Ish got way to real on the last episode of Atlanta Exes.
Throughout the season the ladies have let their issues with Tameka Raymond compound and fester, and during Tameka’s house warming party the ladies finally let Usher’s ex-wife have it – all of it.
As “unbothered” as Tameka may come across, she finally speaks up and tells how she really feels being painted as the villain, explains her sense of humor, and since the other women like to call her names reveals what adjectives she would use to describe them.
VH1: We’re you at all hesitant about being on “another Atlanta reality show?”
Tameka Raymond: Yea, I mean, I think people do have preconceived notions, the thing is, I live in Atlanta, I’m not from here originally. I’m from California. I really had hoped, and I still hope that this show could be different. I feel like there is room for growth, and I just think that we can show a side of Atlanta that doesn’t have to be you’re same, bottle-throwing, screaming reprimanding kind-of-show, you know? I was really hopeful that we would’ve been a little bit more on the positive side, but I do understand the baits and a little bit of drama kind of makes for good TV. I understand that from a producer’s mindset, I can see why they would want to include it, because unfortunately, that’s the viewer, you know. That’s what the viewer kind of wants, because if you’re holding hands and singing kumbaya the whole episode, people are going turn the channel (laughs).
Do you think you added to the drama that makes for good T.V?
I’m not really sure …but one thing about the [Atlanta Exes cast], is that if we do have conflicts, we do, we resolve them, and I think it’s true to life. You have to have conflict and resolution. I do think someone said, ’Hey let’s take Tameka’s humor and let’s make that offensive to everyone and let’s make everyone mad at her the whole time,’ — and now we’ve created Tameka to be this b*tch of the show. Whereas in real life, that’s not me. And that’s not how they view me.
Funny, after some of your most heated arguments you’ve blamed it on people not understanding your sense of humor, why do you think you’re so misunderstood?
That’s a tricky question because while the show has cleared up a lot of misconceptions, it has also started a few new ones. (Laughs) A lot of viewers don’t realize that I am the clown of the group meaning I make jokes. Like a lot of what I say is in jest, I’m like making jokes about stuff. My cast mates know this, and they would laugh at it but instead of taking them as jokes, I think they were made into storylines.
But it wasn’t a joke when you were trying to find out if Sheree slept with your ex-husband Usher, do you believe her that she hasn’t?
I don’t know if she ever said that she didn’t. Did she? Did she ever deny it? And if she has, I mean okay, he’s not a virgin you know, it’s possible. At the end of the day, I just don’t know, I can’t say beyond a shadow of a doubt that it didn’t happen but I don’t know. I really don’t know, and I’m not accusing her of having done it, I mean at this point, it doesn’t matter. My only thing was that it would kind of feel weird to hang out with a person who had been with my ex and me be the last to know it.
And you got these facts from Monica, Sheree’s best friend?
Let me just say this, if Monica is who Sheree is calling a “best friend”, then we definitely have different definitions of what that means. My best friend would not tell me or tell anyone things that Monica told me about her friend – and to think not even a fraction of it came out during the show. If you remember correctly, I never brought that onto the television screen about my thoughts that she might have been with my ex, because I truly don’t care if she messed with him. But when Monica and I were hanging out and I asked her what she thought about that and she gave me her opinion and I don’t know how it ended up, you know, on camera. Because I didn’t say it on camera.
How did things go from house warming party to Tameka bashing party?
Yes, especially at my house. I was more mad that stuff was happening at my house. That’s not the energy I want in my home, I want, ugh, I was so mad. I mean, there are times when I’ll look that episode, like why do they keep asking, ’Well do you think you’re better than us?’ You know, that question came up. And for me, whenever I feel like I’m being ambushed and this is just probably a defense mechanism, but if I feel like people are ’jamming me up,’ that makes me answer the other way. (Laughs) I feel like I’m being jumped, so my defense is ’Screw y’all, question is, Do you think I’m better than you?’ I’ll do that instead of just telling my true feelings, which is no, I don’t.
Of all the names they’ve called you this season, do you agree with any?
I’m a bit self-centered, and I could work on that a bit. Not self-centered, as in I don’t care about other people around me but I’m interested in what I’m interested in. And all the other stuff kind of falls by the wayside. Like I really care about my family and my kids. Those are my first priorities. So it’s kind of hard, even when I’m hanging out with friends to stop thinking about whatever’s going on with me. I thought that was true of everyone but maybe I really have a problem with it. Maybe that doesn’t make me a great listener or the best friend in that aspect.
With all the negative adjectives they women threw out to describe you, what adjectives would you use to describe the other women. Staring with Christina?
Whimsical.
Monyetta?
It’s interesting because I always see it more as like two people. You know in her interview section she sounds like she’s doing like an ad for Planned Parenthood or some commercial (laughs), but the Mo that I know [outside the confessionals] is very sweet.
Torrei?
Torrei? Live wire.
And Sheree?
Free-spirited.
Shade. After this week’s episode free-spirited can mean a lot of different things…
Like easy going and she’s really…she’s free-spirited. She doesn’t dwell on things.
Would you do Season 2?
You know, I don’t know. I mean if we could show my character a little more where you could see my funny side, a lighter side. None of this gets shown. I look like the cold woman that never shows up to anything. (Laughs) They make me out to be the bad guy.
Not sure if that’s a yes or a no?
(Laughs) Are you not entertained?