
Cynthia Bailey Believes Exes Should Be Respected: 'You Have Nothing To Gain By Tearing Them Down'

Cynthia Bailey knows a thing or two about high-profile relationships. She's been in a few, from the father of her only child, Leon, to ex-husband, Peter Thomas, to current husband, Mike HIll. And what's most impressive is she's always maintained genuine friendships with those exes who simply just didn't...work out.
But according to the model, that's to be expected because you have nothing to gain from tearing any of them down.
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In fact, in an interview with Rolling Out, when asked about reports of suing her ex-husband, Peter Thomas, Bailey candidly responded to those claims:
"I haven't spoken publicly about this, and I am not going to talk about it anymore. I've never been one to try to make anyone look bad after a breakup. I pride myself on having great relationships with all my exes. If we loved each other at one time, we shouldn't gain anything from tearing each other down after. The situation isn't about me suing my ex for money because I've always provided for myself. There was an agreement in place with a deadline and that deadline wasn't met, so it's being enforced."
Which made us think, is she right?
If you look at her relationship with actor, Leon, then it's clear that Ms. Bailey is living by her word. Though their romantic relationship came to an end forever ago, Cynthia Bailey and her ex Leon Robinson have maintained a close friendship over the years as they co-parent 20-year-old daughter, Noelle Robinson. So, it's no surprise that he has sent well wishes to her new relationships and they even manage to shout each other out from time to time on various social media channels.
One pic read:
"For 20 years @cynthiabailey10 has been the best #mother to our @noellerobinson while serving up the #bestface & #style at the same time. Please help me wish #cynthiabailey a #happymothersday w/much Love & Respect!! #familyalways"
Bailey often returns the love, promoting his projects and commending how good of a dad he is to Noelle.
"What can I say? We are so beyond blessed to have brought the most wonderful little human being into the world together. @noellerobinson is our God given divine creation that is the perfect combination of us. Will always be grateful to God that our worlds collided at the perfect time & the perfect place to create our perfectly 'imperfect' beautiful daughter."
Same goes for ex-husband, Peter Thomas. She wished him well, and was optimistic about their friendship, despite going through a very public divorce.
"I want to take some time for myself. I think the time apart has been good for him as well. It wasn't like I had to do it right this second but the more we got used to not being together and living together, the easier this divorce is going to be. ...I still love Peter. I still root for him. I want him to win. I still love and support him. We are just not going to be married anymore."
The couple was married for six years before they called it quits in 2016. Their divorce was finalized in 2017 and the pair remained amicable and she always expressed her hope to keep things friendly with her ex and for Peter to maintain a relationship with her daughter, Noelle.
Currently, Bailey is still in martial bliss with her husband, Mike Hill, who she met through mutual friend, Steve Harvey.
"Everything about this relationship is different because I'm different. Relationships affect us differently depending on where we are in life at the time. Mike and I both have been married before, and I believe we are both in a place to be ready to appreciate a relationship. We became best friends, and then COVID and quarantine gave us another opportunity to see where we were in the relationship. I don't believe I could ask for a better partner."
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Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
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Self-Validation, No Meals After 5 P.M. & The Wellness Rituals That Helped Lizzo Take Her Power Back
Don't let the "weight release" fool you, Lizzo's transformation wasn't just physical. It was spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal. In her Women's Health cover story, the "Good As Hell" artist opened up about the low point that became the catalyst for radical change in her life, inside and out.
In the summer of 2023, Lizzo found herself at the center of what she calls painful allegations when some of her former dancers filed a lawsuit against her. The 37-year-old singer has denied their claims, and though she has experienced "backlash my entire career," going through such legal woes coupled with public scrutiny proved to be detrimental to her mental health, leading her to one of the darkest periods of her life.
She told Women's Health, "I got very paranoid and isolated. I wasn’t even talking to my therapist. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t open. I wasn’t myself anymore."
After spending months in isolation, Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, decided to go to a tour stop on the Renaissance World Tour. She was nervous that the public would shun her, boo her, or reject her, but instead, she was embraced. It shifted something in her and after feeling so in the dark, she saw the light again. "It made me feel like, wow, maybe I don’t want to die," she shared with Women's Health.
"That was the kick-starter to me being like, ‘Okay, Melissa, get your ass in gear and take your f*cking life back.’"
Her first step in Operation Get Your Life Back? Cutting out the external noise. She gave her team total control of her social media and stopped looking at comments. "My validation was from external sources, people telling me they loved me, or that I look good, and accepting me," she explained. "But if that’s all I’m getting my validation from, when it changes—and it will, because people are not always going to like you—what happens? Where are you going to get your love from?"
Lizzo continued, "I can convince myself that I’m beautiful, my body fine, no matter how big or small. But reminding myself that you can’t let others tell you who you are—that was hard work."
Lizzo started going to therapy again, she started practicing quigong meditation, reading books, journaling, and doing sound baths. She released unhealthy relationships, drank echinacea tea, and began incorporating Pilates as a means to "feel sacred" and "be gentle" with herself.
But what many have interpreted as a "weight loss transformation" after she popped out sharing she met her "weight release" goal earlier this year, Lizzo has clarified that it has been something deeper for her than the aesthetic of a smaller body. "I wanted to be big-girl skinny," she told the mag. "Every big girl knows what I’m talking about. Big-girl skinny is 250 pounds." According to her, it was her back issues that inspired her to take the physical part of her wellness journey seriously.
I DID IT! #weightrelease
@lizzo I DID IT! #weightrelease
Through her friend Kelly Rowland, she linked up with her now-trainer Marvin Telp and developed a fitness regimen that prioritized strength and intention. Her weekly schedule now includes moves like single-leg deadlifts, reverse flies, and lateral lunges, along with infrared sauna sessions and cardio. Add to that a change in eating habits after realizing her vegan diet no longer served her (to be fair, she wasn't doing the vegan thing the "healthiest" way).
All the meat substitutes, bread, cashew cheese, and soy left her bloated and lightheaded, so now she's switched things up a bit to fill the nutritional gaps. When it comes to diet, it's heavy on the protein and vegetables for Lizzo. A typical day eating looks like scrambled eggs and cauliflower hash browns for breakfast, Thai chicken salad or lettuce wraps for lunch, and turkey meatloaf with greens for dinner.
She also has a strict cutoff of no meals after 5 p.m. to support her GERD and give her body the time it needs before bed to digest her food sans the acid reflux. Of her relationship with food and wellness, she told Women's Health, "There's a balance. I think that's what true health is."
Read Lizzo's full cover story with Women's Health here.
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