Mary J. Blige: Why The ‘Power’ Star Vowed to Never Perform ‘Be Without You Again’
When celebrity relationships end, many of them end less than amicably. Such is the case with Mary J. Blige and her ex-husband Kendu Isaacs. The former pair were married for 13 years, with Blige citing infidelity, verbal abuse, and Isaacs providing his mistresses with a lavish lifestyle on her dime as the cause of their divorce. Things were so bad that Blige reportedly promised she’d never perform her biggest single “Be Without You” again, citing Isaacs being the original inspiration behind the love song.
Mary J. Blige reportedly won’t perform “Be Without You” because the song was written about her ex-husband
Blige is known for many songs of heartbreak. But “Be Without You” is one about being madly in love, and remains a fan favorite.
When speaking with comedian Luenell, Vlad TV recalled a conversation he had with the writer and producer of the song. “I remember – I think it was my interview with Bryan-Michael Cox, who actually produced “Be Without You” – and I remember I actually asked him what he thought about the song,” Vlad told her. “And he said, ‘Well, it’s bittersweet because I know that she actually wasn’t going to perform that ever again because it was about her ex-husband. And after they had that bad breakup, that song was so tied to him, that she was never going to actually sing it again.’”
In a flashback clip of his interview with Cox, the musician explained similar sentiments, noting Blige’s divorce and how feelings for her ex have been altered. “The energy behind that record, Mary was in a different space. And the person that energy was for, obviously that’s changed. So I know people are emotionally attached to their records, and I don’t know how that record makes Mary feel now,” Cox said. “Because at the time we made that record, she was in a very different place when it came to her being married. The things that went around that song, the story of that song, how we even got to work with Mary – the majority of it came through that relationship.”
“Be Without You” is one of Mary J. Blige’s biggest hits
The song was released as the first single from her seventh studio alum, The Breakthrough, in 2005. It was nearly an instant hit. “Be Without You” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It won the Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance categories at the 2007 Grammy Awards.
“Be Without You” had constant radio play, and continues to on urban radio. It was ranked as the most played song on US radio in 2006, and was certified double-platinum by the RIAA in 2007. Billboard ranked the song as the most successful R&B/Hip-Hop Song of all time in 2017.
An accompanying music video starring Empire alum Terrance Howard as the love interest was released. It won the Video of the Year award at the 2006 BET Awards, and was nominated for Best R&B Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.
The singer had to pay her ex alimony after their split
Blige has been open about intense feelings of anger and resentment toward her ex-husband, making her decision to not perform “Be Without You” understandable. Following their split, he sued her for more than $130,000 monthly in spousal support. During their marriage, he acted as her manager. In 2017, Blige was ordered to pay $30,000 a month in alimony.
She says the monthly bills were nearly impossible for her to pay. In April 2022, she told radio host Angie Martinez that her single “Rent Money” was about being nearly destitute from the alimony checks, noting she couldn’t afford her own rent.
“‘Rent Money” is [about] when I first got divorced. I had to give up all this alimony, and I didn’t have no more money to give because he had spent it all,” she explained. “So, I had to go, you know, I had to go on tour, and make all the money back to pay the alimony.”
