Patti LaBelle, 78, tells Jennifer Hudson she wants to date again as she's 'too good to be solo'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Patti LaBelle believes one can find new love at any age. During an appearance on 'The Jennifer Hudson Show' on Wednesday, February 9, the R&B legend revealed that she's open to dating again at the age of 78.
Host Jennifer Hudson reminded LaBelle that Valentine's Day was around the corner and asked if she was open to dating. "Well sorta, kinda," the songstress replied. "How old am I? 78." LaBelle tied the knot with schoolteacher Armstead Edwards in 1969. However, the couple finalized their divorce in 2003.
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'I’m too good to be solo!'
"I was married for 32 years to a wonderful man and we’re still friends, good friends," LaBelle told Hudson, referring to ex-husband Edwards. The Godmother of Soul continued, "So, I think in life I need to find happiness for myself other than what I had back in the day with him, which was wonderful." "But I’m too good to be solo!" she added, to resounding cheers from the audience.
When Hudson asked the 'Lady Marmalade' hitmaker if she used dating apps, she replied, "What's that? Okay, what are dating apps?" The talk show host then explained the concept of scouring through a collection of prospects on an app on one's phone. "I've seen that commercial!" the vocalist quipped, drawing fits of laughter from the audience. "I know what it is now!" However, LaBelle treated her fans with a spicy bit of information as she spilled, "I do have a nice person in mind. I really do… But that’s my personal business." Hudson quickly agreed. "Yes ma'am! Moving on!" she said.
It seems LaBelle has had a change of heart when it comes to dating since 2021, when she told People she was happily single. "I'm just living my life like it's platinum," she told the magazine at the time. "Thank God I have a lot of people who care for me. ... I live alone with my dog, Mr. Cuddles, and I'm looking for love from everybody. I am."
'I really adopted you'
LaBelle and Hudson shared a number of notable moments on the episode, even reminiscing about the time when Hudson was filming the Aretha Franklin biopic 'Respect'. LaBelle shared with the audience, "Aretha and I, we performed live together, so she wanted some ‘Respect’ information." She then expressed her fondness for the host. "I feel as though I’m her second mama. She’s like my other daughter," the legend said. "I really adopted you. When things happen in her life, with what she went through, she would always call me, her, and [Jennifer's best friend] Walter, and we would always give each other information. So you helped me a lot." Hudson was teary-eyed as 'Mama Patti' proudly gushed about her. The official Jennifer Hudson Show Instagram account shared a clip from the episode of LaBelle shouting, "First of all, she's been renewed!" referring to Hudson.
LaBelle wore a purple pantsuit as she lauded Hudson's hot pink ensemble on the show. "That's like, the best thing ever! She's like my other daughter," the songstress added.