Ciara is the focus of Cosmo South Africa‘s February 2017 issue, in which she dishes on how to build true love, and hey, she should know! Her love story continues to unfold with new husband Russell Wilson as they’re expecting a baby this year. Her story is intriguing indeed; how did she quickly go from the drama dealing with rapper Future, to what seems like a healthy, loving relationship with Wilson?
Ciara tells Cosmo South Africa the foundation of their relationship is friendship. In the interview, Ciara explains: “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. Knowing that you’ll always have the friendship and that you can always go back to it is very important, and very powerful.”
She reveals one way in achieving a deeper bond was abstinence. “We women think with our hearts and with our minds. When we see a guy, we envision what he’s like and whether this could be something special. Guys see us from an exterior point of view—that’s something I learned along the way as a woman.” She continued, “It’s important to have a friendship. It’s important to have standards,” she added. “You shouldn’t feel like you have to give your body away to get someone to like you.”
Go behind the scenes of the photo shoot below: