John Legend Revealed He "Wasn't a Great Partner" to Chrissy Teigen When They First Started Dating

John Legend isn’t afraid to admit that he’s grown since he first started dating his now-wife, Chrissy Teigen. On a recent episode of the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, the singer got candid about why he wasn’t as committed to the model when they first got together after meeting on the set of his 2006 “Stereo” music video.

"I was more selfish then," Legend shared during the episode. “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.”

John continued, “I was in my mid-20s, still not ready to fully be the committed partner I am now,” and added that they were instantly “attracted to each other” at first meeting, “but that level of attraction was more like infatuation.”

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

Legend then spoke about where his relationship with Teigen stands today, after sharing nearly 10 years of marriage and two children together  — and a rainbow baby on the way following his wife’s live-saving abortion in 2020.

“Love, when it is able to stand the test of time, it has to be deeper and more real than that," John explained on the podcast. "We've been through enough together where it's really fortified us and made us stronger. Those tests have made us grow together and realize things about each other that we didn't know.