Go girl! Ciara says abstinence before marriage totally empowered her

Ciara recently opened up about abstaining from sex before she married Russell Wilson and not only did she own it, she said it empowered her as a woman!

The singer was both supported and criticized when it was made public that she and Russell were practicing celibacy, since Ciara already had a son from her previous relationship with rapper Future.

Now, she and Russell are happily in love and expecting their first child.

The 31-year-old said that abstaining was definitely tough, but friendship and a set of shared beliefs were important for the foundation of their marriage. She and the Seattle Seahawks quarterback got married in July 2016.

“I really believe that when you focus on a friendship, you have the opportunity to build a strong foundation for a relationship—and once you know you’re really great friends and you’re what we call ‘equally yoked,’ where you share the same values or the same outlook on life, it kind of sets the tone,” she told she told Cosmopolitan South Africa.

She and Russell are clearly doing things the right way for them — their little family is glowing in every photo they take together and it’s SO cute.

Ciara said throughout the years, she learned that women “think with our hearts and minds,” while men approach relationships, at least initially, on a more superficial level.

Starting slowly is the key to overcoming those differences in thinking.

“It’s important to have a friendship. It’s important to have standards. You shouldn’t feel like you have to give your body away to get someone to like you,” the “I Bet” singer added.

We are LOVING Ciara’s wisdom, TBH. Her happiness is showing and it’s beautiful.