John Legend has admitted he “wasn’t a great partner” when he first started dating Chrissy Teigen because he was pretty selfish.
During an appearance on the “On Purpose with Jay Shetty” podcast, the “All of Me” singer acknowledged that he wasn’t ready to be a fully committed partner to Chrissy when they started dating in 2006.
“I think I was more selfish then,” he confessed. “I wasn’t a great partner at the beginning of our relationship. Even though I was very into her and very excited to be with her. I was still selfish. I was in my mid-20s, still not ready to fully be the committed partner that I am now.”
The 43-year-old, who married Chrissy in 2013, explained that he eventually understood the balance between what he wanted to get out of the relationship and what he needed to put in.
“When you stop being so selfish when you think about not only the joy you get from a situation and the pleasure you get from it, but also think about your responsibility and your commitment in that situation. You just grow, and you mature,” he said. “Part of it is it’s just a matter of time. You need time to become that person you want to be. I think in your mid-20s you’re still dealing with impulse control, you’re still dealing with selfishness, you’re still figuring out what you want to do in your career, all these things are happening. But when you figure these things out you can just be a better person in general.”
Their ever-evolving relationship inspired John to write “I Don’t Love You Like I Used To” for his recent album Legend.
John and Chrissy share two children – Luna, six, and Miles, four – and are currently expecting another baby.