Mary J. Blige is opening up about the financial hardship she faced after her divorce, revealing that paying $30,000 a month in alimony to her ex-husband left her struggling to cover her own rent.
The Grammy-winning singer filed for divorce from Kendu Isaacs in July 2016 after 13 years of marriage. Despite alleging that Isaacs cheated on her and misappropriated money during their relationship, Mary J. Blige was ordered to pay him temporary spousal support. Isaacs initially requested $129,319 per month to maintain the lifestyle he claimed they shared, but the court reduced the amount to $30,000 per month.
Mary J. Blige has since shared that the payments took a significant toll on her finances. In addition to the $30,000 monthly temporary spousal support, Isaacs received additional payments totaling more than $200,000, including a $135,000 payment and attorney fees.
Speaking in a conversation with Angie Martinez, Mary J. Blige recalled the immediate impact of the divorce settlement. She said that when the divorce was finalized, she had already exhausted much of her money because, according to her, Isaacs had spent it during their marriage. As a result, she had to return to touring to generate income to meet her alimony obligations.
“When I first got the divorce, I had to give up all this alimony and I had no more money to give because he had spent it all,” Blige said. “So, I had to go on tour and make all the money back to pay the alimony. And I didn’t have money to pay my rent and all this other stuff. Also, I didn’t have my soul. I was just drained and everything.”
Court documents from the divorce proceedings reveal the financial strain she described. Mary J. Blige argued that their prenuptial agreement should have negated spousal support and maintained that her success as an entertainer predated her marriage. “My success as an entertainer has nothing to do with [Isaacs],” she stated in court filings. “I was successful when I met him and have continued to enjoy success, although there have certainly been ups and downs.”
She also disclosed that the couple had accumulated significant debt. According to her court statements, they owed millions of dollars in taxes and had advances that needed to be recouped by record companies. Blige further stated that she earned no income from the European leg of a recent tour, deepening her financial challenges at the time.
In the filings, Mary J. Blige alleged that Isaacs misappropriated approximately $420,000 over two years during their marriage, including charges she described as travel expenses for his girlfriend.
