One of Mary J. Blige’s Best Friends is an Oscar-Nominated Actress
Celebrities often complain that the downside of fame is not being able to trust people who they befriend. They often come across disingenuous people who simply want to be attached to them because of their status. There are a few friendship pairs in Hollywood that prove money doesn’t always change the circle around one for the worst. Best friends like Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland – and Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King remain #BFFgoals. Recently, social media users have been gushing over the friendship between Mary J. Blige and Oscar-nominee Taraji P. Henson. The two have been friends for over a decade and continue to thrive together both personally and professionally.
Mary J. Blige and the Oscar nominee worked together on a movie
Blige and Henson first met in 2000 at a Grammy party. But according to Henson, Blige wasn’t the most inviting at the time. Blige reportedly “turned her back” with a “dismissive wave.” Later the same evening, Henson tapped Blige on the shoulder to speak to her, with “her sister, LaTonya, smacked the crap out of my arm,” Henson revealed per Hip Hollywood.
They wouldn’t reconnect and became friendly until working together on 2009’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself. Blige and Henson played on-screen best friends Tanya and April, both of whom were musically gifted in the film. Since then, they’ve been inseparable.
The two friends recently took a lavish vacation together
The Empire alum and “No More Drama” singer recently took some time off to spend a vacation together in Italy. Photos have surfaced online and on social media showing the pair living their best lives on a yacht off the coast of Porto Cervo in Sardinia.
The Hollywood icons seemingly talked, drank, sang, and danced together. The pair were photographed on the yacht, where Blige donned a yellow bikini and appeared to dance with a yacht crew member while holding a glass of wine. The friends also spent some time in an inflatable raft.
They’ve spoken lovingly about one another publicly
Blige and Henson have not hidden their admiration for one another. While presenting Blige with the “Icon” award at Billboard’s 2017 Women in Music event, the Baby Boy star spoke about Blige’s star power through her music.
“She sings from her heart. You know that every word that she’s singing… she’s experienced,” Henson said of her friend. “The fact that she’s bold enough to share her truth and get so many people through broken hearts, or uplift so many people… that’s a gift.”
Blige returned the accolades when she spoke about Henson at Henson’s Hollywood Walk of Fame induction in 2019. “You have been a total inspiration to me. We meet people in the industry, and they’re not nice,” Blige said. “I’ve never had a friend that I can call while I’m on set and say, ‘How do I do this as an actress,’ and you helped me when I needed help. And in my mind, that’s rare, because people don’t share and you’re a sharer. So thank you for being a giver and a sharer.”
