MARY J. BLIGE
“I didn’t feel beautiful, like for real, not just ‘Hey, I’m pretty’ but actually believing in it until about 2016. If you’ve been beat down mentally by someone, you’re never pretty enough. Nothing’s ever good enough. It’s not just the hairstyles and the clothing and the skin. It’s how I reinvent myself through trials and perseverance. Am I going to quit? No, I’m going to go to the next level because change is hard. But people see me come out and they think, ‘It’s just her skin or her hair.’ No, it’s her. It’s me. I’m really choosing to be a better, stronger person. During Mudbound and when I was married, I was feeling so low. I had to pay myself the highest compliments, even if I didn’t believe it, just so I could build myself up. I would do it in the morning, because that’s the time when your hair is not done and you don’t have on makeup. You’re just kind of dealing with yourself for real. Good morning, gorgeous. I love you. I got you. I need you.” People Magazine