Mary J. Blige has an extensive career as a musician and performer, known for her various talents and abilities in the industry. Likewise, she’s had an extensive romantic history, often linked to other well-known people in the industry.
Below we break down everyone the “Family Affair” singer has had a relationship with, from her most recent husband to her musician boyfriends of the past.
Kendu Isaacs
Mary’s most serious relationship was with producer Kendu Isaacs, to whom she was married for 13 years. The pair split in 2016 and finalized their divorce in 2018, to the shock of many. Following their separation, rumors went around saying Kendu cheated on Mary, the woman in question allegedly Mary’s protégé whom she mentored.
Other details emerged, as Mary accused her ex of being verbally abusive toward the end of their marriage and taking issue with the way she styled her hair and that she no longer cooked.
The time between their separation and divorce was said to have been extended due to Kendu’s irrational financial demands. It was said that Mary was ordered to pay Kendu $30,000 per month as a temporary spousal agreement. In 2017, it was reported that Isaacs requested for the amount to be increased to $65,000 per month, claiming he didn’t have a job and was struggling.
Following their finalized divorce, Mary called her ex a “con artist,” saying, “I got played. I got suckered. I have to keep smiling and keep my spirits up because this is designed to kill me”.
Cedric “K-Ci’ Hailey
Mary’s second most serious relationship was with the rapper Cedric “K-Ci” Hailey. The pair were linked for 12 years and the relationship was said to be extremely tumultuous. The two were said to have met while working on her first full-length album What’s the 411? and then quickly became a power couple in the industry.
Mary, however, later revealed that her relationship with Cedric turned abusive and toxic. Speaking with The Guardian in 2002, Mary mentioned she had a boyfriend who once “tried to kill” her. Although she didn’t specifically name K-Ci, fans assumed the reference was about him.
Nas
Marry and her fellow New Yorker, the hit rapper Nas, first collaborated on the 1997 single “Love is All We Need,” forming a close bond ever since. They notably co-headlined a 2019 tour together, called “Royalty,” and were seen to have gotten very close.
Despite rumors, they never confirmed to have dated, although they still remain good freinds.
In an interview with The New York Post Mary once spoke about their connection, saying, “I mean, we’re family now… It’s like that now.”
Case
Mary was linked to another popular musician in the ’90s: Case. The “Missing You” singer and Mary were serious enough in their relationship that they lived together, after Mary was seen in his “Touch Me, Tease Me” music video.
The singer later admitted to cheating, which lead to the ultimate demise of their relationship. “The way things ended with Mary, they pretty much just ended,” he once explained. “I was on tour and Mary’s cousin was my hype man…mind though that if I wait until he goes…he won’t see that I brought three girls into my room. I was sloppy.”
Tupac Shakur
After leaving her toxic relationship with Cedric, Mary was rumored to have gotten close with Tupac, another major rapper o the ’90s. According to Tupac’s bodyguard, he often intervened in between some very heated arguments between Mary and Cedric.
Once speaking with Cam Capone News about the situation, Tupac’s guard, Reggie Wright Jr., said, “They got into a fight. Somehow, she called Pac. ‘Cause her and Pac were on the down-low cool,” he explained.
“We had to run over to the Peninsula Hotel. She was running down the side street and jumped in the car right quick. And Pac picked her up and took her off.”
Sean “P. Diddy” Combs
Mary and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs have been close pals for a very long time, as the music mogul oversaw the “No Drama” singer’s first two albums, What’s the 411? and My Life. The pair, however, stopped, working together in 1994 due to what Mary called her “reckless lifestyle.”
They rejoined forces in 2001 after recording a remix version to Mary’s “No More Drama.” Considering their super close relationship, many have wondered or speculated about their ever being something more between them. Nothing was every confirmed in that regard, but the two remain close to this day.
Conway the Machine
Most recently, following her divorce from Kendu, Mary was potentially linked to another New York rapper, Conway the Machine. Around summer 2021, photos and video of Mary and Conway getting cozy surfaced, causing fans to wonder about the potential relationship.
In June, BOSSIP reported that the two were getting quite close, pointing out how one of Conway’s IG stories at the time was a picture of Mary’s induction into the Apollo Walk of Fame plus a heart eyes emoji and the hashtag “#mines.” In addition, there was also video circulating of the two at an industry event dancing hand-in-hand and Conway giving Mary a chain from around his neck.
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