Grammy winning singer, Mary J. Blige has opened up about her decision not to have children and how she copes with moments of solitude, during a candid appearance on Michelle Obama’s IMO podcast alongside Obama’s brother, Craig Robinson.

The conversation touched on Blige’s early career, her healing journey and her long held choice to remain childfree, a topic Robinson raised roughly forty minutes into the discussion.

Reflecting on the decision she made when she was younger, Blige explained that watching family members struggle to find babysitters and lose their sense of freedom shaped her thinking at the time.

She admitted that her perspective has since evolved, saying that as she has gotten older she has come to appreciate how valuable teenage children can be to the people raising them, even though she does not regret the path her own life has taken.

Blige also spoke candidly about the solitude that comes with her lifestyle, admitting that while she genuinely enjoys her own company and cherishes the relationships she has built with longtime friends, she does experience moments of loneliness despite spending much of her time alone at home.

She described her circle as a kind of village that continues to uplift her, even as she navigates being by herself more often than not.

The appearance comes as Blige continues to reflect publicly on themes of healing, self-worth and personal growth, following a career marked by both major commercial success and deeply personal struggles that she has often channelled into her music. Her comments add further insight into how the singer, now in her fifties, has come to view her choices around family and companionship with a more nuanced perspective than in earlier interviews on the same subject.