John Legend, Kanye West ‘No Longer Close’ After Political Fallout

Not seeing eye to eye. John Legend revealed that politics caused a rift in his friendship with Kanye West — leading them to drift apart. 

“[Kanye and I] aren’t friends as much as we used to be,” Legend, 43,  told host David Axelrod on a Thursday, August 4, episode of “The Axe Files” podcast. “I honestly think because we publicly disagreed on his running for office, his supporting [Donald] Trump, I think it became too much for us to sustain our friendship, honestly.”

The two have a long history together. West, 45, was even listed as a producer on the “All of Me” singer’s debut album, Get Lifted, in 2004. Over the past two decades, the BFFs have supported each other through both personal and professional endeavors, but that seemingly came to an end after Legend couldn’t get behind West running for office in 2020. 

“I wasn’t alone in that, but, you know, he [West] was not happy about that. And we really haven’t been close since then,” the Ohio native said. 

Despite their differences, Legend told Axelrod on Thursday that he still respects his former friend for how open and honest he is about his life. 

“I think he’s been very open with who he is and his struggles with mental health,” the EGOT winner explained. “And he’s very real, honestly. So I think there’s not a lot about him that people don’t get … Like 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.”

Legend’s status update on his friendship with the rapper comes one day after wife Chrissy Teigen announced she was pregnant with the couple’s rainbow baby. The two, who are also parents of daughter Luna, 6, and Miles, 3, lost son Jack in September 2020. 

“The last few years have been a blur of emotions to say the least, but joy has filled our home and hearts again. 1 billion shots later (in the leg lately, as u can see!) we have another on the way,” Teigen, 36, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, August 3, alongside a baby bump mirror selfie. “Every appointment I’ve said to myself, ‘ok if it’s healthy today I’ll announce’ but then I breathe a sigh of relief to hear a heartbeat and decide I’m just too nervous still. I don’t think I’ll ever walk out of an appointment with more excitement than nerves but so far, everything is perfect and beautiful and I’m feeling hopeful and amazing. Ok phew it’s been very hard keeping this in for so long!”

In February, the Utah native revealed that she was undergoing in vitro fertilization to conceive another baby and was currently “balls deep in another IVF cycle to save as many eggos as possible.”

The IVF announcement came two years after Teigen suffered a pregnancy loss due to partial placenta abruption. The Chrissy’s Court host penned a touching tribute in October 2020 describing what it was like living through the tragic event. 

After the Cravings author was told that her baby boy “wouldn’t survive” despite the many blood transfusions — and she may not either — Teigen realized that “it was time to say goodbye” to her little one.

“I cried a little at first, then went into full blown convulsions of snot and tears, my breath not able to catch up with my own incredibly deep sadness,” she wrote. “Even as I write this now, I can feel the pain all over again. … Utter and complete sadness.”

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