Acclaimed singer and former winner of The Voice, Tessanne Chin has finally opened up about the long-reported marriage problems between herself and media personality husband, Michael Cuffe Jr., saying the two are ‘just friends,’ but insists there is no malice or ill will regarding their separation.
Reports surfaced in March that Chin and Cuffe, who have been married for over four years, had separated, with Cuffe moving out of their matrimonial home and staying with a friend as a result. Many rumours surfaced, with some even claiming infidelity on Chin’s part while others suggested conflicting schedules were the cause of the break up.
However, during an interview on CVM’s OnStage aired Saturday night, Chin insisted there is no bad blood and rubbished much of the speculation attached to the separation on social media.
“It is something that is very personal and it is something that we are going through. There was no foul play involved and the rumours are kinda ridiculous,” she said. “There’s always going to be speculation, but not every separation has to go through something nasty or be filled with drama. Cuffe and I, we’re just friends.”
Chin also insisted she still loves Cuffe very much and this separation has drawn them closer to spirituality and their respective families while still maintaining positive feelings for each other.
“At the end of the day we have a friendship; that means more to me than anything,” she said. “I needed a moment to take a break and get away – that’s what I did. That’s what it is.”
In the meantime, Chin has dropped a new soul-enthused single called Fire which has received strong reviews since its release last week. Despite instant speculation, she insists the song is in no way about her marital issues and even played the song for Cuffe, to his approval.
“This song is absolutely not about us. It was actually written in late December, early January and the reason we decided to go with the song was it created such a buzz in the Clair Hair ad commercial we did for The Voice which was aired this season,” she explained. “It has nothing to do with [the breakup] – as a matter of fact, it has everything to do with being a woman and being empowered by that and not settling for less; whether it is in a relationship, workplace, as a mother, or with your friends.”
The song is available on iTunes and can be heard here. Watch Chin’s full OnStage interview here, where she also delves into the performance of her debut album, Count on My Love, as well as her performances at the Daytime Emmys and during Obama’s recent visit to Jamaica.
