Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins is setting the facts straight about news reports that her Atlanta-area home is being foreclosed and up for auction. In an interview with Essence.com, the former TLC singer reveals what really happened.
ESSENCE.COM: Well, there have been reports that a Georgia property of yours is going into foreclosure. Is that true?
T-BOZ: No, I’m not homeless. During my last marriage [to Mack 10], I had a bunch of things that were put in my name. If one of those properties is going into foreclosure then I don’t know. Although I’ve been divorced for five years, there are still a lot of things I’m dealing with on getting straight in that regard. All I know is that the house I live in with my daughter is not. When you pull up my name, my real house doesn’t show up because it’s not in my real name, because I enjoy my privacy and I’m not trying to have people be able to find me that easily.
ESSENCE.COM: There were also reports of you losing a home in Houston?
T-BOZ: I’ve never owned a home in Houston. I closed a store in Houston, Chase’s Closet, where I sold girls and boys clothing from infants to 12 years. The store is named after my daughter, Chase. For now, I only have the online store (chasescloset.com).
ESSENCE.COM: That explains the locale. Did you see the photos they had of you that were allegedly in front of your Houston home begging for donations?
T-BOZ: It’s almost a waste of energy to give an explanation, but I’ll just say that the [blogosphere] loves to make up things. I remember that photo and it was on Craiglist.com showing me holding up an autographed picture on the internet saying, “If you come to this address with cash we’ll give you an autographed picture.” The only thing that irritated me was that they said that the proceeds would be donated to St. Jude’s [Children’s Research Hospital]. I can take people talking about me all day, but don’t use my name to make fun of sick children because that’s beyond low and sick. I was a sick kid for a long time, in and out of the hospital most of my life battling my sickle cell, so I don’t find anything funny about that kind of joking. Why would anyone target innocent sick children to make fun of? That’s not cool at all. I mean someone actually took the time to make up all this stuff.
