Oprah has faced some hardships since she shut down the Oprah Winfrey Talk Show and started her own network called OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) on cable TV, but she is slowly starting to build up steam for the relatively new network with exclusive interviews with the likes of Rihanna, Usher, Jennifer Hudson and more. Her new show featuring life coach guru Iyanla Vanzant has also made major waves featuring the exclusive interview with Evelyn Lozada, Basketball Wives Miami reality star and estranged wife of Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson via Vanzant's show on OWN called "Fix My Life".
The irony of it all is that Lozada initially agreed to appear on the show to "fix her life" prior to her domestic violence incident with her husband, in an effort to shun her bad girl image that she not only gets paid to portray on Basketball Wives, but has garnered a book deal and hefty appearance fees for the reality star. After receiving backlash from the public and well known celebrities like Star Jones, Lozada finally realized that she did not want to be seen as the angry Latina woman that had originally created her stardom and celebrity, citing that her "ah ha" moment was when her step daughters mocked and idolized her violent actions on Basketball Wives. Lozada was determined to turn a corner and show the true her, get past her fears, pain and regret, and move forward to a healthier and more peaceful life.
In the first episode of the show, Iyanla delved deep into Evelyn's childhood and got to the core of her pain, rage and anger that often is seen played out on TV for all to see. Iyanla wanted to help her find her inner child that was still hurting from being rejected by her father. Iyanla was surprised to see that her husband, Chad Johnson, was not present for the interview although he had committed to being there. This was a red flag for Iyanla and she quickly proclaimed that in regards to her marriage, that Lozada was, "in trouble". With Vanzant somehow foreseeing the future, she later heard the news with the rest of the world that Evelyn and Chad had been involved in a domestic dispute which allegedly involved Evelyn being headbutted by Chad, requiring Evelyn to get stitches in her forehead.
After the alleged headbutting incident, Evelyn has since filed for divorce and says she has not spoken to Chad. The second part of the segment was recorded after the incident and Iyanla had somewhat of a "I told you so" vibe, while letting Evelyn once again, dig deep into her inner self to determine how she got to this point. I was so proud of Evelyn for her courage to want to change and her honesty throughout the process. Evelyn showed her vulnerability as she constantly shed tears while consistently confronting her past, present and future.
Seeing Lozada in this light really changed my views on her and I have never seen her look more beautiful and endearing. Lozada and Vanzant ultimately determined that her anger and rage stemmed from her abandonment as a child by her father and her dealings with men (promiscuity, low self esteem and teenage pregnancy) were also bi-products of this still open wound. Vanzant urged Lozada to discover who she truly was without the high profile marriage, hit reality show and closet full of Louboutins and the exchange was incredibly moving and inspiring.
I wish Evelyn Lozada the best on her journey to set an example for young girls, as the truly strong and beautiful woman that she is and hope that she finds her true calling, as she acknowledged that, "its not to act a fool on TV". To say that this show made me look into myself for similar answers to the ills that plague me would be an understatement. The show is definitely something I'll watch in the future as I believe I can learn and grow from the courageous stories of others.
Here is some video footage of the exchange between Lozada and Vanzant on "Fix My Life":
Did you watch the two part segment of Lozada on Iyanla Vanzant's "Fix My Life"?
Do you now have a different perception of Evelyn Lozada, the "bad girl" on Basketball Wives?
Do you have "daddy issues" stemming from abandonment as a child?
Have you ever been a victim of domestic abuse?
Does her courage and honesty inspire you to tackle some heavy issues in your own life?
I watched both parts of the interview and I found it quite interesting. Evelyn has portrayed herself as a "no non-sense" type of woman which made good for TV as you mentioned. But, the same with all reality shows, your life is being documented which means, it will highlight the good and bad. I feel she has been on both ends of the spectrum. Majority of the seasons (BBW) has shown some good. Good meaning, the success of here boutique, she falling in love and reaping the benefits of receiving lavish gifts from your boyfriend/fiancée, preparing her daughter for college, etc. However, one thing I would love for her to do is re-kindle her friendship with Jennifer. The friend she accused of being jealous of her relationship with Chad. I feel like she owes Jennifer a huge apology.
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