It’s been 19 years since four teen girls from Houston, Texas, came together to form Destiny’s Child, and 16 years since original members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson were replaced by Michelle Williams, and, briefly, Farrah Franklin, but the pain lives on for Roberson. The 35-year-old has spoken about the hurt of being kicked out of one of the highest-selling girl groups of all time on more than one occasion, but this time Roberson is putting all of her thoughts all in one place: A memoir to be released in the spring of 2017.
In an interview with People magazine, Roberson gave insight into some of the things she’ll share with fans in her book, I Am LaTavia, and cleared up a few misconceptions about her departure from Destiny’s Child in 2000.
“I never left Destiny’s Child,” Roberson explained. “That is something that people say. But who would leave Destiny’s Child? That’s crazy! I was dismissed from the group. It was very difficult because of the way that I found out about it. I hate even talking about it, and it’s been 20 years — but it is what it is. We saw the ‘Say My Name’ video on TV, and that’s how I found out I was no longer in the group.
“It was very difficult,” she continued. “I’m pretty sure that it was difficult for all of us — because we were young. My issue was always with the management; it was never with the girls.”
Even though Roberson and Luckett successfully sued Destiny’s Child’s manager, and Beyoncé’s dad, Matthew Knowles and received royalties from the albums they made with the group, it was poor consolation for no longer being a member of the popular girl band.
“It was almost like a bad divorce — you’re no longer with your friends, people that you love so much, ” Roberson said. “So that was hard in itself, and then being by myself at that time, when other aspects starting taking ahold of me. It lead me into a depression. And it wasn’t pretty, like at all.”
Those other aspects included “molestation, dealing with alcoholism and drugs,” Roberson shared. But years later she says “it’s all love” when it comes to her feelings toward Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and even Williams and Franklin whom she’s met before.
“Everybody has their lives, but I know as far as me being an original member with the girls that I started with? I support all of their careers, and their music’s been guiding me through a lot. It’s been wonderful.
“I believe that nothing in life has happened in vain,” she added. “I believe that things happen for a reason, and there’s nothing but love on my end.”
