Mary J Blige’s Divorce with Ex-husband Kendu Isaacs: Inside Their Marriage and Split

Singer Mary J. Blige was married to her first and only husband, record producer and manager Kendu Isaacs, for 15 years. Find out more about their marriage and how it ended.

For many years, singer and songwriter Mary J. Blige has rocked the entertainment industry with an impressive number of hit songs, ranging from “Family Affair” to “Be Without You.” The singer has also done incredibly well as an actress and has appeared in the hit shows “The Umbrella Academy” and “Power Book II: Ghost.”

While fans appreciate her for her talents, many do not know of her tumultuous past and marriage to her former manager, Kendu Isaacs. Here is all you need to know about Blige’s ex-husband of fifteen years and how their marriage came to an end.

Mary J. Blige and Kendu Isaacs at The 21st Annual Critics’ Choice Awards | Source: Getty Images

Who Is Kendu Isaacs?

Best known as Blige’s ex-husband, Isaacs was born in August 1968 and made a career from being a record producer. He is credited for his work on the reality show “Tamar & Vince” and was an executive producer of the 2013 drama “Betty and Coretta,” in which Blige starred.

In addition, he is credited for working as a manager at the Berlin-based artist management company K.I. Management. Isaacs has also executive produced and managed many of Blige’s musical works, including her albums “My Life II…The Journey Continues (Act 1),” “Stronger With Each Tear,” and “A Mary Christmas.”

Mary J. Blige at the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 21, 2018. | Source: Getty Images

However, their union ended after Isaacs reportedly had an affair during their marriage. They did not share any children during their marriage, but Blige did welcome his children from a previous relationship. During an interview, Blige reminisced about her marriage to Isaacs and said:

“Well, when I look back, I see that we all want what we want and we want it to be the way we want it to be. I wanted a savior; I’d been hurting so long, and so much, and so bad.”

Kendu and Mary Found Love Working Together

After working together for so long, Blige’s fans were delightfully surprised to discover that she had found love with Isaacs. On December 7, 2003, Blige and Isaacs tied the knot. At the time, Isaacs was already a father to his three kids from previous relationships, making Blige a stepmother.

Mary J. Blige and Kendu Isaacs at the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party | Source: Getty Images

Mary J. Blige Accepted His Children from Another Marriage

The singer revealed that she loved being a stepmother to Isaacs’ children, adding that she did her best to make time to be with them. Isaacs’s daughter is Briana, while his other two kids are Nas and Jordan.

A decade after marriage, the singer gushed about her darling husband and how she knew he was the one for her. While on the “Queen Latifah Show,” she said:

“My past was just horrific. I felt ashamed about everything. Me dropping out of high school, me not, you know, just not being beautiful enough.”

Continuing her narration of their love story, Blige said that she felt genuinely loved and cared for by Isaacs. She added that he was not afraid of being honest with her while giving her the affection she craved. While speaking about their marriage, the singer joked that she would not let her husband have female friends.

Kendu Isaac and Mary J. Blige’s Divorce

Seeing how in love and smitten Blige and Isaacs were with each other, fans were shocked to hear of Isaacs’ relationships outside their marriage. It was revealed that Blige filed for divorce in July 2016, citing irreconcilable differences. The singer was adamant about pursuing the end of her marriage, which was finalized two years later.

In 2017, Isaacs raised eyebrows when he started dating Blige’s signed up-and-coming artist, Starshell. He also reportedly cheated on Blige with Starshell. The pair went back and forth over their divorce settlement, with Blige seeking to work a way out of paying Isaacs the court-ordered $30,000 spousal support.

Isaacs was initially seeking $130,000 a month in spousal support and avoiding the spousal support worked for Blige, as she claimed that he spent extravagantly on his mistresses. Eventually, the settlement came in 2018.

Mary J. Blige Re-Parenting Her Little Girl

After years of pain and hardship, Blige shared in an interview that she would spend the next chapter of her life healing “little Mary.” After her marriage ended, Mary J. Blige released “Strength of a Woman.”

She said fans had told her the album had saved their lives. And over the years, she revealed that she had learned to forgive Isaacs for “everything he did” and herself for “being so stupid.”

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