Kendu Isaacs, the ex-husband and former manager of Mary J. Blige, claimed he was struggling financially and had difficulty finding work following their highly publicized split. Blige filed for divorce in July 2016 after nearly 13 years of marriage, during which Isaacs also served as her manager. During the proceedings, Isaacs sought substantial financial support, claiming he was “unemployable” and could not pay his rent without Blige’s help.
In June 2017, a Los Angeles judge ordered Blige to pay Isaacs $30,000 per month in temporary spousal support. She was also ordered to pay $135,000 in retroactive support and $100,000 toward his attorney and expert fees, totaling $235,000 in combined payments at that stage. The $30,000 figure was temporary support while the divorce was pending, not necessarily the permanent alimony amount after their settlement.
Blige and Isaacs reached an out-of-court settlement in March 2018, and their divorce was finalized in June 2018. The complete terms of their final settlement were not publicly disclosed. Blige has since spoken publicly about the financial strain of the divorce and her opposition to having to financially support her former husband, stating, “I am not responsible for supporting Isaacs’ parents and his children from another relationship which he lists as ongoing monthly expenses”.
