John Legend Says He Was 'Selfish' At The Beginning Of Relationship With Chrissy Teigen

John Legend, who shares two kids, Luna Simone, 6, and Miles Theodore, 4, with his wife Chrissy Teigen, says he wasn't a great partner at the start of their relationship, confessing that he was "selfish."

"I think I was more selfish then. 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," Legend admitted during the "On Purpose with Jay Shetty" podcast earlier this week.

The 43-year-old singer, whose real name is John Roger Stephens, shared that he was in his mid-20s and wasn't really "ready to be the committed partner" that he is now.

The singer said he realized after some time that if he wants to keep Teigen in his life, he needed to make some changes.

"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 explained. "Part of it is it's just a matter of time. You need time to become that person you want to be."

Legend further revealed that when he first met Teigen, they were "very attracted to each other" and had great chemistry, but noted, "That level of attraction is more like infatuation at the beginning of a relationship."

That infatuation turns into love when it is "able to stand the test of time, it has to be deeper and more real than that," the singer shared. Legend said that they have been through a lot together, which made them stronger.

"Those tests have made us grow together and realize things about each other that we didn't know," he added. "And going through all of that...to be able to write and sing a song called 'I Don't Love You Like I Used To.' It's different now but it's better."

The couple met in 2006 and got married in 2013. Their life turned upside down when Teigen had a tragic miscarriage in October 2020. She also received backlash on social media for sharing photos of the vulnerable moments as they dealt with it together. In August, Teigen announced her pregnancy and shared photos of her baby bump.