Six-time Grammy Award winner Toni Braxton is ready for reality with a new show, Braxton Family Values. Although Braxton has sold more than 40 million records worldwide, the road has not been easy for the singer: She filed for bankruptcy and was diagnosed with lupus. Starting a new project, the bickering Braxtons are letting it all hang out on WEtv this spring. Three of the Ts—Toni, Trina and Tamar—talked talent and toothpaste on the telephone.
Windy City Times: Hi, ladies. When did this idea of doing a reality show start?
Tamar: I knew since about 2007, maybe 2008. I asked my sisters and they said, "No you're tripping, absolutely not," especially Toni was not interested. It took awhile but she decided that it's time for her to tell her own story and we convinced her into doing it. So here we are.
Windy City Times: Toni, were you worried about how you would be portrayed on a reality show?
Toni: A little bit I have to be honest, yes. But then I said, "I'm just going to let people see the side of me they haven't seen." I want them to see me as a sister and a mom. I wasn't trying to be a diva or keep it up on the glam side. I can always do that on stage. So it's important to me that I display another side of me.
Tamar: We all realized that we all had a story to tell. Trina had her thing with her husband, she went down the wrong path and Toni, her financial and health situation, and myself trying to balance being a wife, trying to launch... Toni is making fun of me right now, my superstarism that's inside of me and Towanda's trying to find herself and then Tracy realizing that...
Trina: Life goes on.
Tamar: ...life goes on, decisions that she made when she was a teenager she has to live with them now as an adult. We thought that it would definitely make a difference in someone's life that they can take with them and apply it to theirs.
Windy City Times: I saw the part with you, Tamar, talking about Lady Gaga to your husband. Are you a fan of Gaga?
Toni: Gaga is signed to Tamar's husband's record label. He actually discovered her. I hate to say "discovered," like she wasn't there. So she's like family. She's like another little Braxton sister. Tamar sings stuff with her all the time but she's been doing things on her album. Like the single that's out, "Born That Way," that's Tamar you hear in the background.
Tamar: "Born This Way."
Toni: "Born This Way." Sorry, Gaga.
Tamar: In the clip, in my defense and in Gaga's defense, I wasn't saying anything negative towards her. I was just saying if I'm good enough to sing background then I'm good enough to sing the hook or a duet.
Windy City Times: Amen.
Tamar: Whoa. We love you.
Windy City Times: You have been through a lot, Toni, with debilitating illness, marital separation and bankruptcy. How is that covered on the show?
Toni: My marriage I don't talk about on the show. That is not even an option because I have a special-needs son and I don't want him to know what is going on with mom and dad's life unless he hears it from us. Of all my sisters you'll find I'm still the one that's still aloof but for me it was more of a platform of telling my story. In addition to that hanging out, having fun with my sisters and you will see a different side of me. You will hardly ever see me, Toni Braxton as the singer. That's not something I portray in the show at all.
Windy City Times: So behind the scenes.
Toni: Yes, I got my jammies and a T-shirt, and I have toothpaste on my acne trying to dry it up. I wasn't trying to be pretentious, not that I am, but I wasn't trying to be an artist at all unless I was on the stage. You see a distinct difference because we shot a few shows during the taping.
Windy City Times: Would you ever make a whole album together like the Jacksons?
Tamar: Will we ever make a Braxtons album? Let's see. Well, we had a Braxton single out. Was it in 1990?
Trina: It was 1990.
Tamar: We sold three copies to my mom, my dad and my grandma. So I don't know. We're a little skeptical about it. People are in different place in their lives so I don't know. We're talking about it. We'll see what happens.
Toni: I think we'll probably end up in the end doing at least a single.
Windy City Times: How is your relationship with your father?
Trina: It's a work in progress. We're working on mending and healing.
Toni: It's just challenging for us because our dad was such a focal point for our family when our parents were married and now they're divorced. And my dad got remarried and unfortunately when he divorced my mom he kind of divorced us too.
We want people to see that every family goes through changes. We're just one of many families. We hope that we can heal ourselves.
Windy City Times: Toni, I have always wanted to ask you, how do you feel about your gay fans?
Toni: Oh my God, I want to say thank you boys for showing me how to be more fabulous and making me a better girl!
"Un-Break" Toni's heart and watch her show that recently debuted on Tuesday nights. Visit www.wetv.com for listings and details.
