Let’s Close This Book: Why Tameka Raymond Does Not Need Her OWN Next Chapter Special

September 17th, 2012 - By Alissa Henry
"Usher and Oprah"

Source: freddyo.com

Oprah’s interviews have been making headlines for years and her latest interview with Usher was no different. In fact, though it is ironically named “Next Chapter”, this chapter of Oprah’s life is reading a lot like the last one where celebrities sat down with the Queen of Talk to Tell. It. All.

In the latest interview that had “Usher” “Oprah” and “NextChapter” all trending on Twitter, the singer opened up about his brief romance with his ex-wife Tameka Raymond and their famous custody battle. He talked about his professional break with his mother and about his hurt when “nobody responded to [my marriage] the way I’d like them to respond”.

He even admitted to not being “faithful all the way” thus confirming rumors that he did, in fact, do the unthinkable by sleeping with one (or more!) of Tameka’s bridesmaids while he was still married. Unfortunately, this tidbit of information was only shocking to those who actually believed the ladies man would leave his “Confessions” days behind after getting hitched. I’m guessing he tried for five minutes but couldn’t resist doing the nasty with other women – likely with his own music providing the soundtrack.

The interview was the typical celebrity sit-down that networks, talk show hosts and journalists secure in order to bring ratings. And, not surprisingly, the interview was the talk of social media last night. What was surprising was the amount of people suggesting Oprah should now sit down with Tameka Raymond.

Yes, people are actually saying that.

Arguing that Tameka should be “allowed to tell her side”, some believe she’s got next on Oprah’s traveling couch. Why? Because apparently people think Oprah is in business to make sure couples get equal airtime when talking about their split. They say it makes her look “biased” to only talk to Usher as if her line of work is not clearly biased toward celebrities. She talked to the most relevant person in the relationship, so to sit down with Tameka now would just make her look petty.

In addition, we’ve heard Tameka’s side. We’ve heard it over and over and over again. And after this Usher/Oprah interview, there’s no doubt we’ll hear her side once again. It’s all reactive and ultimately redundant. Usher’s divorce made headlines not because of who he was married to but because he’s Usher.

Oprah’s job isn’t to seek out some kind of truth or to determine what really happened. She talks to celebrities about their lives from their perspective and she did that with Usher, just like with Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Kelsey Grammar, and countless others. Where was Katie Holmes when Tom Cruise jumped on Oprah’s couch in 2005? It doesn’t matter because Tom was the story.

Was Usher wrong for stepping out on his marriage? Absolutely. But people trying to shame Oprah into letting Tameka bring down her ratings for a show few in her demographic will bother to watch is silly.

At this point, Usher and Tameka have been divorced longer than they were even married and it’s time to just move on. We suspected that he cheated and he confirmed it. We know Usher is a terrible boyfriend/husband and we knew that before they walked the aisle. Do we need Tameka crying on the couch? And, if so, why stop there? How about bringing the entire cast of I-Married-Someone-Famous on to the show so we can hear what they have to say? “Next Chapter” could be a whole a circus!

Tameka has gained sufficient fame from being married to Usher and she isn’t done maximizing on that. Still, that doesn’t mean that Oprah is somehow obligated to interview her. Yes, there are three sides to every story (his, hers, and the truth), but when it comes to the type of shows Oprah and her ilk are about, there’s only one side that brings the viewers: the celebrity’s. And when the headlines promoting an interview would have to read “Oprah sits down with so-and-so’s ex-wife”, it just doesn’t make sense to do it.

Tameka probably isn’t holding her breath for an invite anyway. Considering that she reportedly pitched a reality show to OWN recently and was denied, she clearly isn’t Oprah’s biggest fan. In fact, yesterday, when “@Akacharleswade” tweeted the ridiculous:

Oprah is using the Blacks for ratings. When OWN launched, it was… “different”. Now mama wanna come “home”. Chile.”

Tameka responded “Yep”.

Well, when Oprah hears about all this “Next Chapter should feature Tameka Raymond next” nonsense, she’ll likely respond: “Nope”.

What do you think? Am I totally off base here? Should Oprah interview Tameka Raymond? Why or why not?

Follow Alissa on Twitter @AlissaInPink

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  • Joyce and James Rogers

    The lady CE must have touched some eyeballs. It is something to think about.
    lol

  • Lida Peteson

    it seems as if it world is good at making men ways better than Christ. Fix My Life, I thouht God did that.

  • toasty

    I very much want to hear Tameka’s side. Her thoughts and insights on the situation would be very interesting. But it would be inappropriate for Oprah to conduct that interview. Another host should pick it up.

  • KJ23

    I still don’t understand what Tamkea did to get such a harsh rap. I mean, I don’t want to see he on The Next Chapter (heck, I didn’t even watch Usher’s Chapter) but, why don’t people like this girl?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002385252422 CéAnne Elaine G M

    Tameka I care about you!

    Please find Pastor Gary C. Price of Omega Ministry. org he is in GA.__****(What happen to Eve 2/28/2010 _PAGE 4 of A Word in Season: Audio Messages. )_****(Living in the Eye of a Storm 9/9/2012_PAGE 1 of A Word in Season: Audio Messages.)
    Tameka your life will change for the better!

    9/18/2012 12:42 PM

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  • Adrina

    I feel bad for Tameka. She lost her kids in custody, got cheated on, (& that bridesmaid ish is horrible), and her son died. Maybe she shouldn’t be on Oprah. She needs counseling. BUT to speak about her this way is proving what ppl outside our race and BM to be true….black women arenot supportive of each other. She really needs to get help though because she is going through too much.

  • DoinMe

    “She talked to the most relevant person in the relationship, so to sit down with Tameka now would just make her look petty.”

    Uuuggh, I don’t like this Alissa person. Excuse you!!?? Why is Usher the “most” relevant person in this relationship? Because he’s celebrity? Has money? Is famous? That doesn’t make him “the most” relevant. You sound extremely silly. Besides, Oprah caters to WOMEN, so I’m sure a lot of women want to hear what Tameka has to say. She’s been through hell losing her child and then having to turn around and lose her kids. I’m way more interested in hearing what she has to say than some lying, PR machine mouthpiece.

    • Shuga_B

      Although maybe the author could have chosen a better word, the “relevance” statement Im assuming is in regards to “relevance in news-worthy coverage”.

      Have you not noticed that Usher has not said anything to the media about his marriage/divorce/child custody but Tameka has been all over twitter, and other headlines with her statements, remarks etc. that’s what makes his story “more relevant” in the media world, we have heard bits and pieces of Tameka’s take on this, not his. On the other side Tameka’s fame came from her being married to Usher, although she held her own before their relationship, she was behind the scenes, we never would have known her her name. Tameka wasn’t in the headlines until they got together, that’s not taking anything from her, its just the reality.

      Regarding their personal stories, i agree with you, neither is more relevant than the other, but hell if thats the case so is everyone else, your story and my story are relevant too but I doubt Oprah is gonna call you or me to get our personal take on anything…it doesn’t make us less important, but its a non-factor in the world of celebrity and media worthy material.

      SN: I’m a woman and personally don’t care what Tameka has to say. Nor do I feel that just because she is a woman, her story is going to bring a more “honest” take than anyone else.

    • redfingerpaint

      Of course people want to hear Tameka’s side; however, I doubt Oprah will do it. Losing a child has to be a horrible experience. But if you read back, she’s lost custody of other kids, too. In my opinion, that says a lot. Maybe it’s a sign…

  • Britt

    I completely agree with this article. I was waiting for a writer to say this. Tameka does not need to sit down with Oprah because it’s time to leave well enough alone. No, Usher is not completely innocent in this situation, they were at fault. He should have just listened to his mother, but he’s a grown man and had to find out on his own. I don’t know when everybody started hating Usher just because he was granted full custody of his sons. Society bashes dead-beat dads to the point of no return, so I don’t get why he’s the bad guy in that situation. If anything, he should be applauded for wanting to be in his children’s life.

    Yes, it was wrong that he cheated, but it doesn’t change how I look at him as a fan. All he owes me is music. We never took any vows.

  • Dee Dee

    nope you get what you get when you lie down with dogs. next time manipulate a man with better character

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002385252422 CéAnne Elaine G M

      AMEN!

      Tameka I care about you! Please find Pastor Gary C. Price of
      Omega Ministry. org he is in GA.What happen to Eve 2/28/2010 PAGE 4 of A Word in Season: Audio Messages.Laodiceais the apostate Church which embraces a false gospel of wealth and status. To them Jesus warned: “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and …neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” Rev. 3:15-18 Laodiceais the apostate Church which embraces a false gospel of wealth and status. To them Jesus warned: “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and …neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” Rev. 3:15-18

      9/18/2012 4:16 AM

  • J Sica

    Yes, I believe you are totally off base. That whole interview was about Tameka. She must be relevant enough if damn near every question was about her. I’d love to see next week’s episode.

    • jobseekerpink

      Exactly! Also, I think a lot of ppl would be interested in hearing her strory and the rating would do well. I mean she interviewed kim k and her entire family, so why can’t she do Tameka who was also a celebrity stylist at one time. Basically, this article is pointless and the author seems a little too involved.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1199380798 Yevette Jackson

    Tomeka needs to sit down, go to counseling and move on with her life. From what I understand, she was a great stylist. Go back and build your business and move on.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002385252422 CéAnne Elaine G M

      Where is God the Holy Spirit in all of this?

      When God allowed me to see that I was giving my life
      and body away…

      like it was a latrine a communal toilet! I made up in my mind to seek out
      God’s way of doing things!

      God poured his grace down on me when I left my life of impurity for
      sacrificial chastity.

      Too many people have the recipe for other people soup (life)!

      Whenever you get into other people business get ready for Satan to show out in
      yours!

      If one is having sexual intercourse out of marriage
      and engages in unnatural sex acts using the sewer components of the body for
      sexual lust/pleasure!

      One has to know that it is not pleasing to God to indulge in sexual sin!___
      When people do not eat out of a dirty plate! I know that they are not crazy!
      The Holy Spirit would not have anyone to workout their life situation on
      television unless Yeshua/Jesus Christ was being lifted up! Do people know who
      Yeshua/Jesus Christ is? If they did they would not seek attention for
      themselves!

      Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly
      affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your
      own body. Or don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit,
      who lives in you and was given to you by God?

      You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you
      with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

      “Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly
      affects the body as this one does.” 09/18/2012 6:05 AM

  • Hello_Kitty81

    More like TOMeka needs “Iyanla, Fix My Life” more than “Oprah’s Next Chapter” to me.

    • eb

      I was thinking the SAME thing. Iyanla would say, “Why did you marry a man known for cheatin’. This is about you, boo!’.

      • Shuga_B

        Im thinking a Dr. Phil and Iyanla combo for the both of them. LOL

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002385252422 CéAnne Elaine G M

      God gave us His Holy Spirit!

      9/18/2012 3:56 AM