Mary J. Blige Says Her Ex-Husband Is After Her Money

To prepare for the role of Florence Jackson in the upcoming film “Mudbound,” Mary J. Blige tapped into her own heartache.

“I used a lot of my own heaviness from my own misery that I was living in that horrible marriage,” the 46-year-old told Variety. “‘I was just dying in it. I knew something was wrong. I just couldn’t prove it. I just had all the heaviness of not feeling right, not feeling good. I gave it to Florence.”

Blige, who shot the Netflix film last summer, filed for divorce from husband and manager Martin “Kendu” Issacs in July after 12 years of marriage. In the wake of the split, allegations surfaced regarding Issac’s infidelity. Blige revealed she had trouble slipping into certain aspects of her role, particularly engaging with another man, co-star Rob Morgan.

“The hardest part was intimacy,” Blige explained. “I was married. I never touched another man other than my husband. I was petrified: ‘Oh God. I don’t want to do it.’”

The performance ultimately brought director Dee Rees to tears.

As for Blige’s new reality, the R&B superstar must dole out $30,000 per month in temporary spousal support.

“I’m doing OK,” Blige said. “I’m living. I’m not happy about a lot of things. I thought someone loved me, right? Turns out, he was a con artist and he didn’t, and now he’s coming after me for all my money. When you come out of something like that, you realize you were never the one. There was someone else that was his queen. I got played. I got suckered. I have to keep smiling and keep my spirits up because this is designed to kill me.”

Issacs’ “queen” is reportedly Blige’s protege, singer-songwriter Starshell. Blige blasted the 28-year-old songstress in the “Strength of a Woman” documentary, which premiered on VH1 in early May.

Amid the personal turmoil, Blige said playing Florence, in which she had to strip down to “the bare necessities of Mary,” offered something fresh.

“For a long time, I didn’t want people to see my hair. I don’t know why,” Blige shared. “I’m not as vain. That’s the thing about Florence that I love. I got the chance to be pure.”

SOURCE