Today is Mary J. Blige’s 47th birthday, and the iconic singer has come a long way from her early days in Richmond Hill, Georgia, and her developmental years in Yonkers.
Getty
We know the ways in which her style has evolved, as well as her music, but there aren’t many small, fun things we know about Blige. Maybe that’s because she comes off serious a lot of the time — except when she’s busting a move. So why not get to know more about the things she’s done and loved and been through over the last 47 years? Check out 10 things you probably didn’t know about Mary J. Blige in honor of her birthday, and her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which she was awarded with today.
She tried to sneak press-on nails and lashes while filming Mudbound.
In an interview with The Daily Show‘s Trevor Noah, Mudbound director Dee Rees said that while she was able to convince Blige to go makeup-free to play matriarch Florence Jackson, that didn’t mean the singer didn’t have her moments where she tried to fit beauty essentials in the frame.
“She tried to sneak in some eyelashes every now and then, or sneak in some nails. I’m like, no gel tips for Florence,” Rees said. “I was like, ‘What is that in the frame? Is that a f–king French manicure?!'”
