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For VH1’s Family Reunion: Love & Hip Hop Edition, viewers get to see a mix-and-match cast of our favorites from different cities. Many of them have never met, so when they come face to face in paradise, there can be chemistry or chaos. Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta veteran Mimi Faust has joined season two and during our chat she ensured us that there’s a jaw-dropping season in store. Take a look below to see what she had to say about the show, why she has stayed with the franchise for so long, her relationship status with Ty Young and more.
MADAMENOIRE: What words would you use to describe Love & Hip Hop: Family Reunion?
Mimi Faust: One word would definitely be entertaining. No other [show] has so many different personalities. It was so many different people who had never interacted with other co-stars before. And then to just see the interaction between everybody was pretty awesome. They really put a good cast together for this fab reunion. And it’s a good show.
MN: What were the relationships that started because of the family reunion that surprised you? I saw a lot of people met each other.
MF: It will probably have to be [Cyn Santana] and Boobie. When I say it was an instant, it was instant! It’s like they saw each other and it was just love at first sight. So I was like, Oh, my God, the chemistry between those two was incredible… I don’t know what’s happened since then. It was like they hit it off.
MN: What was it like filming with Stevie J again? I know you and him have come a long way in your relationship.
MF: You know, I never know what to expect with Mr. Jordan. It’s like opening up a jar for the first time every time and you just don’t know what you’re gonna get. So, I was like, okay, let’s see what kind of Stevie we’re going to get this trip. He was cool. He got a little nuts. One night, I don’t know if he had too much liquor, but he got a little nice one night and I just ignored him. [I’m not] going back and forth with somebody who I don’t want to go back and forth with. So, I have learned now just ignore him.
MN: I saw you both had a conversation where you were able to move in the right direction even more than you already have.
MF: Yes, we had a daytime conversation. So, it was early morning. Actually, this is before anybody could get anything to drink before the bar was open. I really feel like we were able to hear each other. We were able to get our point across without anything tainting the conversation. I feel like that was one of my very real and honest conversations with them.
MN: Now with Stevie, we don’t know what to expect from a lot of the time either. We’ve seen that he is going through some marital issues and has filed for divorce from Faith Evans. Have you given him any advice and if not what advice would you give him?
MF: Oh, no. As far as relationships are concerned and his relationship moving forward outside of me, I don’t give that man advice. He is very grown and he knows right from wrong. The times he does come and speak with me, I just let him vent or whatever he needs to do. I’m just an ear and that is it. Me giving him advice. I don’t. That is not my job. I’m going to pray for you all and I hope your situation works out. Period.
MN: That’s understandable especially with everything he has put you through! He should’ve learned by now! Learn something! (laughs)
MF: Please and thank you! (laughs)
MN: Who is missing from Family Reunion that you would’ve liked to have been there?
MF: I think Karlie Redd would have brought just an amazing element to the party. I think it was a lot of people that were missing, but I understand why they were missing because we can’t have the same people overlapping from the first season. I can name about a good five. That should have been there that would have made it real spicy.
MN: Love & Hip Hop is one of the biggest reality show franchises and you’ve been down since day one on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. Being a reality star isn’t easy and I know it can a take a toll on your mental health. We know you implement strict boundaries with filming. What has kept you with the franchise this long?
MF: Don’t get me wrong, it is tough at times. This is not a walk in the park. It is not. A lot of people may think that from the outside looking in. If you haven’t actually taped a scene, [you tell yourself] I want to do that. Oh, it is not easy. I have, on many occasions, just broke down. It was too much. So literally, I had to go to therapy, not because of Love & Hip Hop, of course, just in general. But it helped me with dealing with my personal life, my on screen life and just how to handle things. You have to compartmentalize your situations at times and learn how to not take your work home with you.
MN: That’s so interesting because your life becomes work when you’re a reality star.
MF: It gets blurred. I had to kind of unblur that situation and realize my work is my work. Even though this is a reality TV show. You can’t bring what happened on set home. I see it happen a lot to people. They don’t know when to turn it off. Even when the cameras have stopped rolling. I look at them like the cameras have stopped rolling sweetheart. What are you doing?
MN: So you all are in Love & Hip Hop mode when filming.
MF: Yeah and I can’t do that. I have a daughter. I have to be in mommy mode. I can’t be in Love and Hip Hop mode. You got to turn that thing off.
MN: Now I follow you on social media and it doesn’t look like you’re still on the market anymore and you’ve reunited with Ty Young. What do you say?
MF: Yeah, we are kind of a work in progress. Oh, it’s a complete work in progress. There were things I needed to work on and things she needed to work on. We took a nice, good long break from each other. But we never stopped communicating. We communicated even though we weren’t together for almost a year–we still communicated every day. And then as we were both working on ourselves, as we were still communicating, it brought us full circle back to where we are now. So life is funny like that.
MF: What was the step before you both decided you were at a stage of being a work in progress?
The step before work in progress was chaos, crash and burn! (laughs) It was bad. Oh, it was bad. It was so bad. And more so for me because I was dealing with so much bottled up things that I hadn’t dealt with since childhood. And I realized that I had stuff come up from when I was a little girl that I hadn’t dealt with. I said, ‘Listen, I got to deal with this first, before I can commit to someone in that way’. So, I had to get myself right.
Nobody can make you complete. They can just add to your happiness, but they can’t always be this person who made me complete. No, You have to come as a complete package yourself.
VH1 Family Reunion: Love & Hip Hop Edition airs every Monday at 8pm ET/PT
