Mary J. Blige says Vegas residency is where she's supposed to be after ups and downs: 'I'm not bitter, I'm better' (exclusive)
Mary J. Blige says Vegas residency is where she's supposed to be after ups and downs: 'I'm not bitter, I'm better' (exclusive)
Emlyn TravisTue, May 5, 2026 at 9:00 PM UTC
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Mary J. BligeCredit: Aaron J. Thornton/GettyKey Points -
Mary J. Blige is looking back at her life and career amid her Las Vegas residency.
In an exclusive clip from her upcoming Good Morning America interview shared by Entertainment Weekly, Blige says her the residency is exactly "where I'm supposed to be."
"I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. And I didn't give up," she tells GMA coanchor Robin Roberts.
Mary J. Blige knows that good things come to those who wait.
The “Real Love” singer, 55, tells co-anchor Robin Roberts why she believes that her ongoing Las Vegas residency is exactly “where I’m supposed to be” in an exclusive clip from her upcoming GMA exclusive, set to air on Wednesday.
The nine-time Grammy winner celebrated the first night of her Mary J. Blige: My Life, My Story residency at the Dolby Live at Park MGM on Friday. She will hold performances until May 9th, before returning to the stage this summer from July 10th through the 18th.
“Is it like a full-circle moment for you after all these years in the industry to be here with a residency?” Roberts asks Blige in the clip.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee views it more as a natural progression of her life and career.
Mary J. Blige performsCredit: Paras Griffin/Getty
“It's just time, you know?” Blige replies. “I’m where I'm supposed to be. I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. And I didn't give up.”
She adds, “My fans have seen me go through so much... good, bad, the whole thing. But what they love most — the true fans — is that I'm not bitter, I'm better.”
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Blige has spoken about experiencing childhood sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and struggling with drug and alcohol addiction throughout her career. In 2019, she told Self that her sobriety journey required her to confront her past in order to move forward.
“I’ve seen visions of what I would look like if I kept doing drugs,” she told the outlet at the time. “If I saw myself almost dying, or if I almost died, or almost O.D.’d, why would I do that again?”
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Blige explained that she later began working with a therapist who gave her "some real good information," but eventually stopped out of concern that her most private moments could be used against her.
She added, “As public as I am, I’m real private…. I’ll give you the juice and the truth, but not the stuff that’s going to kill me…. I grew up in a neighborhood where we couldn’t tell everything. It would kill us. So you ‘know,’ but you don’t [know]. You know?”
Blige is one of several artists who are hosting a Las Vegas residency this year, including No Doubt, Metallica, Josh Groban, Kelly Clarkson, and more. Her full sit-down interview with Roberts airs tomorrow on Good Morning America. (7:00am-9:00am ET).
For now, watch a clip of their discussion above.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
