On the latest episode of Stepping Into The Shade Room, Kandi Burruss gets candid about the drama surrounding Xscape and her groupmates. As well as her thoughts about the Real Housewives reality television franchise, motherhood, and more with host Thembi.
The 46-year-old rose to fame as a member of the R&B group, founded in 1990 alongside Tameka “Tiny” Cottle, LaTocha Scott, Tamera Coggins-Wynn, and Tamika Scott. Despite numerous platinum albums and singles, the members would eventually go their own ways, and Burruss would pursue a successful career in songwriting, television production, acting, reality television, and more. Since then, Xscape has reunited (minus Tamera Coggins-Wynn), and Burruss took the time to share how she manages it all.
Burruss opened up the conversation of motherhood by reflecting on how she protects her oldest daughter, Riley, who is now 20. Fans of ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ have watched Riley grow from childhood into adulthood and witnessed her weight loss journey.
“With Riley, it’s always been a constant conversation to just talk about the fact that you just cannot care what other people think of you. You’ve got to build up that tough skin, and she is really tough… Riley has grown up on tv, so she started when she was six. She’s 20 now [and] yes a lot of the things are frustrating to her when people only want to comment about her body…”
According to Daily Mail, when Riley was 16 years old, she stunned reality television viewers when she went from 220lbs to 168lbs after “working out five days a week and carefully watching her diet.” In October 2022, the 20-year-old surprised fans with another transformation at BravoCon in New York.
Although Burruss raised Riley as a single mother, she married Todd Tucker in 2014, and the couple now shares two children named Ace and Blaze. Tucker is also a father to his eldest daughter Kaela Tucker, from a previous relationship.
Burruss explained how it feels to now raise children with a “present father figure.”
“It’s totally different, obviously, when you’re able to have your husband being a part of your children’s upbringing — but I feel like I did a great job with Riley. She and her father have recently started back communicating, so I’m happy. And, I feel like with our younger ones, we’re still trying just to instill the same thing, really. It’s just now it’s just two parents there.”
The 46-year-old shared what she hopes to instill in her children as they grow into adulthood.
“I want them to all have that work ethic, have that drive, belief of self, know that they can do anything. And just know that we always have their backs.”
Watch Stepping Into The Shade Room with guest Kandi Burruss above!
