STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Tammy Rivera Says She and Waka Are Separated Not Divorced, Says Waka Is "Fighting For His Family"

"We’re like, not together, but you know we’re good right now."

Tammy Rivera'srecent separation from rapper Waka Flocka Flame has been playing out very publicly. When the news of their separation first broke, Tammy took to Instagram to shut down rumors that it had anything to do infidelity and praised Waka for being a great father to her daughter Charlie.

In an exclusive interview with VH1, Tammy admits her estranged husband has a long way to go for him to earn the title of "great husband," discusses the moment she realized the marriage was broken, and reveals that since their separation, Waka has been steadily trying to get that old thang back.

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VH1: We see your relationship with Waka play out on Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, and more recently on social media, can you tell us what your current status is?

Tammy Rivera: Right now me and Waka, we’re great. We’re like, not together, but you know we’re good right now. We’re not together but we have a great relationship. You know, he just working on him and I’m working on me and you know he’s fighting for his family right now.

Waka has been adamantly been trying to get you back...

Yeah. [Laughs]

When exactly did you realize things weren't working? Was that hard to portray on the show? Was it something you wanted to leave off camera?

No, it was definitely something hard cause anyone who knows me knows I’m private about my life. Especially when it comes to my family. It was definitely something very hard for me to share with people, or even open up about. It didn’t even feel good opening up with people 'cause I was always brought up to keep my private life, you know, private. I felt like it was necessary. You know, sometimes you just gotta face up to stuff and you can’t keep on hiding or acting like it’s not happening so it was just a point where I was just tired. And when a woman is tired, we just completely tired.

You say you prefer to be private in your personal life, so what made you decide to post about it online?

It was just to the point where I wanted everybody to know. Like, I didn’t wanna hide it. Like I wanted to move like I wanted to move without no one like, "Oh, you know she’s married." Or I didn’t want no, if he was dealing with someone for them to be like "Oh, Waka’s at court with a girl in the club," it’s none of my business. It’s out there, so now it’s none of my business. It’s none of his business, you know what I’m saying? It was out there for all to see. I wanted it to be official for myself and for the world.

Do you think you guys will get back together?

Yeah, it’s just a "time will tell" thing. He's my husband. I take marriage very serious so it’s not like I’m gonna be like, "Oop, nope it’s over," but he’s gonna have to work on himself a lot. And I’m working on myself. And if God be willing for us to be together, then that’s what’s gonna happen. But right now, we’re just focusing on, you know, I’m focusing on me. And he, I guess, is finally focusing on trying to keep his family.

Was it frustrating defending your Waka, and what he said about the trans community, knowing you weren’t in such a solid place?

No, it wasn’t because irregardless of whether we're in a solid place, I’m gonna defend that man 'til the day I die. Whether I’m with him or without him. Like I’ve explained to people before, he’s a great father, and in spite of how great of a husband he is, I know for a fact he loves me and my daughter to death. And he would do anything for us. And I mean I will always defend him. Even when he’s wrong. You know, I might tell him behind closed doors, "Hey, listen, what you did is wrong," but in front of someone, no, I’m gonna have his back. So my whole thing was like, don’t tell me that me and my husband have the same opinions because you don’t even know what we’re going through behind closed doors. Like if we had the same opinions then we would be good right now, and we wouldn’t be going through a separation. Everything would be, you know, on one accord. So, you know, don’t tell me that that’s the case. And my frustration with D. Smith was, she was so focused on the comment that my husband made, but you just openly said that your own father don’t accept you. So if you work at home first, like how you gonna be frustrated at my husband for not accepting you, and this is a man that you completely don’t know and he don’t know you, but your own father that birthed you don’t accept you. So maybe you should be as frustrated with him and not at my husband. That’s how I feel about it. That just didn’t make sense to me.

Is your daughter aware of the separation? How did she react to that?

She understands. I mean, of course, she was very upset when she found out, very hurt but she spends the summers with her biological father in Baltimore so she don’t get to see, you know, she hasn’t been able to be here while it’s been going on. She knows that we’re not divorcing. She just understands because I’m very transparent with my daughter. That's my only child and that's my little best friend, you know? I don’t never sugar coat things to her. I always, you know, be straightforward with her, and very transparent.

Deb and you seem very close, she's your mother-in-law who might as well given birth to you herself. Is your relationship the same with her?

Definitely. Deb and I still talk every day. Like we still have our own relationship, and it’s just she doesn’t take no sides. She’s a woman first. So, irregardless of me and Waka, that’s always gon’ be my mother. Like always gon’ be my homie like, you know, that just doesn’t, and even with Waka with my mom, they have a great relationship. Like before this breakup he spoke to my mom, he speaks to my mom more than he speaks to his own. But, you know, it’s just best. She’s hurt just like everyone else is. [Laughs] Yeah, but me and Waka actually have joint custody of Angel [the dog].