Mary J. Blige paid herself "high compliments" to boost her confidence when she was at a low point in 2016.
The Family Affair star has been open about the difficulties she faced within her personal life following her split from husband Martin 'Kendu' Isaacs in 2016, with their divorce finalised two years later.
Reflecting on the tough time during an interview for the February 2022 issue of ELLE magazine, Blige recalled the technique she used to rebuild her self-esteem.
"When I shot Mudbound, I was at my point of no real confidence. (Every morning, I'd say), 'This chick is beautiful.' So I started to believe it and started to pay myself high compliments to get past that feeling and that fear."
Blige went on to explain that ditching her signature designer outfits and weaves to portray the character of Florence Jackson also forced her to reflect on various aspects of her life.
"I didn't feel beautiful - like for real for real, not just, 'Hey, I'm pretty' but actually believing it - until about 2016," the Grammy Award-winner explained. "If you've been beat down mentally by someone, you're never pretty enough. You're never smart enough. Nothing's ever good enough."
