Iyanla Vanzant is reigniting a long-standing public dispute with singer Tamar Braxton, claiming the R&B star’s allegations regarding a 2018 intervention are entirely fabricated.
During a recent appearance on “The Jason Lee Show,” the former “Iyanla: Fix My Life” host addressed claims that she “sexually shamed” Braxton during a tense filming session for the WE tv reality series “Braxton Family Values.” Vanzant dismissed the accusations, suggesting that the singer remains “out of alignment” and will eventually face spiritual consequences for her words. “I love her, and she’s not well,” Vanzant said during the interview.
“When I say not well, I mean imbalanced, out of alignment, out of touch. And she was. She is.” The conflict stems from an eight-year-old episode where Vanzant was brought in to help the Braxton sisters resolve their internal family fractures. The session quickly devolved into a heated confrontation, leading Braxton to later claim that Vanzant mishandled sensitive discussions regarding her childhood sexual abuse.
Braxton previously told media outlets, including a notable appearance on “The Wendy Williams Show,” that she felt pressured and shamed by the life coach’s methods. Vanzant firmly denied these claims to Lee, stating that she would not allow the narrative to persist among those she respects. She emphasized that the intervention was requested by the Braxton family for their own program, rather than being an episode of her own long-running OWN network series.
“I also wasn’t gonna allow her to spew that with people that I knew and love, that I sex shamed her, and that’s absolutely not true,” Vanzant said. She added that Braxton “has to answer to God” for the statements made against her. The timing of Vanzant’s remarks comes as she prepares for a professional return to the OWN network.
Iyanla Vanzant Speaks:
Following the 2021 conclusion of her hit series, Vanzant is set to launch “The Inside Fix” along with two new television specials. While Braxton has not yet issued a formal response to the latest comments, the history between the two women has been marked by brief moments of reconciliation.
In 2019, Braxton posted a public apology on Instagram to several individuals, including Vanzant, in an attempt to move past their public grievances. However, these recent statements suggest that the rift between the spiritual teacher and the Grammy-nominated singer remains wide.
Braxton’s mother, Evelyn Braxton, has previously defended Vanzant’s intentions during the 2018 session, further complicating the family dynamic surrounding the event.