The Braxtons (2024) s01e03 Episode Script
Family Matters
1
♪♪
Where you been?I've been working.
Toni: I've been rehearsing
for my new Las Vegas show
called "Love and Laughter."
What's wrong
with your heart?
-I was told that
-It's okay, Toni.
if I have a heart attack,
I won't survive.
[Crying] and I can't
even handle that feeling.
♪♪
The death of Traci has
really affected his marriage.
I don't want him
to go into a downward spiral.
Guys
Woman: He has a warrant.
So, he just went to jail?
[Crying]
I wasn't strong enough
to watch
Traci take her last breath.
You're dealing with
post-traumatic stress disorder.Yeah.
And you need treatment.
Woman:
A lot of things are revealed.
Y'all got so many secrets.
I don't have any secrets.It's so irritating.
We're not connected
like we were.
Everybody's mad
about something.
She'll give you the carrot
and you move forward.
"Okay, this is how
Okay, that Now forget it."
What is happening?
You act
like you guys are enemies.
I just lost a child!
Don't you know
how short life is?
I think Traci was the glue
and we never realized.
She was
the double-stick glue.
♪♪
Man: Audio is good.
Everybody ready to rock?
Run it.
♪♪
Hi, guys.Hey, Trini-Weeny.
Hey, baby girl. Mwah.
How are you?
Hey, Trini.Hey, Umbs-magums.
Hey.How was your trip in,
for God's sake?
-Phew!
-That's a whole trip.
That's a ride, isn't it?
Every time I go anywhere,
it's like dropping breadcrumbs
like Hansel and Gretel.
Oh, yeah.
Towanda: I don't think a trail
of breadcrumbs
would help her find her way to
and from any place,
because she's
directionally-challenged.
But I'm glad Trina's
able to make it to lunch today.
After last night's
grief counseling
[Sighs] we all could use
a drink and Trina is the bomb
when it comes
to picking out amazing drinks.
Okay, it's
a gin-based drink.
Oh, the this one right here?
The blueberry?
That's it. That was it.
And it And it is good.
Well, can I have
a virgin one?
They don't do virgin ones
of those.
Oh, well, I don't want a slut.
I want a virgin.
Uh [Sighs]
All you do is ask for a
mocktail, and they'll
A mocktail.Mock, mock.
Mock. Mock.Mock.
But, Mommy,
I'm gonna tell you,
there's nothing wrong
with a little whoredom
every now and again.
Mock.
[Cellphone chimes]Excuse me.
Absolutely.
Hey, nephew.
Woman: This is a prepaid call
from Kevin,
an inmate at the County
Correctional Facility.
All calls are subject
to recording.
To decline, please press two.
To accept, please press five.
To re
[Beep]
Hey, nephew,
how are you feeling?
I-I'm with Aunt Trina
and Mom-Mom here.
Can I put you on speaker?
Is that okay?
Okay. Hold on.
Did we find out
why he's there?
We were
about to call Antavius
and let him know
exactly what's happening.
We don't need to get
into details,
but there has been some charges
that's been related
to this messy divorce situation
that involves Little Kevin
and everybody knows that I call
him "Scratchy"
and
whether or not it was a mistake
with him failing
to appear in court.
The family attorney
is already looking into it
and Little Kevin is in Maryland
and he's so far away.
So I'm pretty sure he's feeling
a little alone right now.
We We are here for you,
nephew.
We got you.
You know we do.
Absolutely, baby.Yeah, we got you.
We love you.
Okay. I love you so much.
Okay. I love you.Love you.
Okay, bye.
Bye.
[Sighs]
He'll be okay.
You know, it's very challenging
because we don't know
what's really going on with him.
Pain is pain.
And to lose your mother,
and they were so, so close,
and maybe that's why he and
his wife are having problems.
I don't know. We don't know.
But all I know
is the loss of his mother
I think that's the big issue.
I really do.
How do you think
last night went?
I don't know.
It was honest
and that's the only way
you can heal, is
if you're honest.
Spirit has good energy.Mm.
I think I need to see
her a couple more times
in an individual setting.Yeah, I think you should.
You might need to see
her every week.
Once a week.
And I'm not being funny.
I'm serious.
I didn'ttake it negatively,
actually.
I think that would be good
for me.
Mm, mm.
Yeah.
You've been through a lot.
It took me a long time
to be able
to put it into words.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Now, putting it
into the words,
I don't know how
to compartmentalize the feeling
in association with the words.Mm-hmm.
And I think that's gonna
take some time to
Yeah. With therapy.With therapy.
Of course.Absolutely.
♪♪
I'll tell you what.
What really hurt me is,
Traci asked you guys
to get along,
and, to me,
it's like, no one
really honored what she said.
I see y'all wearing her little
necklace and all of that.
You're wearing a part of her.
Wherever you go, she goes.
And then last night it's like,
nobody listened to
what she said.
It was just devastating to me.
Are we really not getting along,
or are we all
processing the death
of our sister?
I mean, for me,
moving forward is putting
everything in the past,
but still respecting
everyone's boundaries.
And right now,
I think we need to celebrate
that last night we started
our healing journey as a family
and we just can't push
anyone to heal any faster.
Well, Mom,
ability and willingness
are two different things.
Right.
If you choose
not to participate,
no one else
can do anything about it.
That's right.
Other than you,
the rest are very protectiveMm.
of what they're feeling.
I've seen the side of the girls
that did not exist
before all the cameras.
You have a wall
Toni, and Tamar.
If one was hurting,
everybody was hurting.
They were each other's
best friend.
But it seems like
when things began to happen,
that there was no time,
or they
didn't want to take the time.
They have to fix it,
for God's sakes.
I know everybody thinks, "Well,
but you their mom,
you their mom."
But they're their
own individuals.
And I know sometime it's hard.
I know that.
Traci knew that.
[Clears throat]
But, against all odds,
she knew in her mind and heart
that y'all can do it.
We have to.
Well, children of mine,
grown-behind kids
that's gonna pay for the bill
Trina.
thank you.
See, I can't pay the bill
'cause Toni will have a cow.
Why?
Why?
"Mommy, you let
them pay for that bill."
I know better than that.
Then she'll be calling
Why would she have cow?
Then she'll be calling you guys,
asking y'all why y'all let me
Tattletale.I'm gonna tell it.
Why would you do that?
You knowI'm gonna tell it.
Why would you be
a tattletale?
'Cause I want to.[Clicks tongue]
Bye.
Little snitch.
Snitches get stitches.
Unh-unh. You don't say that
to your mama.
[Both laugh]
♪♪
♪♪
Hey, Ken.
Hey.
How are you?I'm all right, honey.
How are you?
[Smooching]
T.B., my sister.Hey, love. Mwah.
I took the red-eye to L.A.
because I'm meeting
with my manager, Kenneth,
and my music supervisor, Walter,
to go over the plans for
the new show in Vegas
with Cedric the Entertainer,
which starts
in less than a month.
And even though I'm still
processing all the emotions
that came out
from the grief counseling,
I need to put my mind back
into my work.
How's it been working
with Cedric
and putting
his stuff together?
No, Ced has been, like,
super amazing.
He comes in,
we go over his set,
all of the changes
that he's he's asking for.
But
what's been really amazing
is to see the camaraderie
between Toni and Cedric.
Cedric and I
are doing this show together.
That takes a lot
of the pressure off me
and I don't feel
like I have to do it.
It's like I have a costar,
which helps me as a performer.
It helps me just charge
my battery again,
'cause I haven't performed
in over four years.
Yeah. Yes.
Yes.
And with that in mind,
how do we make this show?
How do we make it as easy
as possible?
What do I do?
What do you suggest?
Because the scariest part
for me is is my health,
even though I feel good.
Just that every day, I'm like,
"I just hope I don't get sick.
Hope I don't get sick."
Every day.
It's, like,
anxiety every single day.
So, now that we know this,
But
what happens if I get fatigued?
What do we do?
Well
Let's be prepared for it.
It's not easy
for us to navigate
Right.
because of health issues.
'Cause you just don't know
when it's going to happen.
Exactly, exactly.
But it's the realRight, right.
because I want her to be
on this earth longer.
Exactly.
And that's the
most important thing.
Yeah.
In just a few short weeks,
I'll be back on the Vegas Strip
and I'm trying hard
not to let
my past health scare get into
my head.
But the truth is,
my lupus could flare up
at any time
and more complications
to the major heart issues
that I'm facing right now.
We have to be prepared.
I've prepared the entire team.
Say I'm tired. "Like,
okay, I'm a little tired.
Mm-hmm.Give me a second.
Can you run that a second time,
let me get out?"
Yeah. Yeah.That kind of stuff.
That's what we're talking about.Got ya.
Musically. Like,
stuff like that.
And we have it
We have it prepared.
Or if I say, "Okay,
let's take a verse out of that
really quick andYeah, easily done.
just get through the night
'cause I'm a little tired"
Yeah.Everything is outlined,
'cause I know
that look she'll give me
Righton the stage
and we're looking
at each other and she's like,
"It's It's just one
of those nights."
One of those nights.You know what I mean?
And it happens to everybody,
whether you have an ailment
or not.
But, at the end of the day,
I'll stop the entire show
with regards to her health.
♪♪
I feel like I'm
constantly under construction.
I think
I'm one of those people
who needs to always be
in therapy.
Take it from the top, guys.
From the top of the show.
The Vegas show premieres
next week, and I'm so anxious,
'cause I'm not doing great.
You've been dodging
a conversation.
♪♪
You had a session.
What happened during that?
♪♪
Man: Copy that.
[Cellphone buzzes]
♪♪
Who?
♪♪
I'm a beautiful mess
I be so proud about it
I'm a beautiful wreck
No, I never leave home
without it ♪
Ain't nobody, ain't nobody
Loves me like me, yeah
I've walked in here before.
I was here before.
With who?
A friend of mine.
You took a walk with
a girlfriend or a boyfriend?
A guy friend.I know that's right.
I like to say I am here
in Atlanta on assignment,
because as Traci's
health started to decline more
and more, did I notice
that my mother was by herself
and I didn't like that.
But, you know,
I really do feel like I have
been a thorn in my mother's side
when it comes to her dating.
I've got girlfriends
and I've got boyfriends.
Like, what you mean, you
been to this park with a man?
I ain't even ever been
to this park.
My mama's a pimp.
Let me find out.
My mother is me.
[Laughs]
So,
this is a big time for you.
Your cooking show.
How long have you been waiting
to be doing a cooking show?
Tamar, I've been waiting for
a long time.
Look at God.
Yeah, I know.
A long time.
It was just Logan
was a babyI know.
'cause remember? Logan
would help me cook.
Yeah.At, what, 9 months old,
he's making biscuits?
Yeah.
Stealing biscuits.
Yeah, stealing biscuits.Yeah.
This week, we are shooting
our last episodes
for the cooking show with me
and my mom.
We are gonna be teaching you
how to cook some old,
some new dishes.
Absolutely.
I'm going to show you how
your grandmother used to do it.
How about that?
Yes.
And I'm gonna show you
the updated version.
And although it's been amazing
and so exhilarating
and so rewarding,
it's been a lot of hard work.
But I don't know it's been
my favorite project thus far,
outside of writing my book.
How's your book going?
Oh, it's coming.
And every time
I think I'm finished, I'm not.
[Laughs]
You've got to add more.
I'm adding more and more
and more,
'cause things are happening
in real time.
So, is it about you,
is it about
Only about me.
It's about my life's journey
and, like, healing.
The The help that
I got to get over the obstacles.
So, it's more like a
an autobiography/self-help book.
Mm.
You know, some people give
the perspectives
of their own opinions
Mm-hmm.
but I'm giving the
perspective of somebody
who is in active therapy,
Do you know what I mean?
Mm-hmm.
Because I can't figure it
out by myself.
Mm.Yeah.
And you don't want to give
the name.
I don't have a name yet.
I thought it was
I thought it would be
"Under Construction" at first,
but I don't know.
And though I feel like I'm
constantly under construction.
Mm.
You know?
But that's a That's
a beautiful
That's a nice name.You like that?
'Cause you're constantly
you said it
under construction.
Oh, yeah.Constantly working on yourself.
Yeah, I'm constantly working
on myself.
Trying to better yourself.
It It does.
It makes you a better person.
And so I think it's good.
Yeah.
I'm so glad
that Tamar is writing this book,
because you need to
just put it out there, you know,
so you can function.
It's good therapy.
It's good therapy for her.
I think
I'm one of those people
I think I had to come
to terms
with being
one of those people
who needs to always be
in therapy.
And that doesn't mean
I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.
I just think that
It's
almost like being an alcoholic.
[Laughs]
No, you
got to go to your meetings.
Yeah, you do.
Your AA meetings. Right.
You know, to stay focused
and and stay, you know,
on track, and that's
how I feel about therapy.
I-I have
to go to my meetings.
Go to your meetings.
Period.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Hm.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
KC: Good job!
Can we just go to Mike's
entrance, Toni, with you,
for the new
little groove part?
We just push to "day." Boom!All right.
Mike comes on.
Da-da-da-da-da
And we go
boom, boom, da-da-da.
KC: Boom, boom, da-da-da.Boom, boom, da-da-da.
We freeze.
Da-da.
Da-da-da-da.
Boom, da-da.
And escape that way.
Da.
Right here. Left and left.Left.
Okay, so,
ladies, can we change that?Yeah. Okay, okay.
Can we all match?
'Cause that's really pretty.
I love vroom. And vroom.
Yeah, that goes really good.Okay.
Great. Just that one part.All right.
[Laughs]Yeah, you wanna
Good. Yeah.
Should we do that again?
Okay. Just one.One more?
Cool. All right, you got it.
Here we go.
Let's do it.
Yeah, just for our break.
Good job. Yeah.Okay.
Sorry. I get excited
with the sparkly mic.
You know
I love a sparkly mic.
The sparkly.
I love my sparkly mic.
Here we go. Okay.Here we go.
I'm so excited.
It's just a month until
the premiere of my new residency
in Las Vegas
with Cedric the Entertainer.
Cedric is gonna bring
on the funny, of course,
while I'm gonna bring
on this music.
A little dancing.
Huh!
We have to make sure it all
works together seamlessly,
which isn't as easy
as you might think.
There are millions of things
to think about all at once.
♪♪
And we even have to come up with
a few surprises
for the audience,
so that part's gonna be great.
♪♪
You got to go, go, go
Come on! Let's go!
♪♪
-Good job!
-Whoo!
And that's how it's done.Man: Whoo! Whoo!
Okay?
KC: Good job, Toni!
How are you feeling?
[Laughter]
Like I'm on "Soul Train."
Right, right. Hey.
And Don Cornelius is
interviewing me about this song.Don said Right.
[Breathlessly] "Well, Don,
it's great to be here."
[Laughter]
"How was it
How was it creating the show?"
"It was wonderful."
And you would think
they would do a pause
so I could breathe, but
You're like
As you're like [Panting]
Yes, exactly that way.
Performing has always
been physically demanding,
but right now I know I
need to pace myself.
So, I'll see you tomorrow, guys.All right.
I need to stay strong
all the way through the run
of this show
so I can deliver
the true Toni Braxton experience
for my fansand for me.
Oh. Umba. Umba!
Toni Braxton! Toni Braxton!
Toni: What are you doing?
Toni Braxton!
Toni Braxton!
What you doing?
Well, I was at a park and I was
about to do a nice long walk,
but it started raining.
For real?
For real.
I'm in rehearsals.
Of course you are.
I'm, like, so hot.
You having a hot flash?
No, I'm not having a hot flash.
I've just finished dancing.
You've been dancing
like Debbie Allen dancing?
I've been trying.
Well, a little more
Britney Spears than Janet-ish.
Girl, don't say that.
Stop! Don't do that.
Well, what's going on
in Atlanta?
Scratchy is out of jail.
So, he went to jail?
Well, he was released yesterday
on his own recognizance,
which is a good thing.
But he didn't call me
to let me know he was released.
I mean, nothing.
For real?
I don't get it.
Oh, and
I just tried calling him
'cause I wanted to check
on him.
You know,
I wanted to make sure he good.
So, something must
have happened.
The situation with Kevin Jr.
seems to be getting worse
and worse by the day
and I'm I'm just really glad
Towanda
is gonna check on him in person.
I would love to go,
but right now my doctor's
restricting my travels
because traveling isn't good
with my lupus
and having the heart condition
and the issues with my blood
and I just flew back from
Atlanta a couple of days ago,
so I really can't fly
again so soon.
But I'm trying to stay calm
[Breathes deeply]
and not go
to a dark place,
because we don't want to panic
and put the energy out there,
but it's really getting
serious now.
I wanted to tell you
something that's positive.
What, what, what?
Trina is going to continue
grief therapy with Spirit.
Okay.
I'm thankful that she realizes
that she really needs it.
I think that Trina
doesn't really want to go down
a rabbit hole of grief.
But, to be able to release
the fear of people judging her,
watching her,
this is something that I know
that Trina's spirit
really needs.
I can't lose this weight
'cause I just feel just
I've just got to eat
all of my emotions.
I'm up till 6:00 and 7:00
in the morning.
I don't sleep.
The sun comes up
before I go to bed
every night for two years.Woman: Yeah.
She has been suppressing all
of that for so long
and I really want Trina
to open up
and be honest
about her feelings,
because that's the only way that
she's gonna be able to heal,
is if she's honest
about her feelings.
Well, when are you going
to grief counseling, girl?
I probably need to get
a sleeping bag there, butProbably?
You said "a sleeping bag."
Girl, a lantern, a fireplace.
No, I do need to go to
grief management.
Camp out.
Like,
that's what I'm saying.
I mean, I felt some kind of way
after our meeting,
because it was a little heavy
for me after I left.
When I got home it was heavy.
It was heavy.
Toni Braxton,
I will say that I applaud you
for speaking how you felt.
It was heavy.
I-I
I carried it with me
and I shouldn't have done that.
What you mean,
you shouldn't have done it?
I'm glad you did.
Are you kidding me?
Oh, thanks.
Even talking about it now.
I can't even I don't even
want to talk about it right now.
I'm sorry.
[Breathes deeply]
♪♪
Woman: Three, twoaction.
Check out our brand-new
cooking show
On Cleo's show.
No.
You know,
she thinks she's the boss.
Ow!
Where your ring at?
He lost it.
I didn't lose it.
That's not what happened.
Oh, so you lost it?
♪♪
Man: Copy that.
[Cellphone buzzes]
♪♪
Who?
[Record scratching]
Ooh, ooh-ooh
Yeah, yeah
Ooh, ooh-ooh
[Camera shutter clicking]
Yeah, yeah
Ooh, ooh-ooh
Yeah, yeah
[Camera shutter clicking]
Ooh, ooh-ooh
Yeah, yeah
Ooh, ooh-ooh
I like to say
I'm a California girl
by way of an Atlanta girl.
Woman: Three, twoaction.
What's up, everybody?
It's your girl Tamar Braxton.
And Miss E.
We can't wait to share some
of our favorite recipes.
This is
how the Braxtons brunch.
It is so exciting to do
this cooking show with Tamar.
She's excited.
She's very excited.
But, you know,
she thinks she's the boss.
Check out our brand-new
cooking show
On Cleo's show.
No. On Cleo TV.
Okay. Cleo
But I let her think that.
I'm like, "It's okay."
♪♪
Do youknow who the best cook
in the family is?
Producer: I haven't had
everybody's cooking.
Baby, let me tell something.
I make a mean BL
at 2:00 in the morning.
[Snapping fingers][Laughs]
Mmm!
[Laughs]
Okay?
It's a Braxton brunch.
On Cleo TV.
Welcome to our kitchen.
Ow!
Man,
this is such a dream come true,
allowing my mother
to live out her dreams.
I've got you covered.
I'm gonna give you all
of my great recipes.
Get all of the flavors
working together.
Absolutely.
There's a lot of healing
in cooking.
There's a lot of healing
in sharing recipes and stories.
I was maybe 6
or 7 years old
and we used to have
this brown stove.
Remember that brown stove,
Mommy?
I remember
Yes, I do.
my mother
being in the kitchen.
I guess you were making gravy
and you were shaking like this.
And she used to put on
a show for us, and I'm like,
"Why do you shake like that
when you make
when you make gravy?"
And she was like, "'Cause
that's what it takes." [Laughs]
It's not just with Tamar.
When the girls are
in the kitchen, it's all of us.
My favorite meal
to cook with Tamar,
I think, is spaghetti.
Mm. I thought you liked
Toni's better.
You just told me that.
I-I-I do love Toni's better.It's not good.
But that doesn't mean
yours is not good.
Toni has spaghetti, she
doesn't even use ground beef.
She uses, like, chuck.
Just expressing each other
and showing each other love.
Food brings peace.
♪♪
It does.
And I think because
you don't have time to argue,
'cause your mouth is full.
This way? You do it flat way
towards the
the glass like this?
Well, however
you want to put it.
Oh.
I think it looks better
like that one.
Yeah, I think so, too.
Here come Trina.
Trina showed up
on our cooking show.
It was so, so nice.
After I do that
Do you put the strawberries
on top of the cake
or do you just put it
around the cake?
No, not not right now.Okay.
Now, we may have
our conflicts,
but when we're in the kitchen,
it's magical, and there's
nothing but good conversation
and laughter and great food.
So, do you do anything
to your cut-up strawberries?
Before Mommy and Tamar
finish filming
the last
of their cooking show,
you know I had to show up and
lend my mixology skills, okay?
Plus, I'm not gonna miss
out on some dessert.
Well
What is
You can't say
You can't deny it's pretty.
How about that?
[Clears throat]
Well, you know,
they say, "Beauty
is in the eye of the "
[Laughing] Oh
[Laughing]
Trina.
[Laughs]
You know what?
You guys
are not gonna spoil my day.
How about that?
[Tamar and Trina laughing]
Oh-hoo!
♪♪
It sort of started
when my wasband passed.
When I did grieve for him,
I was almost, like, punished.
Punished by who?
Von.
You've been dodging
a conversation.
♪♪
You had a session.
What happened during that?
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Man: Speeding.
♪♪
Grief is connected to
everything else.
I don't know what
to do with the noise.
[Crying]
I wasn't strong enough
to watch
Traci take her last breath.
You're dealing with
post-traumatic stress disorder.
What do I do with it?
And you need treatment.
♪♪
Hi.
Hey. You made it.
Yes.
Oh! Great.
Likewise.Mm. Mm!
I'm so glad you came.
You look good. Okay.Oh, come on. Come sit.
I look good?
Listen, I need these.
Girl, these old things?Mm-hmm.
Mm.
They're comfy, though.
Uh-huh.
That's what's most important.
I think the grief counseling
kind of reminded myself
there was a lot
that I needed to unpack
and I didn't realize how much
healing I needed at the time
until there was an outpouring
of emotion,
and just allowing
that bottle to open,
because I think
I just shook it up so much,
when the top opened, it was,
like, fizz going everywhere
and I had no cup to put it in.
The other night, we talked
about just the ball of emotions
that you are experiencing.
Mm-hmm.The depression, the anxiety.
I told you about
post-traumatic stress disorder.
How do you see yourself now?
♪♪
I still have
some work to do.
Mm.
A lot of work to do.
You talked about the nightmares
when you were sleeping.
Yes. I don't like
to close my eyes.
Is it always
the same thing?
It's not always the same thing,
but it's just different
movies
going on in my head.
Replays going on
in my head of different things.
Okay.
Just replay.
I want to know specifically
about the snapshots
Mm.
that you have taken and
strung together to make a movie.
Mnh-mnh. No. Mnh-mnh.
I'm not ready for that one.
Mm.
Mnh-mnh-mnh.
Mm.
♪♪
If it hurts
for you to touch it
It does.
but then it lives in you
until we touch it
and I can't help you fix it
if you can't let it go.
♪♪
One of the things
that is going to be important
to your recovery is
for you to be able to sleep.
It's gonna be important
for you to be
able to control your thoughts
so they're not just
running wild and free.
No, I try I try to shut it
off. I try to shift it.
I watch a lot of television.
♪♪
[Voice breaking] Or I cook.
[Chuckles]
But these are distractions,
right?
So, when you're left
alone with your thoughts,
you're not in control
of what you think?
Mnh-mnh.
Have you ever been?
Yes. Yes.
Did it change
after her passing?
No.
When did it change?
It sort of started
when my wasband passed.
Okay.
And when I did grieve
for him,
I was almost,
like, punished for it.
Mm.
You know what I mean? So
Punished by who?
Von. My husband.
So, he was uncomfortable
watching
you go through the grieving?Yes.
At first, he was like,
"I'm not gonna sit around
while you grieve another dude."
I'm like, "I'm not grieving
another dude in that sense.
I'm grieving the person
who took care of my children.Mm.
I'm grieving the person who was
in my life for over 16 years."
And you don't just say,
"Oh, okay.
Well, the person's gone,"
and move on with your life.
That's not how it happens.
It doesn't work like that.
Yeah.
And then
after he finally understood,
saw and realized
that I loved him for real
and I loved him on purpose and
I chose him, truly and in fact,
then everything changed.
Okay.Yeah. It was an about-face.
Okay. What did you notice with
your thoughts once he passed?
Mmhe used to visit me
in my sleep.
Not like weird stuff.
It's more of a visit
like we have right nowMm-hmm.
where you sit
and talk to people.
And sometimes, sometimes,
Traci does, in a positive way.
Okay.
♪♪
Mm. Have you ever decided,
"I don't want anybody,
including her, to visit me
in my sleep so I can rest"?
Or didn't
Yes, absolutely.
Mm.
Seeing Traci sometimes
adds to my grief
and sometimes it takes away
from it, too,
because sometimes it's
a replay of some of the things
that we've done as sisters
while we were growing up
and I never want to forget
a lot of those times.
But I do want to still be
able to live my life
in a more comprehensive way
without having to lean
on that grief
to feel like I'm still holding
on to that person.
What do you see
when you close your eyes?
[Sighs]
When I close my eyes
I see her being ill.
When I close my eyes
[Sighs] I see
the color leaving her body.
What does it do to you?
♪♪
It
It makes me sad, it makes me
emotional, it makes me fearful.
♪♪
Fearful that?
Fearful of the fact
that we did not talking
about my my sisters and I
that we did not really
embrace each other the way
we could have
and should have in our lives
and it makes me think,
"Okay, well,
who's next
and what's gonna happen?"
It just makes me wonder, like,
"Are we gonna fall
further apart?"
Like, what's gonna happen,
because it's not
like we came together?
'Cause, as a matter of fact,
we never really had
a real sit-down conversation
like we did the night
that you came to see us
and we hadn't done it
in the two whole years
that she's been gone.
Mm.
[Voice breaking] Yeah.
Our grief therapy session has
really opened up a lot of wounds
and we still really didn't work
through anything as a family
and I don't know if
we'll get an opportunity again.
That's what I worry
about the most.
What do we need to do about
that in order to help you?
♪♪
I don't know.
♪♪
[Cellphone buzzes]
♪♪
Towanda: Who?
♪♪
Trina: Von?!
♪♪
Are you all packed up?
I've got it laid out.
Okay. I'm
I'm probably overpacking.
Oh, you're definitely
overpacking.
Well, it's 'cause I'm I'm
nervous and happy at the time.
Okay.'Cause I'm excited to see Dad.
Yeah.
And Mikey.
It's gonna be fun.
And Little Kevin.
But when we just lay eyes
on him, I'll feel better.
The fact that nobody
has heard from Little Kevin
for several days
is really freaking us out.
So Towanda; her boyfriend,
Sean; and Von and I,
we're headed to D.C.
and we're just gonna
track him down
and then report back
to everyone else,
so they'll know how he's doing.
You like these pants?
Not particularly.They're your favorite color.
They're my favorite color.
I don't know.
♪♪
See? That's what you do
all the time.
You deflect.
I'm excited to see
where Little Kevin is.
Okay. Well, see, you've
been dodging a conversation.And how he's doing.
You had a session,
and when you came back from it,
you were a little off
to yourself.
What happened during that?
Well, I had to
I don't need details,
but did someI understand that.
But did something
happen that made youBut I had to
No, no, no.
But I had to compartmentalize
a lot of things,
'cause she said a lot.
We talked We talked about
my grief with my sister Traci.
Yeah, good.
♪♪
It's a huge progress for me
to start individual counseling,
but that doesn't mean that I'm
ready to talk about my grief
outside of therapy sessions.
Just Just not yet.
You know what I mean?
It's just too draining for me.
But I've also been
really quiet lately,
because my sisters shared a lot
last week and it's been a lot
to process and I used to be
able to pick up the phone
and call my sisters
about our stuff,
but right now, there are still
some sensitivities
that we're just all
dealing with.
The thing is, last week,
at our family dinner,
Toni divulged
how deeply her illness
and how her body truly feels.
It's, like, crazy anxiety.
It's like
[Sniffles]
This is really bad stuff,
so I'm scared.
Like, you know, if I have a
heart attack, I won't survive.
[Crying] And I can't even handle
that feeling.
For the first time in
my life, she was very vulnerable
and she was afraid.
She, like, broke down.
Broke down.
I have you
for pillow talk.
I can have that open dialogue
with you.
Toni is still single.
She's unmarried.
She's got to feel by herself
and alone,
because she's never expressed
something like that,
especially about her health,
so out loud.
So,
if she's anything like you,
if she gets to the point to
where she does divulge,
it's probably
fairly serious then, right?
Yes.
And so, I think that she
should talk to somebody, too.
I agree.
We'll have plenty of time
to talk about this.
Let's get you packed,
let's get me packed.
Well, I will say this
Maybe we need to do something
that's fun
for, like, just us.
Like, me and you
and Towanda and Sean.
That's cool. All right.
Yeah. So, it's like
You don't have to
Don't close that because,
invariably, you're gonna
come back
and there'll be three things
you want to put in there.
So, just leave it here and
I'll close it before we leave.
Can I at least close it
and not zip it?
Sure, babe,
if it makes you feel better.
Thanks. I mean, it's just
more room on the floor, though.
Yeah, if it makes you feel
There you go.
[Breathes deeply]
That's not fair.
Did you help me pack? No.
♪♪
Yeah, I want the money
and the fame ♪
But I can't have it all
without you, babe ♪
Yeah, I want the diamonds
and the ring ♪
But tell me what it's worth
without my babe ♪
I want, want, want
what I want ♪
All right, Miss Wanda,
you all set.
Thank you. Yeah.
Thank you so much, as always.
Yes, ma'am.
Yeah, you're all set.
Yes. Thank you.
I'll see you next week.
All right.
All right, no problem.
Towanda: Even though that my
plate is completely full getting
my doctorate in humanitarianism,
Sean and I are just
in an amazing space.
I mean, we're living together,
we're co-parenting
with Braxton and Brooke.
You know,
I'm just happily happy.
Especially
since I always make the time
to pick up Braxton and Brooke
almost every single day,
because I love being a mom and
I love spending time with them
and I love hugging
and kissing on them,
even though they don't want
me to hug
and kiss on them anymore
because they're teenagers.
They have their own lives
and they just look at me
as a provider.
A person who's just supposed
to feed them,
house them, and make sure
I give them money,
and that's it.
♪♪
[Line ringing]
Man:
The person you have dialed
is not able to receive
calls at this time.
[Beep]
Wow! Try it again.
Calling Scratchy.
The person you have dialed
is not able to receive
calls at this time.
[Beep]
[Scoffs]
Tomorrow morning,
Trina and I are off to D.C.
and we're going there
to track down Little Kevin,
because his phone has gone
straight to voicemail
and he's never taken
more than two days
to call me or Trina back.
So, knowing that he has
serious health issues right now,
seizures since his mom passed,
so we need to hop on a plane
and get to D.C.
and just figure
out what's going on.
Towanda: Hi, guys.
What's going on, Mom?Hello.
How was school?It was good.
It It was all right.
Good school?
Just all right, bud?
Yeah. Just all right.
I'm going to go visit
your cousin Scratchy.
Little Kevin.Scratchy?
Where Where did that nickname
come from?
I've always called him Scratchy
since birth,
because his voice was
always scratchy.
Oh.Yeah.
Me and Aunt Trina's
gonna go check on Pop-Pop
and Uncle Mikey and
And we can't go with?No, you have school.
Aw.
It feels like
It's, like, a family thing.
Like, it's personal.I wish you could.
Oh!How about this?
Let's see what's happening
with your homework
and you're about to have
midterms.
We've already took it.You took midterms already?
Okay. Well
Hmm. We'll see.
Let me think about it.
See? No.
I just said
I'm gonna think about it.
No.
I didn't
No. No.What?
I just said I would think
No.
No, Mom.
No, Mom.Let's talk about it later.
Let's put it on the shelf.
You know, my kids'
hearts are in the right place
to be there for their cousin.
♪♪
Let's go through the front.
-Okay.
Towanda:
But without hearing from Kevin,
I have no idea
what kind of situation he's in.
♪♪
Man: Awesome.
Copy that.
[Cellphone buzzes]
♪♪
Who?
I just tried calling him.
Producer: I know, though.
I'm gonna put you on speaker
with your auntie.
I just tried calling you.
Are you serious?
Kevin Jr.: They had my phone
when I when I got locked up
and I know I had my phone
because I gave it to 'em.
What the heck?
So, you need a phone.So
I need a phone.
You know
we figure everything out.
You know how we do.
But me and Aunt Trina
are gonna come see you,
for sure, and maybe once we do
that, we can figure it all out.
Okay.Text me, baby. I love you.
I love you, too.
Okay. Bye.
Finally, I got to hear
Scratchy's voice, and Oji,
who just happens to be
the showrunner of our show,
he tracked him down
by going through Daddy,
because we've all been
concerned about him
and it still kinda concerns me
that he was radio silent for so
long after getting out of jail
and we just need to let him know
ASAP that we are here for him
and he doesn't have
to go through this alone.
Just like family.
That's what we do.
We show up for one another.
Especially since Traci's
not here anymore.
Okay. Gotta go find my luggage.
Man: That's a wrap.
♪♪
Toni, I have to ask
"The Braxtons'" cameras
are here. Why the decision
to return to the show?
Oh
Are we gonna hear wedding bells
any time soon?
♪♪
You mother was absolutely lucid
who she wanted to control
her image,
brand, and likeness.
I think y'all maybe
should talk to his dad.
Woman: Are youwilling to?
Yeah.
Woman: Production wanted
Little Kevin
to film with his dad.
Don't push me.
♪♪
Where you been?I've been working.
Toni: I've been rehearsing
for my new Las Vegas show
called "Love and Laughter."
What's wrong
with your heart?
-I was told that
-It's okay, Toni.
if I have a heart attack,
I won't survive.
[Crying] and I can't
even handle that feeling.
♪♪
The death of Traci has
really affected his marriage.
I don't want him
to go into a downward spiral.
Guys
Woman: He has a warrant.
So, he just went to jail?
[Crying]
I wasn't strong enough
to watch
Traci take her last breath.
You're dealing with
post-traumatic stress disorder.Yeah.
And you need treatment.
Woman:
A lot of things are revealed.
Y'all got so many secrets.
I don't have any secrets.It's so irritating.
We're not connected
like we were.
Everybody's mad
about something.
She'll give you the carrot
and you move forward.
"Okay, this is how
Okay, that Now forget it."
What is happening?
You act
like you guys are enemies.
I just lost a child!
Don't you know
how short life is?
I think Traci was the glue
and we never realized.
She was
the double-stick glue.
♪♪
Man: Audio is good.
Everybody ready to rock?
Run it.
♪♪
Hi, guys.Hey, Trini-Weeny.
Hey, baby girl. Mwah.
How are you?
Hey, Trini.Hey, Umbs-magums.
Hey.How was your trip in,
for God's sake?
-Phew!
-That's a whole trip.
That's a ride, isn't it?
Every time I go anywhere,
it's like dropping breadcrumbs
like Hansel and Gretel.
Oh, yeah.
Towanda: I don't think a trail
of breadcrumbs
would help her find her way to
and from any place,
because she's
directionally-challenged.
But I'm glad Trina's
able to make it to lunch today.
After last night's
grief counseling
[Sighs] we all could use
a drink and Trina is the bomb
when it comes
to picking out amazing drinks.
Okay, it's
a gin-based drink.
Oh, the this one right here?
The blueberry?
That's it. That was it.
And it And it is good.
Well, can I have
a virgin one?
They don't do virgin ones
of those.
Oh, well, I don't want a slut.
I want a virgin.
Uh [Sighs]
All you do is ask for a
mocktail, and they'll
A mocktail.Mock, mock.
Mock. Mock.Mock.
But, Mommy,
I'm gonna tell you,
there's nothing wrong
with a little whoredom
every now and again.
Mock.
[Cellphone chimes]Excuse me.
Absolutely.
Hey, nephew.
Woman: This is a prepaid call
from Kevin,
an inmate at the County
Correctional Facility.
All calls are subject
to recording.
To decline, please press two.
To accept, please press five.
To re
[Beep]
Hey, nephew,
how are you feeling?
I-I'm with Aunt Trina
and Mom-Mom here.
Can I put you on speaker?
Is that okay?
Okay. Hold on.
Did we find out
why he's there?
We were
about to call Antavius
and let him know
exactly what's happening.
We don't need to get
into details,
but there has been some charges
that's been related
to this messy divorce situation
that involves Little Kevin
and everybody knows that I call
him "Scratchy"
and
whether or not it was a mistake
with him failing
to appear in court.
The family attorney
is already looking into it
and Little Kevin is in Maryland
and he's so far away.
So I'm pretty sure he's feeling
a little alone right now.
We We are here for you,
nephew.
We got you.
You know we do.
Absolutely, baby.Yeah, we got you.
We love you.
Okay. I love you so much.
Okay. I love you.Love you.
Okay, bye.
Bye.
[Sighs]
He'll be okay.
You know, it's very challenging
because we don't know
what's really going on with him.
Pain is pain.
And to lose your mother,
and they were so, so close,
and maybe that's why he and
his wife are having problems.
I don't know. We don't know.
But all I know
is the loss of his mother
I think that's the big issue.
I really do.
How do you think
last night went?
I don't know.
It was honest
and that's the only way
you can heal, is
if you're honest.
Spirit has good energy.Mm.
I think I need to see
her a couple more times
in an individual setting.Yeah, I think you should.
You might need to see
her every week.
Once a week.
And I'm not being funny.
I'm serious.
I didn'ttake it negatively,
actually.
I think that would be good
for me.
Mm, mm.
Yeah.
You've been through a lot.
It took me a long time
to be able
to put it into words.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Now, putting it
into the words,
I don't know how
to compartmentalize the feeling
in association with the words.Mm-hmm.
And I think that's gonna
take some time to
Yeah. With therapy.With therapy.
Of course.Absolutely.
♪♪
I'll tell you what.
What really hurt me is,
Traci asked you guys
to get along,
and, to me,
it's like, no one
really honored what she said.
I see y'all wearing her little
necklace and all of that.
You're wearing a part of her.
Wherever you go, she goes.
And then last night it's like,
nobody listened to
what she said.
It was just devastating to me.
Are we really not getting along,
or are we all
processing the death
of our sister?
I mean, for me,
moving forward is putting
everything in the past,
but still respecting
everyone's boundaries.
And right now,
I think we need to celebrate
that last night we started
our healing journey as a family
and we just can't push
anyone to heal any faster.
Well, Mom,
ability and willingness
are two different things.
Right.
If you choose
not to participate,
no one else
can do anything about it.
That's right.
Other than you,
the rest are very protectiveMm.
of what they're feeling.
I've seen the side of the girls
that did not exist
before all the cameras.
You have a wall
Toni, and Tamar.
If one was hurting,
everybody was hurting.
They were each other's
best friend.
But it seems like
when things began to happen,
that there was no time,
or they
didn't want to take the time.
They have to fix it,
for God's sakes.
I know everybody thinks, "Well,
but you their mom,
you their mom."
But they're their
own individuals.
And I know sometime it's hard.
I know that.
Traci knew that.
[Clears throat]
But, against all odds,
she knew in her mind and heart
that y'all can do it.
We have to.
Well, children of mine,
grown-behind kids
that's gonna pay for the bill
Trina.
thank you.
See, I can't pay the bill
'cause Toni will have a cow.
Why?
Why?
"Mommy, you let
them pay for that bill."
I know better than that.
Then she'll be calling
Why would she have cow?
Then she'll be calling you guys,
asking y'all why y'all let me
Tattletale.I'm gonna tell it.
Why would you do that?
You knowI'm gonna tell it.
Why would you be
a tattletale?
'Cause I want to.[Clicks tongue]
Bye.
Little snitch.
Snitches get stitches.
Unh-unh. You don't say that
to your mama.
[Both laugh]
♪♪
♪♪
Hey, Ken.
Hey.
How are you?I'm all right, honey.
How are you?
[Smooching]
T.B., my sister.Hey, love. Mwah.
I took the red-eye to L.A.
because I'm meeting
with my manager, Kenneth,
and my music supervisor, Walter,
to go over the plans for
the new show in Vegas
with Cedric the Entertainer,
which starts
in less than a month.
And even though I'm still
processing all the emotions
that came out
from the grief counseling,
I need to put my mind back
into my work.
How's it been working
with Cedric
and putting
his stuff together?
No, Ced has been, like,
super amazing.
He comes in,
we go over his set,
all of the changes
that he's he's asking for.
But
what's been really amazing
is to see the camaraderie
between Toni and Cedric.
Cedric and I
are doing this show together.
That takes a lot
of the pressure off me
and I don't feel
like I have to do it.
It's like I have a costar,
which helps me as a performer.
It helps me just charge
my battery again,
'cause I haven't performed
in over four years.
Yeah. Yes.
Yes.
And with that in mind,
how do we make this show?
How do we make it as easy
as possible?
What do I do?
What do you suggest?
Because the scariest part
for me is is my health,
even though I feel good.
Just that every day, I'm like,
"I just hope I don't get sick.
Hope I don't get sick."
Every day.
It's, like,
anxiety every single day.
So, now that we know this,
But
what happens if I get fatigued?
What do we do?
Well
Let's be prepared for it.
It's not easy
for us to navigate
Right.
because of health issues.
'Cause you just don't know
when it's going to happen.
Exactly, exactly.
But it's the realRight, right.
because I want her to be
on this earth longer.
Exactly.
And that's the
most important thing.
Yeah.
In just a few short weeks,
I'll be back on the Vegas Strip
and I'm trying hard
not to let
my past health scare get into
my head.
But the truth is,
my lupus could flare up
at any time
and more complications
to the major heart issues
that I'm facing right now.
We have to be prepared.
I've prepared the entire team.
Say I'm tired. "Like,
okay, I'm a little tired.
Mm-hmm.Give me a second.
Can you run that a second time,
let me get out?"
Yeah. Yeah.That kind of stuff.
That's what we're talking about.Got ya.
Musically. Like,
stuff like that.
And we have it
We have it prepared.
Or if I say, "Okay,
let's take a verse out of that
really quick andYeah, easily done.
just get through the night
'cause I'm a little tired"
Yeah.Everything is outlined,
'cause I know
that look she'll give me
Righton the stage
and we're looking
at each other and she's like,
"It's It's just one
of those nights."
One of those nights.You know what I mean?
And it happens to everybody,
whether you have an ailment
or not.
But, at the end of the day,
I'll stop the entire show
with regards to her health.
♪♪
I feel like I'm
constantly under construction.
I think
I'm one of those people
who needs to always be
in therapy.
Take it from the top, guys.
From the top of the show.
The Vegas show premieres
next week, and I'm so anxious,
'cause I'm not doing great.
You've been dodging
a conversation.
♪♪
You had a session.
What happened during that?
♪♪
Man: Copy that.
[Cellphone buzzes]
♪♪
Who?
♪♪
I'm a beautiful mess
I be so proud about it
I'm a beautiful wreck
No, I never leave home
without it ♪
Ain't nobody, ain't nobody
Loves me like me, yeah
I've walked in here before.
I was here before.
With who?
A friend of mine.
You took a walk with
a girlfriend or a boyfriend?
A guy friend.I know that's right.
I like to say I am here
in Atlanta on assignment,
because as Traci's
health started to decline more
and more, did I notice
that my mother was by herself
and I didn't like that.
But, you know,
I really do feel like I have
been a thorn in my mother's side
when it comes to her dating.
I've got girlfriends
and I've got boyfriends.
Like, what you mean, you
been to this park with a man?
I ain't even ever been
to this park.
My mama's a pimp.
Let me find out.
My mother is me.
[Laughs]
So,
this is a big time for you.
Your cooking show.
How long have you been waiting
to be doing a cooking show?
Tamar, I've been waiting for
a long time.
Look at God.
Yeah, I know.
A long time.
It was just Logan
was a babyI know.
'cause remember? Logan
would help me cook.
Yeah.At, what, 9 months old,
he's making biscuits?
Yeah.
Stealing biscuits.
Yeah, stealing biscuits.Yeah.
This week, we are shooting
our last episodes
for the cooking show with me
and my mom.
We are gonna be teaching you
how to cook some old,
some new dishes.
Absolutely.
I'm going to show you how
your grandmother used to do it.
How about that?
Yes.
And I'm gonna show you
the updated version.
And although it's been amazing
and so exhilarating
and so rewarding,
it's been a lot of hard work.
But I don't know it's been
my favorite project thus far,
outside of writing my book.
How's your book going?
Oh, it's coming.
And every time
I think I'm finished, I'm not.
[Laughs]
You've got to add more.
I'm adding more and more
and more,
'cause things are happening
in real time.
So, is it about you,
is it about
Only about me.
It's about my life's journey
and, like, healing.
The The help that
I got to get over the obstacles.
So, it's more like a
an autobiography/self-help book.
Mm.
You know, some people give
the perspectives
of their own opinions
Mm-hmm.
but I'm giving the
perspective of somebody
who is in active therapy,
Do you know what I mean?
Mm-hmm.
Because I can't figure it
out by myself.
Mm.Yeah.
And you don't want to give
the name.
I don't have a name yet.
I thought it was
I thought it would be
"Under Construction" at first,
but I don't know.
And though I feel like I'm
constantly under construction.
Mm.
You know?
But that's a That's
a beautiful
That's a nice name.You like that?
'Cause you're constantly
you said it
under construction.
Oh, yeah.Constantly working on yourself.
Yeah, I'm constantly working
on myself.
Trying to better yourself.
It It does.
It makes you a better person.
And so I think it's good.
Yeah.
I'm so glad
that Tamar is writing this book,
because you need to
just put it out there, you know,
so you can function.
It's good therapy.
It's good therapy for her.
I think
I'm one of those people
I think I had to come
to terms
with being
one of those people
who needs to always be
in therapy.
And that doesn't mean
I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.
I just think that
It's
almost like being an alcoholic.
[Laughs]
No, you
got to go to your meetings.
Yeah, you do.
Your AA meetings. Right.
You know, to stay focused
and and stay, you know,
on track, and that's
how I feel about therapy.
I-I have
to go to my meetings.
Go to your meetings.
Period.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Hm.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
KC: Good job!
Can we just go to Mike's
entrance, Toni, with you,
for the new
little groove part?
We just push to "day." Boom!All right.
Mike comes on.
Da-da-da-da-da
And we go
boom, boom, da-da-da.
KC: Boom, boom, da-da-da.Boom, boom, da-da-da.
We freeze.
Da-da.
Da-da-da-da.
Boom, da-da.
And escape that way.
Da.
Right here. Left and left.Left.
Okay, so,
ladies, can we change that?Yeah. Okay, okay.
Can we all match?
'Cause that's really pretty.
I love vroom. And vroom.
Yeah, that goes really good.Okay.
Great. Just that one part.All right.
[Laughs]Yeah, you wanna
Good. Yeah.
Should we do that again?
Okay. Just one.One more?
Cool. All right, you got it.
Here we go.
Let's do it.
Yeah, just for our break.
Good job. Yeah.Okay.
Sorry. I get excited
with the sparkly mic.
You know
I love a sparkly mic.
The sparkly.
I love my sparkly mic.
Here we go. Okay.Here we go.
I'm so excited.
It's just a month until
the premiere of my new residency
in Las Vegas
with Cedric the Entertainer.
Cedric is gonna bring
on the funny, of course,
while I'm gonna bring
on this music.
A little dancing.
Huh!
We have to make sure it all
works together seamlessly,
which isn't as easy
as you might think.
There are millions of things
to think about all at once.
♪♪
And we even have to come up with
a few surprises
for the audience,
so that part's gonna be great.
♪♪
You got to go, go, go
Come on! Let's go!
♪♪
-Good job!
-Whoo!
And that's how it's done.Man: Whoo! Whoo!
Okay?
KC: Good job, Toni!
How are you feeling?
[Laughter]
Like I'm on "Soul Train."
Right, right. Hey.
And Don Cornelius is
interviewing me about this song.Don said Right.
[Breathlessly] "Well, Don,
it's great to be here."
[Laughter]
"How was it
How was it creating the show?"
"It was wonderful."
And you would think
they would do a pause
so I could breathe, but
You're like
As you're like [Panting]
Yes, exactly that way.
Performing has always
been physically demanding,
but right now I know I
need to pace myself.
So, I'll see you tomorrow, guys.All right.
I need to stay strong
all the way through the run
of this show
so I can deliver
the true Toni Braxton experience
for my fansand for me.
Oh. Umba. Umba!
Toni Braxton! Toni Braxton!
Toni: What are you doing?
Toni Braxton!
Toni Braxton!
What you doing?
Well, I was at a park and I was
about to do a nice long walk,
but it started raining.
For real?
For real.
I'm in rehearsals.
Of course you are.
I'm, like, so hot.
You having a hot flash?
No, I'm not having a hot flash.
I've just finished dancing.
You've been dancing
like Debbie Allen dancing?
I've been trying.
Well, a little more
Britney Spears than Janet-ish.
Girl, don't say that.
Stop! Don't do that.
Well, what's going on
in Atlanta?
Scratchy is out of jail.
So, he went to jail?
Well, he was released yesterday
on his own recognizance,
which is a good thing.
But he didn't call me
to let me know he was released.
I mean, nothing.
For real?
I don't get it.
Oh, and
I just tried calling him
'cause I wanted to check
on him.
You know,
I wanted to make sure he good.
So, something must
have happened.
The situation with Kevin Jr.
seems to be getting worse
and worse by the day
and I'm I'm just really glad
Towanda
is gonna check on him in person.
I would love to go,
but right now my doctor's
restricting my travels
because traveling isn't good
with my lupus
and having the heart condition
and the issues with my blood
and I just flew back from
Atlanta a couple of days ago,
so I really can't fly
again so soon.
But I'm trying to stay calm
[Breathes deeply]
and not go
to a dark place,
because we don't want to panic
and put the energy out there,
but it's really getting
serious now.
I wanted to tell you
something that's positive.
What, what, what?
Trina is going to continue
grief therapy with Spirit.
Okay.
I'm thankful that she realizes
that she really needs it.
I think that Trina
doesn't really want to go down
a rabbit hole of grief.
But, to be able to release
the fear of people judging her,
watching her,
this is something that I know
that Trina's spirit
really needs.
I can't lose this weight
'cause I just feel just
I've just got to eat
all of my emotions.
I'm up till 6:00 and 7:00
in the morning.
I don't sleep.
The sun comes up
before I go to bed
every night for two years.Woman: Yeah.
She has been suppressing all
of that for so long
and I really want Trina
to open up
and be honest
about her feelings,
because that's the only way that
she's gonna be able to heal,
is if she's honest
about her feelings.
Well, when are you going
to grief counseling, girl?
I probably need to get
a sleeping bag there, butProbably?
You said "a sleeping bag."
Girl, a lantern, a fireplace.
No, I do need to go to
grief management.
Camp out.
Like,
that's what I'm saying.
I mean, I felt some kind of way
after our meeting,
because it was a little heavy
for me after I left.
When I got home it was heavy.
It was heavy.
Toni Braxton,
I will say that I applaud you
for speaking how you felt.
It was heavy.
I-I
I carried it with me
and I shouldn't have done that.
What you mean,
you shouldn't have done it?
I'm glad you did.
Are you kidding me?
Oh, thanks.
Even talking about it now.
I can't even I don't even
want to talk about it right now.
I'm sorry.
[Breathes deeply]
♪♪
Woman: Three, twoaction.
Check out our brand-new
cooking show
On Cleo's show.
No.
You know,
she thinks she's the boss.
Ow!
Where your ring at?
He lost it.
I didn't lose it.
That's not what happened.
Oh, so you lost it?
♪♪
Man: Copy that.
[Cellphone buzzes]
♪♪
Who?
[Record scratching]
Ooh, ooh-ooh
Yeah, yeah
Ooh, ooh-ooh
[Camera shutter clicking]
Yeah, yeah
Ooh, ooh-ooh
Yeah, yeah
[Camera shutter clicking]
Ooh, ooh-ooh
Yeah, yeah
Ooh, ooh-ooh
I like to say
I'm a California girl
by way of an Atlanta girl.
Woman: Three, twoaction.
What's up, everybody?
It's your girl Tamar Braxton.
And Miss E.
We can't wait to share some
of our favorite recipes.
This is
how the Braxtons brunch.
It is so exciting to do
this cooking show with Tamar.
She's excited.
She's very excited.
But, you know,
she thinks she's the boss.
Check out our brand-new
cooking show
On Cleo's show.
No. On Cleo TV.
Okay. Cleo
But I let her think that.
I'm like, "It's okay."
♪♪
Do youknow who the best cook
in the family is?
Producer: I haven't had
everybody's cooking.
Baby, let me tell something.
I make a mean BL
at 2:00 in the morning.
[Snapping fingers][Laughs]
Mmm!
[Laughs]
Okay?
It's a Braxton brunch.
On Cleo TV.
Welcome to our kitchen.
Ow!
Man,
this is such a dream come true,
allowing my mother
to live out her dreams.
I've got you covered.
I'm gonna give you all
of my great recipes.
Get all of the flavors
working together.
Absolutely.
There's a lot of healing
in cooking.
There's a lot of healing
in sharing recipes and stories.
I was maybe 6
or 7 years old
and we used to have
this brown stove.
Remember that brown stove,
Mommy?
I remember
Yes, I do.
my mother
being in the kitchen.
I guess you were making gravy
and you were shaking like this.
And she used to put on
a show for us, and I'm like,
"Why do you shake like that
when you make
when you make gravy?"
And she was like, "'Cause
that's what it takes." [Laughs]
It's not just with Tamar.
When the girls are
in the kitchen, it's all of us.
My favorite meal
to cook with Tamar,
I think, is spaghetti.
Mm. I thought you liked
Toni's better.
You just told me that.
I-I-I do love Toni's better.It's not good.
But that doesn't mean
yours is not good.
Toni has spaghetti, she
doesn't even use ground beef.
She uses, like, chuck.
Just expressing each other
and showing each other love.
Food brings peace.
♪♪
It does.
And I think because
you don't have time to argue,
'cause your mouth is full.
This way? You do it flat way
towards the
the glass like this?
Well, however
you want to put it.
Oh.
I think it looks better
like that one.
Yeah, I think so, too.
Here come Trina.
Trina showed up
on our cooking show.
It was so, so nice.
After I do that
Do you put the strawberries
on top of the cake
or do you just put it
around the cake?
No, not not right now.Okay.
Now, we may have
our conflicts,
but when we're in the kitchen,
it's magical, and there's
nothing but good conversation
and laughter and great food.
So, do you do anything
to your cut-up strawberries?
Before Mommy and Tamar
finish filming
the last
of their cooking show,
you know I had to show up and
lend my mixology skills, okay?
Plus, I'm not gonna miss
out on some dessert.
Well
What is
You can't say
You can't deny it's pretty.
How about that?
[Clears throat]
Well, you know,
they say, "Beauty
is in the eye of the "
[Laughing] Oh
[Laughing]
Trina.
[Laughs]
You know what?
You guys
are not gonna spoil my day.
How about that?
[Tamar and Trina laughing]
Oh-hoo!
♪♪
It sort of started
when my wasband passed.
When I did grieve for him,
I was almost, like, punished.
Punished by who?
Von.
You've been dodging
a conversation.
♪♪
You had a session.
What happened during that?
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Man: Speeding.
♪♪
Grief is connected to
everything else.
I don't know what
to do with the noise.
[Crying]
I wasn't strong enough
to watch
Traci take her last breath.
You're dealing with
post-traumatic stress disorder.
What do I do with it?
And you need treatment.
♪♪
Hi.
Hey. You made it.
Yes.
Oh! Great.
Likewise.Mm. Mm!
I'm so glad you came.
You look good. Okay.Oh, come on. Come sit.
I look good?
Listen, I need these.
Girl, these old things?Mm-hmm.
Mm.
They're comfy, though.
Uh-huh.
That's what's most important.
I think the grief counseling
kind of reminded myself
there was a lot
that I needed to unpack
and I didn't realize how much
healing I needed at the time
until there was an outpouring
of emotion,
and just allowing
that bottle to open,
because I think
I just shook it up so much,
when the top opened, it was,
like, fizz going everywhere
and I had no cup to put it in.
The other night, we talked
about just the ball of emotions
that you are experiencing.
Mm-hmm.The depression, the anxiety.
I told you about
post-traumatic stress disorder.
How do you see yourself now?
♪♪
I still have
some work to do.
Mm.
A lot of work to do.
You talked about the nightmares
when you were sleeping.
Yes. I don't like
to close my eyes.
Is it always
the same thing?
It's not always the same thing,
but it's just different
movies
going on in my head.
Replays going on
in my head of different things.
Okay.
Just replay.
I want to know specifically
about the snapshots
Mm.
that you have taken and
strung together to make a movie.
Mnh-mnh. No. Mnh-mnh.
I'm not ready for that one.
Mm.
Mnh-mnh-mnh.
Mm.
♪♪
If it hurts
for you to touch it
It does.
but then it lives in you
until we touch it
and I can't help you fix it
if you can't let it go.
♪♪
One of the things
that is going to be important
to your recovery is
for you to be able to sleep.
It's gonna be important
for you to be
able to control your thoughts
so they're not just
running wild and free.
No, I try I try to shut it
off. I try to shift it.
I watch a lot of television.
♪♪
[Voice breaking] Or I cook.
[Chuckles]
But these are distractions,
right?
So, when you're left
alone with your thoughts,
you're not in control
of what you think?
Mnh-mnh.
Have you ever been?
Yes. Yes.
Did it change
after her passing?
No.
When did it change?
It sort of started
when my wasband passed.
Okay.
And when I did grieve
for him,
I was almost,
like, punished for it.
Mm.
You know what I mean? So
Punished by who?
Von. My husband.
So, he was uncomfortable
watching
you go through the grieving?Yes.
At first, he was like,
"I'm not gonna sit around
while you grieve another dude."
I'm like, "I'm not grieving
another dude in that sense.
I'm grieving the person
who took care of my children.Mm.
I'm grieving the person who was
in my life for over 16 years."
And you don't just say,
"Oh, okay.
Well, the person's gone,"
and move on with your life.
That's not how it happens.
It doesn't work like that.
Yeah.
And then
after he finally understood,
saw and realized
that I loved him for real
and I loved him on purpose and
I chose him, truly and in fact,
then everything changed.
Okay.Yeah. It was an about-face.
Okay. What did you notice with
your thoughts once he passed?
Mmhe used to visit me
in my sleep.
Not like weird stuff.
It's more of a visit
like we have right nowMm-hmm.
where you sit
and talk to people.
And sometimes, sometimes,
Traci does, in a positive way.
Okay.
♪♪
Mm. Have you ever decided,
"I don't want anybody,
including her, to visit me
in my sleep so I can rest"?
Or didn't
Yes, absolutely.
Mm.
Seeing Traci sometimes
adds to my grief
and sometimes it takes away
from it, too,
because sometimes it's
a replay of some of the things
that we've done as sisters
while we were growing up
and I never want to forget
a lot of those times.
But I do want to still be
able to live my life
in a more comprehensive way
without having to lean
on that grief
to feel like I'm still holding
on to that person.
What do you see
when you close your eyes?
[Sighs]
When I close my eyes
I see her being ill.
When I close my eyes
[Sighs] I see
the color leaving her body.
What does it do to you?
♪♪
It
It makes me sad, it makes me
emotional, it makes me fearful.
♪♪
Fearful that?
Fearful of the fact
that we did not talking
about my my sisters and I
that we did not really
embrace each other the way
we could have
and should have in our lives
and it makes me think,
"Okay, well,
who's next
and what's gonna happen?"
It just makes me wonder, like,
"Are we gonna fall
further apart?"
Like, what's gonna happen,
because it's not
like we came together?
'Cause, as a matter of fact,
we never really had
a real sit-down conversation
like we did the night
that you came to see us
and we hadn't done it
in the two whole years
that she's been gone.
Mm.
[Voice breaking] Yeah.
Our grief therapy session has
really opened up a lot of wounds
and we still really didn't work
through anything as a family
and I don't know if
we'll get an opportunity again.
That's what I worry
about the most.
What do we need to do about
that in order to help you?
♪♪
I don't know.
♪♪
[Cellphone buzzes]
♪♪
Towanda: Who?
♪♪
Trina: Von?!
♪♪
Are you all packed up?
I've got it laid out.
Okay. I'm
I'm probably overpacking.
Oh, you're definitely
overpacking.
Well, it's 'cause I'm I'm
nervous and happy at the time.
Okay.'Cause I'm excited to see Dad.
Yeah.
And Mikey.
It's gonna be fun.
And Little Kevin.
But when we just lay eyes
on him, I'll feel better.
The fact that nobody
has heard from Little Kevin
for several days
is really freaking us out.
So Towanda; her boyfriend,
Sean; and Von and I,
we're headed to D.C.
and we're just gonna
track him down
and then report back
to everyone else,
so they'll know how he's doing.
You like these pants?
Not particularly.They're your favorite color.
They're my favorite color.
I don't know.
♪♪
See? That's what you do
all the time.
You deflect.
I'm excited to see
where Little Kevin is.
Okay. Well, see, you've
been dodging a conversation.And how he's doing.
You had a session,
and when you came back from it,
you were a little off
to yourself.
What happened during that?
Well, I had to
I don't need details,
but did someI understand that.
But did something
happen that made youBut I had to
No, no, no.
But I had to compartmentalize
a lot of things,
'cause she said a lot.
We talked We talked about
my grief with my sister Traci.
Yeah, good.
♪♪
It's a huge progress for me
to start individual counseling,
but that doesn't mean that I'm
ready to talk about my grief
outside of therapy sessions.
Just Just not yet.
You know what I mean?
It's just too draining for me.
But I've also been
really quiet lately,
because my sisters shared a lot
last week and it's been a lot
to process and I used to be
able to pick up the phone
and call my sisters
about our stuff,
but right now, there are still
some sensitivities
that we're just all
dealing with.
The thing is, last week,
at our family dinner,
Toni divulged
how deeply her illness
and how her body truly feels.
It's, like, crazy anxiety.
It's like
[Sniffles]
This is really bad stuff,
so I'm scared.
Like, you know, if I have a
heart attack, I won't survive.
[Crying] And I can't even handle
that feeling.
For the first time in
my life, she was very vulnerable
and she was afraid.
She, like, broke down.
Broke down.
I have you
for pillow talk.
I can have that open dialogue
with you.
Toni is still single.
She's unmarried.
She's got to feel by herself
and alone,
because she's never expressed
something like that,
especially about her health,
so out loud.
So,
if she's anything like you,
if she gets to the point to
where she does divulge,
it's probably
fairly serious then, right?
Yes.
And so, I think that she
should talk to somebody, too.
I agree.
We'll have plenty of time
to talk about this.
Let's get you packed,
let's get me packed.
Well, I will say this
Maybe we need to do something
that's fun
for, like, just us.
Like, me and you
and Towanda and Sean.
That's cool. All right.
Yeah. So, it's like
You don't have to
Don't close that because,
invariably, you're gonna
come back
and there'll be three things
you want to put in there.
So, just leave it here and
I'll close it before we leave.
Can I at least close it
and not zip it?
Sure, babe,
if it makes you feel better.
Thanks. I mean, it's just
more room on the floor, though.
Yeah, if it makes you feel
There you go.
[Breathes deeply]
That's not fair.
Did you help me pack? No.
♪♪
Yeah, I want the money
and the fame ♪
But I can't have it all
without you, babe ♪
Yeah, I want the diamonds
and the ring ♪
But tell me what it's worth
without my babe ♪
I want, want, want
what I want ♪
All right, Miss Wanda,
you all set.
Thank you. Yeah.
Thank you so much, as always.
Yes, ma'am.
Yeah, you're all set.
Yes. Thank you.
I'll see you next week.
All right.
All right, no problem.
Towanda: Even though that my
plate is completely full getting
my doctorate in humanitarianism,
Sean and I are just
in an amazing space.
I mean, we're living together,
we're co-parenting
with Braxton and Brooke.
You know,
I'm just happily happy.
Especially
since I always make the time
to pick up Braxton and Brooke
almost every single day,
because I love being a mom and
I love spending time with them
and I love hugging
and kissing on them,
even though they don't want
me to hug
and kiss on them anymore
because they're teenagers.
They have their own lives
and they just look at me
as a provider.
A person who's just supposed
to feed them,
house them, and make sure
I give them money,
and that's it.
♪♪
[Line ringing]
Man:
The person you have dialed
is not able to receive
calls at this time.
[Beep]
Wow! Try it again.
Calling Scratchy.
The person you have dialed
is not able to receive
calls at this time.
[Beep]
[Scoffs]
Tomorrow morning,
Trina and I are off to D.C.
and we're going there
to track down Little Kevin,
because his phone has gone
straight to voicemail
and he's never taken
more than two days
to call me or Trina back.
So, knowing that he has
serious health issues right now,
seizures since his mom passed,
so we need to hop on a plane
and get to D.C.
and just figure
out what's going on.
Towanda: Hi, guys.
What's going on, Mom?Hello.
How was school?It was good.
It It was all right.
Good school?
Just all right, bud?
Yeah. Just all right.
I'm going to go visit
your cousin Scratchy.
Little Kevin.Scratchy?
Where Where did that nickname
come from?
I've always called him Scratchy
since birth,
because his voice was
always scratchy.
Oh.Yeah.
Me and Aunt Trina's
gonna go check on Pop-Pop
and Uncle Mikey and
And we can't go with?No, you have school.
Aw.
It feels like
It's, like, a family thing.
Like, it's personal.I wish you could.
Oh!How about this?
Let's see what's happening
with your homework
and you're about to have
midterms.
We've already took it.You took midterms already?
Okay. Well
Hmm. We'll see.
Let me think about it.
See? No.
I just said
I'm gonna think about it.
No.
I didn't
No. No.What?
I just said I would think
No.
No, Mom.
No, Mom.Let's talk about it later.
Let's put it on the shelf.
You know, my kids'
hearts are in the right place
to be there for their cousin.
♪♪
Let's go through the front.
-Okay.
Towanda:
But without hearing from Kevin,
I have no idea
what kind of situation he's in.
♪♪
Man: Awesome.
Copy that.
[Cellphone buzzes]
♪♪
Who?
I just tried calling him.
Producer: I know, though.
I'm gonna put you on speaker
with your auntie.
I just tried calling you.
Are you serious?
Kevin Jr.: They had my phone
when I when I got locked up
and I know I had my phone
because I gave it to 'em.
What the heck?
So, you need a phone.So
I need a phone.
You know
we figure everything out.
You know how we do.
But me and Aunt Trina
are gonna come see you,
for sure, and maybe once we do
that, we can figure it all out.
Okay.Text me, baby. I love you.
I love you, too.
Okay. Bye.
Finally, I got to hear
Scratchy's voice, and Oji,
who just happens to be
the showrunner of our show,
he tracked him down
by going through Daddy,
because we've all been
concerned about him
and it still kinda concerns me
that he was radio silent for so
long after getting out of jail
and we just need to let him know
ASAP that we are here for him
and he doesn't have
to go through this alone.
Just like family.
That's what we do.
We show up for one another.
Especially since Traci's
not here anymore.
Okay. Gotta go find my luggage.
Man: That's a wrap.
♪♪
Toni, I have to ask
"The Braxtons'" cameras
are here. Why the decision
to return to the show?
Oh
Are we gonna hear wedding bells
any time soon?
♪♪
You mother was absolutely lucid
who she wanted to control
her image,
brand, and likeness.
I think y'all maybe
should talk to his dad.
Woman: Are youwilling to?
Yeah.
Woman: Production wanted
Little Kevin
to film with his dad.
Don't push me.