debt up to her eyeballs and owed millions of dollars to the IRS. Blige credits Isaacs for this mess, but she has taken ownership for not paying attention to the business side of her craft. At one point last year, Mary was homeless. The reality of her condition was a rude awakening. Mary is not just in the music business, she IS a business.

“I’m just being straight-up honest,” Blige told New York Magazine. “I never wanted to do all this stuff, but after what I’ve been through and all the mess that I’m in … You have to pay those taxes. It’s good to see what you have and what you don’t have — and why are we paying this person $5,000 a week?”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BauvzpHhMtu/

The Golden Globe and now Oscar-nominated actress/singer has much to look forward to in the coming days. Her performance in “Mudbound” has garnered hella praise and most definitely validates her recent star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ben1J2OjVQ8/

But it has all been overshadowed by the ongoing battle with Isaacs over her money, coupled with the challenges of earning money to pay off her debts. Mary J. had been ordered to pay Isaacs $30,000 a month, which she hopes will end when they go to court next month. Either way, Mary has turned a corner.

“This is the next chapter,” Blige said with optimism. “This is why I’m just so humbled and grateful, because I’ve been praying for this and asking for this and it’s here, outside of all this foolishness that’s happening right now.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYB4NzFhajJ/

Mary J. Blige has had a relatively difficult time over the past year or so, but things are slowly turning around for the better. Yesterday, the “Real Love” singer sparked a media firestorm, when it was announced that she’d received not one, but two Oscar nominations. According to Billboard, Mary J. Blige has been nominated for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for the Netflix film, Mudbound, and a nomination for ‘Best Original Song’ for the song, “Mighty River.”

Honored and Speechless:

On Tuesday morning, Mary J. received a call from her publicist about the nominations. During an interview with USA Today, she shared her reaction to the prestigious honor. She admitted it was definitely an emotional milestone in her life:

"It was all I could do to not look back." @MaryJBlige's incredible performance as Florence Jackson earns her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. pic.twitter.com/aBl1AgmIsq

— Mudbound (@mudboundmovie) January 23, 2018

“I just can’t stop crying,” said Mary J. Blige. “My phone rang at about 5:30 a.m. and it was my publicist, Amanda (Silverman), and she was screaming. And I don’t know what it is so I’m screaming and I’m crying! It’s just a really emotional time. We’re not taking this lightly because things like this don’t happen. And it did.”

However, Mary wasn’t the only person rejoicing about the honor. Fans also took to social media to give Mary her props. With all that she’s been through, fans know the struggle has been real and many have shared their reaction to Mary’s milestone.

Fans Rejoice:

To fans, Mary’s victory is a victory for everyone. Shortly after the nominations were announced, fans set Twitter ablaze with congratulatory tweets, comical memes and gifs of her doing the signature Mary J dance. With all of the hype surrounding Mary’s nominations, the awards show may actually attract a few more African American viewers this year, which is a lot more than they could say for last year. Anywho, check out the fan tweets below:

https://twitter.com/quintabrunson/status/955797426228613120

I am a huge @maryjblige fan and I am so happy for her!! She closed a door and God has opened so many for her! Congrats and Good luck @maryjblige

— Tessa (@CurtessaJacques) January 23, 2018

listen, @maryjblige, has the power to grab your heart and just squeeze it. Congrats on your nomination!

— wow, that’s wild. (@wildproletariat) January 23, 2018

Walk through the hood like pic.twitter.com/yomrDx8jYb

— A$AP Sloppy (@RashidZakat) January 23, 2018

https://twitter.com/foreveryoggal/status/955809056689704961

The  90th Academy Awards show is set to air on March 4, 2018. Congratulations to Mary J. Blige!

For months now, Mary J. Blige has fought to move on with her life despite her nasty divorce battle with her estranged ex-husband, Kendu Isaacs. After being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it seemed Mary’s life was finally moving in the right direction. But, unfortunately, Kendu is back again to make things difficult. According to Bossip, he has made more claims against his soon-to-be ex-wife, with the hope walking away with more money.

More Accusations:

It has been reported that Kendu ain’t happy about Mary’s new music, her latest appearances, and her tour. Apparently, he believes she’s profiting off their divorce. For that particular reason, Kendu wants more money. However, he isn’t stopping there. He’s also accused Mary of withholding his pay from the time he worked as her personal manager for her previous King & Queen of Hearts tour. For his work on that tour, he’s now demanding another $345,000.

Embed from Getty Images

Defamation Or Nah?:

Kendu also insists Mary has been using interviews as an opportunity to defame and criticize him. He’s actually blaming Mary’s criticism for his inability to find another job, despite his “aggressive efforts” to do so, according to the publication: 

“In fact, petitioner has financially benefitted from this divorce because she used it as a platform to promote her new music, album, and tour,” Kendu wrote in court papers, which were obtained by the publication. “Since the divorce was initiated, she has released at least two songs that have been dubbed her ‘divorce’ songs. The evidence will show that petitioner reaped a substantial profit from this divorce.”

With the latest filing, Isaacs is still arguing that he should be entitled to half of Mary’s earnings for work she did throughout their marriage. He’s reportedly demanding “half of her royalties, residuals, and commissions that Mary earned from her music, film, and TV work during their nearly 13-year marriage.”

Kendu’s latest filing follows reports about his steep demands for spousal support. As expected, a judge denied his initial request for more than $100,000 a month in temporary spousal support. On the flip side, Mary is still arguing that the $30,000 a month he currently receives is still too much. So, it looks like these two will be going back and forth to court for months to come, until their divorce proceedings are finalized.And the unfortunate saga continues…

Most fans probably admire the fame and fortune Mary J. Blige has seen over the years. From hit records and platinum-selling albums to sell-out concerts and impressive film roles, Mary J. has conquered a lot throughout her career. But behind closed doors, things weren’t always as great as it may have seemed. There were still times when the Grammy Award-winning singer still hit rock bottom. In fact, one of her recent downward spirals occurred back in 2016.

Depressed and Homeless:

When the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul received her star on the Walk of Fame, she tearfully explained just how important the defining moment was for her. With all the ups and downs she’s faced on her way to the top, the prestigious honor is definitely a breathe of fresh air. Mary has been through a lot in her personal life over the past couple years- more than her fans actually knew.

“I’m so grateful for this star right now because I’ve earned it probably three times,” Blige told the crowd. “I say that with confidence and not arrogance. I say it because I know that now, and I know my worth, and what this means.”

Embed from Getty Images

Light In The Midst Of Darkness:

The “Seven Days” singer revealed there was one man who came to her rescue and helped her when times were rough. Interscope Records executive, Jimmy Iovine, and his wife, Liberty, opened their doors to the singer during her time of need in 2016, after she’d filed for divorce from Kendu Isaacs: 

“When all hell was turning loose in 2016 and I had to file and all of that stuff, I was homeless last year,” she added. “Jimmy Iovine took me into his Malibu home- him and his beautiful wife, Liberty- and I will never forget that.”

During the ceremony, Mary J. was joined by many of her longtime friends, who celebrated her success with her. Diddy also recalled their struggle from the bottom to the top, revealing just how hard they worked to make their dreams of success come true…

Embed from Getty Images

“We’ve been through a whole lot. We started from nothing,” Diddy said. “I used to pick Mary up from the projects. I had me a Volkswagen Rabbit. I had like two rims on it. I couldn’t afford four. I would pick her up and we would just drive down the highway in New York and just dream. We would say, ‘Man we want to be somebody. We want to be big. We want to be something for our people. We want to shake up the world.’ And we did that.”

Through it all, Mary J. Blige is definitely an inspiration for fans everywhere. Despite all she’s been through, she continues to push forward. Congratulations to Mary J. Blige.

Mary J. Blige is best-known for her success as a recording artist who is a master at channeling emotion through song. But her role in the Netflix movie, Mudbound, has the industry abuzz and even garnered her a Golden Globe nomination.

With all of the turmoil in Hollywood stemming from the #MeToo movement, Blige has been asked about her experience as a woman in the entertainment industry. She told a reporter at a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) event this weekend, that all of her #MeToo moments happened long before she joined the business.

“I’ve had to fight since I was 5 years old … ever since [the ages of] 5 to 17, I’ve been going through hell with sexual harassment,” Blige explained. “By the time I got to the music business it was like, ‘Don’t touch me or I’ll kill you.'”

Blige sat down with The Hollywood Reporter and explained how her experience growing up shaped the way she handled herself as a young woman entering the music industry. She dressed like a tomboy in baggy jeans and boots and donned baseball caps. Mary thought that making herself less attractive to men would help protect her from being molested, harassed, and raped. She said it would be years before she would be comfortable wearing makeup, or tight-fitting clothes.

In 2016, the ‘Queen of Hip Hop Soul’ took Oprah’s camera crew to her old neighborhood in Yonkers, N.Y., to film an episode of Where Are They Now? for OWN. She talked about the rampant violence that she encountered living in her housing project.

“It was being programmed into our psyches that this is the way we’re supposed to live as women,” Blige said. “It was relentless.”

But Mary is grateful for the lessons she learned, including how to fend for herself and set boundaries. She still lives with the memories of the horrors that she suffered, but told the reporter at the BAFTA event that she is very proud of the women for finding the strength to stand up for themselves.

“I’m actually happy and proud of these women,” Blige said. “They’ve been hanging on to these things forever, for God knows how long, and now they’re speaking up and being set free. It’s a beautiful thing for us to see, and for us to support, because we need each other in that way.”

By now, most fans know all about the challenges Mary J. Blige has faced over the past year. Unfortunately, her divorce battle hasn’t been a smooth process because her soon-to-be ex-husband, Kendu Isaacs, are currently battling it out in divorce proceedings over spousal support and such. But, it looks like Mary will have a breathe of fresh air for her upcoming birthday, because she’s being honored in a major way.

A Well-Deserved Accolade:

According to Variety, Mary is set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for her years of success in the music game. It has been reported that Mary’s longtime friend, Sean “Diddy” Combs, will be present, alongside Hollywood Chamber president and CEO, Leron Gubler, to unveil Mary’s star. However, that’s not all. The star is actually set to unveil on the singer’s 47th birthday on January 11th. It doesn’t get any better than that, right?

Ana Martinez, producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies, recently released a statement about Mary’s esteemed honor. “Mary J. Blige is one of the most popular singers of our generation. Fans will be thrilled to see her star on the Boulevard as her career milestones are celebrated on this very famous sidewalk,” said Martinez.

Light After Darkness:

Mary’s big honor comes not long after a string of reports about her disheartening divorce battle. For those who missed the latest, earlier this week, Kendu blamed their divorce proceedings for something else that’s happened in his life. After battling his estranged wife in court over money, Kendu actually blamed Mary and their current drama for his recent hospitalization, claiming their divorce battle has contributed to his high stress levels…hmmm… However, it looks like Mary isn’t letting the latest saga in their divorce ‘soap opera’ rain on her parade, because she seems to still be holding her head high and  standing tall.

Congrats to Mary J. on her new Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

There’s no doubt that divorcing a spouse can take a toll on anyone and when there are millions of dollars up for grabs, with no true prenup,’ that toll can be that much greater. As is the case for Mary J. Blige and her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Kendu Isaacs. One one side, we have Mary, who risks losing millions in order to pay Kendu spousal support. On the flip side we have Kendu, who risks barely getting a dime and losing the lavish lifestyle he once lived for years with Mary. I’m assuming both sides of the coin can be a bit stressful when the outcome of their divorce is pending.

According to new court filings the stress is apparently so overwhelming, that Kendu has been admitted to the hospital over it. Thankfully, he’s no longer in the hospital, but TheBlast reports that he did make sure to point that out to the judge:

According to court docs obtained by The Blast, Martin “Kendu” Isaacs, who has been battling with the singer over spousal support, claims the ordeal has taken its toll on his health. He says in the docs, “[Isaacs] has experienced physical manifestations of stress and emotional distress from this matter, which has caused him to become hospitalized.”

Isaacs reiterated his financial hardships without Blige’s support, saying he is “unemployable,” paying his rent has become “impossible,” and without Blige he would be “destitute.”

It wasn’t clear what exactly Kendu’s purpose was for letting the court know about his health condition. However, he did ‘reiterate’ the financial problems he was having, now that he and Mary aren’t together. So one can only assume that Kendu’s looking to ultimately get his temporary spousal support bumped from the $30K monthly he’s currently getting from Mary, up to that $65K monthly he’s reportedly requested.

FYI: This latest report, comes after Kendu was filmed getting his gamble on by Love & Hip Hop star, Zell, in late December 2017. At that time, many of Mary’s fans were hella heated, accusing Kendu of gambling away Mary’s money, after claiming he was broke. So far there has been no confirmation on whether, or not, that accusation was true.

Mary J. and Kendu will be headed to trial in March 2018, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see how this one plays out.

Ever since Mary J. Blige filed for divorce from her estranged husband, Kendu Isaacs, in 2016, her fans have been on high alert to catch him doing what they think he should not. That is due to several reasons: (1) because Mary has repeatedly put Kendu on blast for allegedly cheating one her and (2) because Mary has blasted the hell outta him for demanding 130K a month after he claimed he is very broke since she left him.

Of course many feel that Kendu needs to ‘man-up’ and take care of himself, without relying on Mary’s money and the recent move he’s just made is not gonna help his rep’ in the court of public opinion.  You see, for a brotha who says he can barely survive, due to Mary leaving him and taking her income with her, he didn’t really look that way the other night. That may partly be due to the fact that Mary has been court ordered to pay Kendu $30K in temporary spousal support, while they continue to battle it out over the $130K divorce proceedings Kendu’s requesting.

Video Of Kendu Blowing Money Gambling *contains graphic language*

Anywho, the reason fans are sounding off about Kendu now, is because Love & Hip Hop reality show star, Zell, decided to go up live on Instagram the other day, as he was gambling against Kendu and several other people. Zell repeatedly aimed his camera lens at Kendu and shouted his name. Kendu was sitting in front of a short stack of money and didn’t appear to mind being video’d in that moment, because he was too caught up in the fun he was having gambling and such. Check out the video below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdFDwRZl9fG/

Fans Sound Off

I’ve said before and I’ll say it again: Mary was the bread winner in the marriage. So yes, as Mary’s husband of 14 years, Kendu deserves some type of spousal support. HOWEVER,  the million dollar question is: Does he deserve the whopping $130K he’s asking for to pay for his bills, vacations, and such? Nah…not so much.

There’s no doubt that Ms. ‘What’s The 411’ is the bomb.com at 46, but Mary J. Blige never ceases to further prove it every time she steps onto a red carpet.

Mary J. has been making headlines for a lot of drama, even though she long ago sang about how much she didn’t want “no more drama” in her life and ‘never wanted to hurt again.’ That was just wishful thinking on Mary’s part though, because for the past year or so, she’s been going through it with her soon-to be-ex husband, Kendu Isaacs. For the record, I’m sick n’ tired of having to say her ‘soon-to-be-ex-husband, Kendu.’ Can’t they just cut to the chase and get that divorced finalized already? Dayumn! But I digress….

Anywho, although Mary is living in stressful times, with her pending divorce and tax woes, it was a beautiful thing to see her genuinely happy at the recent Hollywood Film Awards. The award ceremony took place inside the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Cali. Mary was awarded the “Breakout Performance Actress Award” at the Sunday, Nov. 5th event, for her role in the film, Mudbound…we’ll get to that in a second though. As if it wasn’t already enough that she was awarded, Mary was presented the award by one of the greatest talents in the acting game, Viola Davis! Talk about an honor, right?

Congratulations to Mary J. on her award win, but she also deserves a separate award for that fly see-thru outfit she rocked to the event. It was classy, yet sheer in all the right places, with only two pasties covering up her upper lady parts…

Typically, we’re used to seeing Mary in sexy, but fully covered get-ups. So when she stepped out in her all white suit, with a sheer bodysuit underneath, she most definitely turned heads.

Now, had this been say, Lil Kim, or Beyonce,’ in this all white ‘fit, there would be nothing to talk about. In fact, it would be considered a toned down outfit for them. However, we’re talking about Mary, so fans were pleasantly surprised to see the newly single R&B queen take a walk on the wild-classy side, if you will.

Okay, now back to her role in the highly anticipated film, Mudbound. The movie will be released on November 17th on Netflix, as well as in at select theaters across the U.S.. Mary stars in the film, alongside Jason Mitchell (“Eazy E” actor from NWA biopic), the actor who many once believed Mary was dating on the low. The film also stars in Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, and Jason Clarke.

In Mudbound, Mary plays the role of “Florence,” a Southern matriarch of the ‘Jackson family.’ The film is set in rural Mississippi, following World War II and here’s what Mary said about her role:
Via Billboard: Speaking about Mudbound, her film about race and poverty in the Mississippi Delta in the 1940s, the singer alludes to Trump: “When I read the script, I was moved because it showed at the end of the day, when it all gets down to it, love has no color … It definitely speaks to today’s times. It seems like everyone is a minority to him. Everybody is fighting for their rights now.”

Blige also revealed why Mudbound was a physical challenge for her:

Via Billboard: “I had to surrender and commit completely to Florence,” Blige says, “like the little ugly boots she was wearing every day and those dresses … We couldn’t wear makeup. We couldn’t have nails. We couldn’t do eyelashes. I was stripped down to the bare necessities of Mary. And that really helped me because people were saying things like, ‘Gosh — you’re so beautiful.’ It helped my self-esteem.”

No matter the challenges Mary J. Blige faces, she’s always fine in our eyes. Keep on keepin’ on Mary J.!