Your favorite rich auntie, Mary J. Blige, sometimes wonders about her decision to be child-free. While on the IMO podcast in August, hosted by Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson, Blige opened up about moments that made her realize motherhood could be a rewarding path. 

Robinson brought up the singer’s decision not to have children during the interview, and she explained what influenced that decision. 

“I said a lot of things when I was younger,” Blige, 55, told the brother-sister duo during the interview. 

She continued, “I saw a lot of people struggling. I see a lot, you know, my family members needing babysitters and them not having a choice, no freedom. When you’re younger, those are the words you make, those are the choices you make: ‘I don’t want any kids,’” she said. 

The singer’s stance on being a parent shifted slightly though when she began noticing the bond parents have with their kids as they get older.

“When you get older, you start to see how valuable their teenagers are to them [and] their kids are to them,” she explained. 

The singer paused before adding, “So now it’s like … ‘Oh man’…But then you’re like … eh…”

Although the Grammy-award-winning artist is having reflective moments about motherhood, she made it clear that her life is fulfilling as is. She explained that enjoying her own company helps minimize feelings of loneliness. 

“Sometimes I’m lonely, but I’m alone a lot,” Blige said. “I’m in my home, but we have a good time. We have a good time. I make sure we have a good time. We by ourselves, we watching movies, I be trying on clothes, I be watching movies. I accept it; it is what it is. I’m not trying to have company and friends; it is what it is.”

For the record, though, her friends do also fill in the gaps, providing the love and support she needs. And she appreciates them.

“I have a small crew of fabulous women. I’m fabulous. We have this type of conversation,” she said. “They have my best interests; they’re my family. We all live in the same neighborhood. And if I need, I use each one of them for different things because they’re all built different. But they’re there for me when I need them.”

The singer hasn’t experienced motherhood yet, but she has experienced love and marriage. She was with music producer Martin Isaacs from 2003 until 2016 when they went through a bitter divorce. In 2024, Blige publicly confirmed she was happily taken and in love. She didn’t disclose the mystery man’s identity at the time, and it’s unclear whether that relationship is still going strong. But either way, she’s still doing “Just Fine.”