Shaunie O’Neal reveals how ‘Basketball Wives’ will tackle colorism accusations this season
O'Neal has asked that the ladies of the series be given another chance
This week, VH1’s controversial hit Basketball Wives kicks off a whole new season. After the headline-making colorism controversy of season 8, series leading lady and producer Shaunie O’Neal is opening up about how she and the cast plan to address the elephant in the room.
While promoting Tuesday’s upcoming premiere, O’Neal sat down to talk to Entertainment Tonight about how much she and all the other women have grown over the years and plan to keep growing in this new season.
READ MORE: Tiffany Haddish drops F-bomb during post-Super Bowl concert
“Of course there are things that we would change or if we knew better we would do better than,” she admits. “But I think it’s been a huge growing journey for us that we all would do again, just do better this time.”
As for the ongoing critique that shows like hers paint Black women in a negative light, she explains, “You pick and choose who you look up to and who you decide to follow and who you take pointers from in life,” noting that for people who don’t relate to the show then, “those wouldn’t be the women you choose to look up to.”
READ MORE: ‘Colin Kaepernick VS. The World’ debuts on Snapchat
As for any possibility of Evelyn Lozada making amends with cast mate O.G who previously accused her of being colorist, she coyly responds, “anything is possible.”
“I would say that that is OG’s experience and that she needs to speak for that,” she says of the colorism debate that the show sparked. “I can’t speak for something that I didn’t experience. So out of respect for her, I will allow her to handle that particular subject and deal with that being that it was her experience.”
“This season, give these ladies another a chance,” she asks. “Give everybody, including me, if whoever judges, another chance to see that growth is happening and things are changing. You’ll see some difference this season.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!
