They were once as thick as thieves, but in recent years, the friendship between John Legend and Kanye West has lulled. The pair had been working together for decades and emerged out of Chicago as hopefuls looking for their shine, but as West’s controversies—both personal and political—caused him a wave of backlash, Legend re-evaluated their relationship. There was West’s devotion to Trump, him saying slavery was a choice, running for president in the 2020 election, and online antics that caused several of his fans to give pause, and during a recent interview, Legend touched on where he stands with the Yeezy mogul.
“We aren’t friends as much as we used to be because, I honestly think because we publicly disagreed on his running for office [and] his supporting Trump. I think it became too much for us to sustain our friendship, honestly,” said the singer while on The Axe Files podcast.
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Legend’s refusal to support West during his presidential campaign also became a wedge in between them. The crooner claimed that while he wasn’t the only person among West’s circle who felt the same as him, it was still something West wasn’t happy about. Their relationship has been distant since then, and Legend also suggested that when it comes to his former friend, what you see is who West is.
“I think he’s been very open with who he is and his struggles with mental health,” said Legend. “He’s been pretty upfront with his opinions, his struggles, all the things that he’s dealing with, and I think what you see with him is pretty much what you get. I don’t feel as if he’s a whole separate person in private than he is in public.”
He added, “I think you’re pretty much seeing the real Kanye publicly.” Listen to John Legend’s interview with The Axe Files podcast below.