I don't get anything for free. I pay for all my beauty treatments.
You can't take life for granted.
It's a shame to call somebody a 'diva' simply because they work harder than everybody else.
This is the man my mother lived for. My career means something now because I've worked with Robert Redford.
People assume I'm out there having this great life, but money doesn't erase the pain. When you're young you barrel through life, making choices without thinking of repercussions. A few years down the line, you wake up in a certain place and wonder how the hell you got there.
I believe in love.
I remember when I was 33 or 34, it was devastating because I realized I wasn't a kid anymore. The great thing about 40 was that I really felt like I had life experience and knew what I was doing now.
There's no way in the world that just because women turn the number 40, they're anything less than amazing. That's crazy. If anything, you're even more amazing!
But the idea of taking things and mixing them together is what I do in my music. I take hip-hop, R&B, pop, dance, funk and soul and mix it all together to get my own sound.
I love a good lyricist - always have. The thing that inspired me most was the different performers, like Tina Turner, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Madonna, even Janet Jackson.
The bottom line is that musicians love to make music and always will.
I like to maintain a certain sense of fantasy in my life. I am kind of like that at home. Do I have the full hair and makeup? No. But I might have the nice dress on.
By nature I am not tough, believe it or not.
I am a lover. And with my kids I am even softer. I realize with my son, I have to sometimes be tough, especially now when he's pushing boundaries. With my daughter, I can get a little stern with her and she pretty much will listen.
I do know a lot about Scientology. And I know about the practices. I know all about what the technology is and all that kind of stuff. It's very helpful.
I just think that the whole diva thing is a misrepresentation of who I am.
I have to work, for my soul.
A romantic comedy has to be funny and make you think about life; but the obstacle that has to be overcome is key.
I think if you're in a committed relationship, unless you have some sort of an understanding, monogamy is something that should exist.
I've learned something about kids - they don't do what you say; they do what you do.
