Loni Love is giving us The Real about Tamar Braxton’s dramatic departure from the talk show in her new book, I Tried to Change So You Don’t Have To. In addition to detailing her childhood and career, she spills the tea on “the situation with the original cast member who left the show in 2016,” aka Tamar, and it is hot!
Loni revealed that she, Jeannie Mai, Adrienne Houghton, and Tamera Mowry-Housley were floored at Tamar’s firing which was described by people above her “pay grade” as “a done deal” between “the cast member and the producers.” Given that all five co-hosts participated in a photoshoot just weeks prior and had plans to attend the Essence Music Festival, there was no foresight that Tamar was going to be fired. Despite not having anything to do with Tamar’s exit, Loni said she “became the focus of thousands of online attacks,” which included bullying, fat-shaming, and death threats, when Tamar unfollowed her and posted about being “stabbed in the back.”
“I think I got a bad rap, and all the girls got a bad rap. But it was really mostly on me because we weren’t allowed to speak about it and when you’re not allowed to speak about it, that means only one side of the story is out there,” Loni said—adding that “None of the girls should have been blamed. None of us did anything,” ET reports.
In comparison to how other talk shows quietly switch up their casts, Loni said Tamar’s unexpected and explosive exit “really tarnished” the talk show that was created to “uplift and show diversity amongst women.”
What do you think about Loni spilling the tea on Tamar’s exit from The Real?