Soul songstress Mary J. Blige candidly spoke about not only her feelings about Whitney Houston’s death, but about her own former drug demons as she sat in for Whoopie Goldberg on Tuesday’s ABC-TV’s talk show ‘The View.’
Blige, who is known for not holding her tongue when it comes to speaking her mind, reflected on the recent passing of Houston, who apparently had been a great influence in her life. Blige admitted that she never attends funerals because she was traumatized by them as a child but felt compelled to go to Houston’s because they were so close:
“This was really sad (funeral) because Whitney was everything to women like us,” she lamented.
Blige even divulged a conversation that she had with Houston about how important she was to the world. “I got a chance to express to [Whitney] what I felt about her and how I didn’t like seeing her like that.” Blige was referring to Houston’s much publicized battles with drug addiction.
The 41-year-old singer, songwriter has in the past, discussed in detail her struggles with cocaine and alcohol. Blige told her co-hosts, Barbara Walters, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar, how she almost died from her drug habit. She discussed seeking out her drug supply from seedy places in the wee hours of the night. Blige was frank about her enablers, the leeches she surrounded herself with who continuously robbed her of her paychecks by keeping her high and drunk. The actress and fragrance entrepreneur who admitted, “I’ve never done crack,” said her self-destructive lifestyle was formed by the role models she had as a child. “In my family, as a child, all we saw was people getting drunk.”
Trying to keep a career on track while indulging in addictions that can derail it, Blige didn’t mince words when she stated, “I didn’t know what was going on in my business. I didn’t know my business. I didn’t know who was doing my business. I didn’t know what kind of money I had or if I had money. I was just a mess!”
Rehab was not an option for Blige, who instead says that she gave her life to God to help get her off drugs and liquor because she almost died. She pleaded with God because “He is real in my life,” she said. Blige begged God to get off the destructive path she was on, “I didn’t want to die,” she said. She also changed her environment and released those who were negative influences in her life. Blige also credits her husband of 8 years, Martin Kendu Issacs, who supported and challenged her to do the right thing. He kept her focused on the important tasks at hand.
After five years of living sober, no drugs or liquor, Blige appears to have it all and is enjoying it. The award-winning performer who once proclaimed “I Can Do Bad All by Myself” seems to have gotten “Stronger with Each Tear” because now she can finally say, that there is “No More Drama in My Life!”
Source: NewsOne
