Rolling out was recently invited out to view a sneak preview of We tv’s new reality show, “Braxton Family Values,” which premieres on April 12. The show will give fans and voyeurs alike a glimpse inside the topsy turvy lives of pop diva Toni Braxton, her four sisters, Tamar, Towanda, Traci and Trina, and their age-defying mom, Evelyn.
Toni, the centerpiece of the show, was a zenith in the ’90s delivering several smash hits from “Seven Whole Days” to “Un-break My Heart,” but the financial rewards from her gift of song and booming career eluded her. She ended up filing for a highly publicized bankruptcy and from there it seemed that misfortune became her only vehicle for publicity. Now, after discovering her oldest son is autistic, a failed marriage to Mint Condition member Keri Lewis, diagnosis of a heart condition and a second bankruptcy, she’s ready to take the public behind the closed doors of her private life. Her supporting cast isn’t without their trials either.
Towanda, who’s now Toni’s personal assistant and background singer, was once part of the group, The Braxtons, all the sisters formed to capitalize on the gift of song that God gave them, but it stalled and left her feeling dejected and directionless. She tried to jump-start her life by appearing on one of the early self-help reality shows, “Starting Over,” but was subsequently arrested for forgery and theft by receiving.
Tamar, the squeaky wheel of the bunch, is begrudgingly another one of Toni’s background singers and desperately wants her own career. She’s married to a major music industry player, but can’t seem to capitalize on the privilege that such a relationship can yield. She makes her frustration with her situation unmistakably clear and provides non-stop comedic relief.
Traci and Trina (the latter also a background singer for Toni) are the lesser-known sisters, but the two deal with issues that are par for the course for siblings of celebrities. Their mother, Evelyn, performs her matriarchal duties in providing the sisters with a solid and loving foundation, but does it while working through her own issues regarding a failed marriage due to infidelity.
“Braxton Family Values” is a reality show in the truest sense, but it almost fills the void that Showtime’s beloved but now defunct “Soul Food” left behind. The draw to reality is drama and misfortune, which the Braxtons certainly deliver, but each of them exhibit strength, independence and uniqueness and bring it all together to leave viewers with heartwarming familial solidarity when the dust settles.
And who knew there’s a lone Braxton brother?
