The 2000s saw happier times for Mary J. Blige. The "Be Without You" singer consistently put out music, won several awards, and even got the opportunity to sing at former President Barack Obama's 2008 inauguration. Life was good for Blige — unfortunately, it wouldn't be long before trouble came knocking in the mid-2010s. The singer appeared in a Burger King commercial that faced backlash for its racial insensitivity. The unaired commercial nearly ruined Blige's career.
She slammed the fast food giant for the commercial, claiming the concept shown was completely different from what she presented when she first onboarded the collaboration. "I agreed to be a part of a fun and creative campaign that was supposed to feature a dream sequence," she told CNN at the time. "Unfortunately, that's not what was happening in that clip, so I understand my fans being upset by what they saw. But, if you're a Mary fan, you have to know I would never allow an unfinished spot like the one you saw to go out."
In addition to the failed commercial, Blige ran into financial issues upon discovery that she owed millions to the IRS. "I had the Burger King commercial, then my taxes and my business were all over the TV, and then it was this, then it was that," she told The Guardian. "I was like, 'What the hell is going on? Have I been abandoned?'"
Despite facing hardship, Blige didn't let it get in the way of her finding a silver lining in the situation. "It's not the things I did right that informed me," she continued. "It's all the mistakes I made that are helping me to better my life. Because that was a disaster."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7XCpKCsr5mbwW%2BvzqZmbWxmaX16e9OhnGasopa7tLLOq6SarJmku267xWakmqqpYrdursuinp5llqe8rnmQcGStp11qfW7FxJqprGWfobFw