Michael B. Jordan Says He Struggles with 'Loneliness,' Goes 'Back and Forth' on Wanting a Relationship

Michael B. Jordan is getting candid about romance.

During an appearance on Monday's episode of the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, the actor and filmmaker admitted he goes "back and forth between wanting partnership and then not knowing what's the best partner for me."

"Bringing them into my world, what I got going on, isn't easy," Jordan, 37, added of his busy lifestyle. "And it's not just, 'I love you, you love me, that should be enough,' right? It's not quite that simple."

For the actor, "Finding the right person to understand all of me, but then all that comes with me, as well" would be paramount for him to consider another romantic relationship. (Jordan was most recently linked to Lori Harvey, whom he split from circa June 2022 after dating for a year and a half.)

"And understanding that balance between wanting to be available and there for that person, while I'm juggling everything else. And feeling okay to put the other part of my businesses down," Jordan said of his perspective on a potential future partner.

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The conversation came about when host Jay Shetty asked what Jordan considers the best and worst parts of himself.

After raving about being "Uncle Mike," the actor said, "I love multitasking; I love juggling, the balancing act that I do. The worst part is the loneliness that comes with that."

"There's a loneliness that I have. The responsibility that you have is isolating, and the weight is isolating," he continued. "So I think the worst part of that is the feeling like nobody really understands, and sometimes falling into the spaces of just being alone, feeling alone."

Asked how he, as the former PEOPLE Sexiest Man Alive, finds love, Jordan joked to Shetty, 36, "I revert back to the last question. It's very lonely!"

In all seriousness, "The sacrifice, the compromise that comes with a partnership and a relationship, and understanding how to make that all work, sometimes it gives me anxiety and pause," he said.

The Black Panther star also acknowledged that "there's a part of" him "that really has not really lived life yet." For example, he hasn't "really traveled as much for fun," with the exception of his trip to Japan last spring.

"I'm looking forward to that part of my life ... I gotta start living. I've sacrificed and I've zoned in for so long. I owe it to myself a little bit to do that," he said.

And while he's "not looking" for a romantic partner, he would welcome the right one into his life.

"But it would take a very special person to understand and grow with me," Jordan said, noting in addition, "I want a family [eventually]."