It was thirteen years ago, almost to the day, that Rozanda ‘Chilli’ Thomas blessed us with reality TV greatness at a time when reality TV was in its prime. It may not have been on your bingo card in 2010 for 1/3 of mega group TLC to be showing the world What Chilli Wants, but it certainly was a time.
Chilli, who has been linked to super-producer, Dallas Austin (also who she shares her only son with) and held down a high-profile romance with the one and only Ursher Baby, was almost 40 years old at the time, and still navigating love like the rest of us. The show lasted for two seasons and gave us plenty to openly discuss amongst girlfriends, such as the importance of knowing, having, and standing firm on our “lists” – or the list of requirements we’re looking for in a partner (y'all remember that?).
Anyway, fast forward to today, where our girl’s dating life had flown under the radar until last August when rumors began to swirl that the "No Scrubs" singer was getting her sip on in Waikiki with Boy Meets World star, Matthew Lawrence. And although this probably wasn’t on our bingo card either, the two eventually made it all Insta-official when sis claimed him while promoting his new podcast with his also-famous brothers Joey and Andrew, titled, The Brotherly Love Podcast.
The best part? He adores her, y'all. Like truly speaks highly of her, which you know we’re always here for a Black woman being loved at 100%.
Lawrence spoke about their relationship, how they connected, and more withEntertainment Tonight, saying “I hope,” when pressed on whether a family with Chilli is on the table.
“That’s the game plan. That’s what we’re trying to do. My life is in complete bloom right now. I get to spend time with an amazing woman like Chilli,” he noted, before describing the singer as “really, really special.”
Chilli is already a mother to 25-year-old son, Tron, and Lawrence, has no kids, but is coming off of a divorce from Dancing With The Stars alum, Cheryl Burke.
Lawrence also revealed how they connected and that it was a snowstorm that prevented their relationship from becoming a missed connection.
“I had to be back for work, so I was getting (the airline) to change my flights all around,” he explained, adding that the only flight that was available for him at the time was one with a connecting stop in Atlanta, where Chilli lives. The opportunity allowed the two to talk and before parting, the two agreed to stay in touch. “It almost did not happen. I mean, literally an hour before the flight took off, they’re like, ‘Okay, we got you on this flight. You gotta go.’”
The two did in fact stay in touch. So much so, that the energy is permeating through Lawrence’s brother, Joey, who told PEOPLE, "She's great, a sweet person, super genuine, so warm and kind. And yeah, they're just having a great time and it's just good to see him happy and he makes her happy. So that's all you can ever ask for. Life is [full of] unexpected twists and turns — you don't know what's up next, but you just hope that everybody ends up happy. And he's happy right now and she's happy, and that makes us happy."
It must be so rewarding to find a new love willing to openly meet you in whatever season your life is in.
As for Chilli, she believes in God's timing, writing on Instagram: "God has perfect timing. Never early and never late," her New Year's Eve post read. "It takes a little patience and a lot of faith."
You better say that.
Congrats, lovebirds!
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Featured image by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Lifetime
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While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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