Singer Jidenna has apologized to all of the Black women whose “baby-making years” were “robbed” due to his manipulative actions.
The “Classic Man” recently spoke on the “What’s Underneath: Masculinity with Man Enough” podcast, where he reflected on his toxic behaviors in the past.
Nine minutes into the interview, Jidenna, 38, touched on his “horrific” habit of stringing women along so that they could build him up.
“I’m an excellent manipulator,” he shared. “I didn’t understand yet how to relate to women in a way that wasn’t like exploitative. And I would find different ways to make them feel that what they said I was doing was not happening. To make them feel like, ‘Oh, he is listening! Actually, he does want to talk.’”
Jidenna even claimed to go as far as making himself cry in order to make sure that the women he wanted felt as if he was apologetic for the way he behaved.
He shared, “If you were a creative, I folded you into my artwork. If you were in my artwork, I gave you a job. I gave you a job. I mastered your life. I gave you a house, food, and everything you needed. I protected and provided for you. I did what men are supposed to do.”
Watch the Full Interview Here.
As the interview continued, Jidenna noted being “ashamed” at the way he used to use Black women for his own benefit. He also suggested that his foul behavior causes him to be “angry” at other Black men who do the exact same thing.
“I understand it, but I can’t have that anymore,” the Nigerian-American artist said. “We can’t do that to the women that have done so much for us to even exist! I did that. I robbed some women of their baby-making years, dragging them along. They built me up! Look at me now, and look at them.”
Jidenna stated that he received a harsh wake-up call after he and his two girlfriends ended their polyamorous relationship.
“All them hearts broken. Done. That’s… Monogamy? I’ve had my heart broken, but having multiple at the same time? I hit rock bottom after that,” he said.
A snippet of the “Bambi” artist’s confession reached X where a few fan reactions weren’t so receptive to his revelation. One person tweeted, “Might be the hater in me, but this feels manipulative (and performative) too.”
Another handler implied that any man who dresses or looks like Jidenna is an automatic player, writing, “You could’ve looked in his light brown eyes and seen he’s just an evil light skin n–a with a suit and cane. Like which good man walk around in a 3 piece suit every day for no reason??? (He is good looking though).”
Nonetheless, some commenters applauded Jidenna for taking accountability for his wrongdoings. Someone noted, “It’s nice that he wants to actually grow in love. Happy he could realize this for himself.”
Jidenna was recently scheduled to go around the world with singer Janelle Monae as a part of her “The Age of Pleasure” tour. While the two-month North American project ended last month, Jidenna opted out of the tour in September, stating that he needed to address some personal issues offline.
As for music, Jidenna released a 13-track album titled “ME YOU & GOD” back in May. The soulful project marks his first album in four years.
Trending Now:
- NFL Star Maxx Crosby Spotted Smoking During Post Game Interview Weeks After Nearly Dropping the N-Word Bomb
- Royce Reed Claims Shaquille O’Neal Cursed Her Out During Marriage to Shaunie for Denying His Flirtatious Advances
- Kandi Burruss Dragged for Defending Justin Timberlake’s Blaccent Claims Made By Britney Spears
Never miss a story — sign up for ATLANTA BLACK STAR’S free daily newsletters to stay up-to-date on the latest developments from top news headlines to celebrity news.
