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Mary J. Blige Says Her Divorce From Kendu Isaacs Has "Been Hell"

Blige filed for divorce from her husband in July of last year.

Mary J. Blige is now speaking out about her now former marriage to Kendu Issacs, and she’s describing it as “hell.”

In an interview with Tamron Hall at the 2017 edition of ESSENCE Fest, the singer broke down why her marriage fell apart and how she’s now trying to move on.

"I don't know if people seen the last eight or five years of my life, but it’s been hell," she said on a panel at festival in New Orleans on Friday. "And it’s been ugly and it’s been public and it’s been nasty. So, in the midst of all that. And the stuff that people don't even know about -- fighting for my life, fighting for my marriage, fighting for my morals and everything -- I discovered my strength. My strength, my real strength is discovered.”

Blige also talked about her new album, Strength of a Woman, and how creating it got her through some tough times.

"The journey that got us here is that every woman can relate to a woman out there fighting for her marriage,” she described. "When I first started writing this album I was fighting for my marriage. There were a lot of layers to me peeled back for this marriage. I really thought I did [find] the love of my life."

Finally, Mary J relayed her current faith and communication with God, and that also has helped her through her career and life in general.

"Being Mary J. Blige the celebrity is secondary and I’m a human being first and I suffer just like everyone else,” she said. “I believe that I wasn't given this career or this job as a singer or this gift from God to sit down and say, ‘I’m going to suffer from the world in silence and die.’ And it's therapeutic for me as well. So, you know, that's why. It's not just for me.”

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