Mary J. Blige Reportedly Owes Over $1 Million in Back Taxes
Written by SOURCE on August 14, 2019
It appears Mary J. Blige is facing more financial drama.
According to documents obtained by Bossip, the 48-year-old singer has been accused of failing to pay taxes on income generated in 2016 and 2017. The IRS reportedly filed a tax lien against Blige back in July, claiming she owed the federal government $1,198,161 in back taxes. Bossip reports Blige had not responded to the filing as of Monday.
The “No More Drama” artist has had her fair share of money problems over the years. In 2013, it was reported that the singer owed $3.4 million in unpaid income taxes over the span of three years. She was also sued for defaulting on a couple of bank loans in late 2012 and early 2013: one was for $2.2 million from Signature Bank, and the other was for $500,000 from Bank of America, respectively.
Last year, Apex Bank filed a lawsuit against Blige and her now-ex-husband/manager Martin “Kendu” Isaacs over unpaid mortgages for their property in Cresskill and Saddle River, New Jersey. Bossip reported Apex dropped the foreclosure case against the former couple in May of this year.
Blige reflected on her financial problems during a Vulture interview in February 2018, as she and Isaacs were in divorce proceedings. The singer said she had never wanted to deal with the money side of the business, but was forced to do so in light of the mounting lawsuits and letters from Uncle Sam.
“I’m just being straight-up honest. I never wanted to do all this stuff, but after what I’ve been through and all the mess that I’m in … You have to pay those taxes,” she said. “It’s good to see what you have and what you don’t have — and why are we paying this person $5,000 a week?”
On top of her tax issues, Blige is also paying $30,000 a month in spousal support to Isaacs, whom she has referred to as a “con artist.”
“I thought someone loved me, right? Turns out, he was a con artist and he didn’t, and now he’s coming after me for all my money,” she told Variety. “When you come out of something like that, you realize you were never the one. There was someone else that was his queen. I got played. I got suckered. I have to keep smiling and keep my spirits up because this is designed to kill me.”
Blige has managed to make big career moves over the last year, starring in the hit Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, securing a role in the upcoming Trolls sequel, and co-headlining a North American tour with Nas. She is also expected to drop her 14th studio album, My Life II… There’s Something About Me, My Self & MaryJane (Act 2), later this year.
