Common Says It Was ‘Hard to Eat’ After Erykah Badu Breakup

Common dated Erykah Badu for a couple of years in the early ’00s before they split in 2002. “Some of the hardest work I’ve done on myself has been after breakups,” Common told People when he opened up about the relationship recently. The two collaborated on a number of singles during their time as a couple, but when it ended, he said that it was particularly hard on him.

“With Erykah Badu, that was my first love where you’re just open and floating,” he said about their time together. “When we split, I was 27 or 28. I was in a haze, just going through the motions. It was hard to eat. It wasn’t her fault, the relationship just didn’t go forward.”

That wasn’t the only time he had his heart broken, however, adding that a later breakup was just as difficult for him. “I was in another breakup after that that was heavy,” he continued. “That one honestly is what sent me to therapy.” Fortunately, it hasn’t left him jaded, as he said he’s “open to a relationship” again. “I know how to communicate like an adult now,” he explained. “I want to be the best partner I can be.”

In his recently released memoir, Let Love Have the Last Word, Common revealed that he was molested by a relative of his godmother when he was 9 or 10 years old. “At some point I felt Brandon’s hand on me,” he wrote. “I pushed him away. I don’t remember saying a whole lot besides ‘No, no, no.'” He said that he felt a “deep and sudden shame” after the incident.

Common said he worked through the pain he suffered with therapy after the repressed memory resurfaced when he was working on a movie with Laura Dern. “I want to be a person who helps break cycles of violence,” he said. “This is love in action and I intend to practice it.”