'Self-love is the hardest thing': Mary J. Blige says she's learned to be her own 'best friend' during COVID-19 lockdown
She's a Grammy-winning recording artist and Oscar-nominated actress.
And Mary J. Blige has revealed that spending time in self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be a blessing in disguise.
'I have grown deeper in love with myself,' Blige, 49, says in a cover interview for Health magazine. 'I really appreciate this rest and this silence, so that I can hear more clearly what’s going on.'
Rest and silence: Mary J. Blige told Health magazine that self-isolating during the pandemic has proved to be a blessing in disguise, explaining: 'I have grown deeper in love with myself'
She explained: 'When you’re by yourself, you’re either going to be your own best friend and be honest and real with yourself, or you’re going to be your own worst enemy and deceive yourself. It’s been so clear to me that I am my best friend.'
Blige, who has overcome addiction and went through a very public divorce in 2018, tells Health that 'Self-love is the hardest thing to feel.'
'Until you get satisfied with who you are, other people won’t ever be satisfied. That’s the growing process,' the singer said.
'That’s learning how to love and hug yourself and say, “You know what? I love you, Mary. I love you, Beautiful. I love you, Gorgeous. I love you, Smart Woman. I love you, Talented Woman.” That’s a practice I do every single day.'
Self-love: 'When you’re by yourself, you’re either going to be your own best friend and be honest and real with yourself, or you’re going to be your own worst enemy and deceive yourself,' the singer and actress, 49, said
Blige is featured on the cover of Health's Beauty issue and also talks about Black Lives Matter and her roles in Power Book II: Ghost on Starz and upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic Respect
Blige signed to Uptown records in 1991 and has enjoyed a string of platinum-selling albums as well as garnering critical and industry acclaim.
She started pursuing an acting career in the early 2000s and had small roles in multiple TV shows.
In 2012, she starred opposite Tom Cruise in the big screen adaptation of Broadway musical Rock of Ages.
Five years later, her performance in the period drama Mudbound earned her a best supporting actress Oscar nomination.
She will next be seen playing Dinah Washington in the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, slated for a 2021 release.
Growing: Blige, who has overcome addiction and went through a very public divorce in 2018, tells Health that 'Self-love is the hardest thing to feel'