Iyanla Vanzant has broken her silence on her 2018 feud with Tamar Braxton, pushing back against claims that she sexually shamed the singer on Braxton Family Values. The 73-year-old life coach said she believes she was in the right but still has love for Braxton.
Iyanla Vanzant defends her role in the 2018 Braxton Family Values confrontation with Tamar Braxton
During a preview of The Jason Lee Show released by BET, Vanzant responded to questions about Braxton’s allegations, telling Lee, “I love her, and she’s not well. That’s all I’ve got to say. But I also wasn’t going to allow her to spew that with people that I knew and loved.” Vanzant further explained her remarks about Braxton, defining “not well” as being “imbalanced,” “out of alignment,” and “out of touch.” She said she believes the singer was in that state during their confrontation and remains so.
Vanzant’s recent comments come after her 2018 appearance on WE tv‘s Braxton Family Values. The show aired for seven seasons between 2011 and 2020, and Vanzant appeared on the series to help the sisters address their strained relationships. However, the session took a dramatic turn, becoming one of the show’s most controversial episodes.
Braxton claimed Vanzant mishandled discussions about her childhood sexual abuse and made her feel pressured to reveal painful personal experiences. Braxton said she had hoped the experience would help her family, but she ultimately felt let down by what happened. Responding to these claims, Vanzant said, “I don’t mind being the bad guy. If that’s what it’s gonna take for you to get clear about your imbalance.”
She added, “Everything that I do, Jason, everything, and I mean this. I do it in service to God. So when people come for me, they’ve got to come through God.” Vanzant also said she does not take criticism to heart.
