‘Belle Collective’: Tambra Cherie on Unique Romance With Demond, Drama With Aikisha and Co-Stars in Season 3 and Expanding Her Media Presence (Exclusive)

Belle Collective is returning for Season 3 on OWN. From Executive Producer Carlos King, the third installment premieres on Friday, May 19, at 8 pm EST | 7 PM CST and continues to follow the relationship, business, and friendship journey of six successful and glamorous women redefining what it means to be a boss in Jackson, Mississippi. Latrice Rogers, Lateshia Pearson, Tambra Cheri, Marie Abston, Aikisha Holly-Colon, and Sophia O. Williams aka “So Gucci” are all back, and there’s of drama when it comes to the men in the lives of these Boss women – Sogucci’s husband, JJ Williams; Aikisha’s husband, Willie Colon; Tambra’s boyfriend, Demond; Lateshia’s husband, Glenn; and Latrice’s ‘friendployee,’ Joshy. 

At the top of Season 3, Latrice, Lateshia, Sogucci, and Tambra confront relationship issues head-on. Joshy moves in and gets a front-row seat into the Rogers’ marriage, then calls out the cracks to Latrice and Cliff. Meanwhile, Lateshia shops for a condo.

Tambra is shining as a full-time interactive media personality. Poised and personable, she is juggling being a local radio/TV personality, and a national entertainment news correspondent, author, entrepreneur, spokesperson, and host. Ahead of the season premiere, PopCulture.com spoke with her on her relationship with her longtime beau and desire to start a family. She also dished on the ongoing drama with her co-stars, and how her media empire is expanding. 

PC: I already watched the first episode and you guys are really starting off with a bang. I expect nothing less from the ladies of Jackson. I was like, “Oh, they only gave me one episode,” but it was like, it’s okay. It’s fine. I’m definitely thirsty for more.

TC: Oh, well, that’s a good thing. That’s a good thing that now you want to see more. Hey, we’re doing something right. Okay? Look, so I appreciate that. Thank you so much for watching.

PC: Of course. There’s a lot going on with you this season. I think we’re getting to see a lot more of your personal life. You really opened up a little bit last season, but this season you’re full throttle.Before we get into all of that, let’s just start off with transitioning from season two to season three. There was a huge outcry from the fans for the show to return last season because it seemed like it was such a long break. Now we’re at season three. What about the show do you feel registers so much with this audience that it’s become such a fan favorite and fans really root for it?

TC: You know what, I think … Well, first and foremost, thank you for the fans for sure. Thank you for everyone that’s watching. I think the fact that you see successful Black women in the city of Jackson, Mississippi. You are seeing one of those cities that you do not usually see on television. You’re seeing Mississippi, you’re seeing Jackson. I feel like Jackson’s been overlooked for years. You’re seeing what we do here. You’re seeing that we have nightlife, we have entertainment, we have entrepreneurs. We have so many opportunities in the city. We do have our problems, but guess what? We have so much to offer here.

I think that fans can be intrigued to see southern belles, to see successful Black women in Jackson, Mississippi on TV. I love to see that, so I am thinking that that’s something that the fans love to see as well because it’s something that you just do not see every day.

PC: I was surprised by how much fun I had in Jackson when I hung out with you guys last season…

TC:  Yes.

PC: You guys do have a lot to offer. It’s nice to see a different area exposed outside of Atlanta and LA and New York. We’re so used to seeing that, so I do think that just having Jackson as a part of the storyline definitely drums it up.

Of course, you guys have your own individual stuff going on. Last season we were introduced to Demond. I love the way you always say his name so clearly. At the reunion, you revealed that you guys were living together and this season picks up with you living together for a few months. You both seem a little bit dissatisfied in some areas. Talk to us about some of the issues that you guys are facing that we’ll see this season.

TC: Well, for me, I definitely feel like I have never lived with a man before. In all of my years of being on Earth, I’ve been very independent. For you being independent to going – Actually living with someone that you’ve never lived with before. You know, you guys have dated, but you’ve just never actually seen each other every single day and lived with each other. It’s different. You learn things about that person that you didn’t know. I think now I’m learning things about Demond that I just did not know, that you don’t learn until you actually live with someone. That’s just the truth of the matter.

I said this example earlier, but it’s also things that as far as, like, the dishes. I’m one of those girls every night I have to go to bed with no dishes in the sink whatsoever. Okay. Demond is totally opposite of that. I do feel like when he leaves dishes in the sink, guess who has to wash them when they get home, even if it’s a long day.

PC:  We know he’s not doing it.

TC: Exactly. Exactly. I feel like if you know that I don’t like dishes in the sink before I go to bed, then wash the dish. I always feel like how easy is that for you? If you eat something, just clean it up. That’s it. In my mind, I think that’s easy. I don’t understand why you would just leave it in the sink. It is things like that where we clash. We totally clash. We do. It’s things like that.

Then, at the same time, you will see Demond has a dog. I have never lived with dogs and been around dogs my entire life. That is just the truth. I come from a household where my mom made us take off our shoes coming in the house from outside. We are totally different when it comes to things like that…I think that we are totally opposite that. You’ll see these challenges in season three because I’ve never lived with a man before in my entire life, so it’s very different for me.

Then just the other day I was just telling someone I had to get used to when I walk out the door, I’m not used to someone asking me where am I going. I’m not used to that. I say that even because I have been so independent.

One thing I always honestly say, I never wanted to ever lose myself in anybody’s relationship. I always want to keep my independence. That’s just the truth. I’ve always felt like, well, if somebody’s asking you where you going, what you doing, who you going with, I looked at that as a thing of control.

Now I realize, okay, I have to look at it … Someone said it the other day and it made me think, like, yeah, now I have to look at it as concern instead of control. It’s things like that for me that I have to adapt to, because I have never lived with anyone before.

PC: Well, it’s definitely an adjustment, so I understand. We’ve watched your journey from season one, and viewers know that you want to be married and you want to start a family. One of the things that you say without giving too much away for the season is that you would’ve preferred to have been married or engaged before cohabitating.

Some viewers may say, “Why take the route of moving in together versus just waiting to get engaged or married before you live together?” Or, potentially if Demond wasn’t moving at the pace that you wanted to, why not give him the axe?

TC: That’s a little tough one, I think you’ll see in the season why. I would honestly say I really had to tell myself that everything is not perfect. Everything does not have a perfect time, because I did think…even with my career, my professional, my personal life and everything, I had to realize it’s never going to be a perfect time. It’s just not. It’s not. I am one of those people, I will try something. I will try something and if I don’t like it, okay, I tried it. It didn’t work out.

With me and Demond, I think our situation is very…It’s kind of unique because we weren’t apart. Literally, when we got back together, this was something very different for us. We just didn’t want to keep doing the same thing, so it is different. It’s very different. We’re not doing the same thing.

Actually, I just went out on a limb. I did. It’s nothing really else I can say. It’s just like I went out on a limb. I did. I really was just like, “Okay, let’s see what this … Let’s see how this goes. Let’s see.” It was one of those things for me. It’s nothing really I can explain, but the simple thing I just said, “Yes, let’s see how it goes.”

PC: Well, I look forward to seeing how it goes. Outside of everything that’s going on with you opening up about you and Demond, we’re seeing a lot of stuff between you and the ladies. We were introduced to Aikisha last season. There was some drama that happened between the two of you. It doesn’t necessarily seem to be reconciled. Obviously, we have to wait and see how the rest of the season plays out to see that whole trajectory.

There was an infamous scene where you shook the table a little bit and you seemingly got out of character. What would you say made you so upset at that moment with you and Aikisha?

TC: In that particular moment, I don’t think everybody just knew the backstory of everything. It was really frustration. It was nothing else but frustration. I think that was kind of built-up frustration because for me to actually get out of character like that it has to be a backstory of why she’s so frustrated, of where you are actually seeing emotions and frustration, and I’m actually giving it attention like that.

I think that was just a part of built-up frustration that was going on. Some of the things that I just didn’t think behind the scenes that you guys just did not see or some of the things that went on you just couldn’t … You didn’t really get the whole story of everything that went on. I think that’s just what that was. It was just built-up frustration at that moment, in that particular moment. It was just built-up frustration. That’s all.

PC: Do you feel as if whatever happened between you two was or is irreparable?

TC: That it’s irreparable?

PC: Yes.

TC: No, I never felt that way. I never felt like it was something that we couldn’t come back from because everything that it was was so petty to me. I think that’s why you’ll see even in this season, and I say this all the time, sometimes you don’t see me entertain a lot of things because, for me, protecting my peace is more important than proving my point. That’s just the truth. 

PC: You definitely appear to be the calmer one out of the bunch, the one who prefers to avoid drama, who is not really razzled, but the super trailer does show that there seem to be some questions and gossiping about you and your relationship amongst the other cast members. When these things were presented to you, did you feel like you were a target this season at all?

TC: I always feel like…Honestly, I don’t know why my relationship is so…To me, they’re more concerned about my relationship than me. That’s just the truth. I feel like some of the ladies are just more concerned about my relationship than I am. I think they’re more concerned about … I have so many great things going on, but sometimes people love to focus on the past, and I don’t live there. I would never let anybody take me back to a level that I have definitely leveled up from.

I think that even in the last season, you saw things coming up that were coming up from 2015, 2016, and even in this season you’re going to see some of the same things. I’m just like…So, no, you’re absolutely right. I agree with you. They’re more focused on, more than me, as far as things of the past or things of what’s going on in relationships and all of that. For sure, for sure. That’s why I say I am the one that I don’t necessarily entertain it.

PC: Who would you say that you have the most consistent relationship with on the show?

TC: In season three? I think it’s changed, Brenda, to be honest with you.

PC: I was about to say, I would’ve said from season one through three, but the super trailer shows a lot of what is potentially going to happen. As it stands now in season three?

TC: I think it’s changed. I think it definitely has changed from season one to season two to season three. I think it’s changed because even in the very first season, I’ve known all of the ladies. I was the one that knew everyone that was on the show. I thought I’d get along with everyone that was on the show. That was just a happy time. Hey, it’s a good time.

Even in the second season…I felt like in the first season I was there for everyone and I wanted everyone to get along. I’m really huge on that. Not just on the show, in real life. I like to see people getting along, especially successful Black women. I think we can do more together than we can apart. That’s just how I feel. I really do feel that way. Even in season two, it’s just like I was still trying to be very supportive of everyone in my opinion, but sometimes people don’t like when you don’t have anything, like drama, going on in your life, but I’m not a drama person. That’s just not the things that I have going on every day. I get on air and I’m really just talking about some things that may be going on in the world that’s full of entertainment news or drama and stuff like that, but not in my own personal life. I’m not that person. I think that some people don’t like when you don’t have a lot of drama. I think that that’s where that comes from. It’s like you’re going back to try to dig up drama or dig up gossip and stuff like that.

Consistently, I think the relationships have changed. In season one, I think that I knew everyone. I felt like I was very supportive of everyone, even in season two with Lateshia, because I definitely feel like I had a closer relationship with Lateshia. Then in season two, it’s like I felt Lateshia was going through some things in her personal relationship. I just gave her the grace for all of that, whatever that she may be going through, I really gave her grace. It’s like, okay, so she has relationship issues and problems that she’s going through, and you give people grace, especially if you feel like that you’re their friend.

I know some fans felt like, well, “Why you didn’t do that? Why you didn’t do that?” But I’m very much an empath. I feel like if people are hurting, sometimes that hurts me, and I don’t like to see people hurting. That’s just who I am. I think the relationship changes. I came in in season two, Aikisha and I were very close, so that’s how I actually…I introduced Aikisha to the girls. You saw that in season two, but that relationship went totally different. Even in season three, I think how some of the ladies start off is not how they end.

PC: Outside of your personal storyline and your interactions with the ladies, whose story do you feel is the most interesting or registered with you the most this season?

TC: Okay, so let me be very honest. I am not the belle that kind of asks about the other belles and what they have going on and what’s going on in their personal life. I’m not that belle. I’m just not. I feel like if that belle wants to actually share with me what’s going on in their life or their personal life then they will come to share with me.

I do feel like I don’t necessarily know everything that’s going on with all of the belles, and that’s just the truth, because I think the audience doesn’t realize we don’t always film together. Sometimes I’m watching with the audience. Sometimes I see things that I didn’t even know that’s going on with someone’s life, don’t have a clue what’s going on with someone’s life. I just don’t. That’s being very honest. I’m just not the belle that’s like, “Hey, what is going on with this or with this person and that relationship?”

I am not that belle. Now, if they want to come tell me, I’m open, I’m a good listener, and I’ll have my opinions, if they would like my opinion, but I just try to be supportive.

There are probably things going on in different belles’ like that I don’t have a clue. I can be honest with you, people like Marie, I don’t have a clue what Marie’s going through right now. I didn’t have a clue. I don’t. That’s just being so honest, so I can’t really say as far as everyone’s story because I really don’t know everyone’s story because I’m watching with the audience too.

PC: Now, filming can be very demanding and you have a demanding career in radio, even though you’re on midday, but you do a lot in the community. You’re really the reigning queen of Jackson as far as radio is concerned. How are you balancing your platform on the show with your commitments at the radio station?

TC: It’s a juggling act. It really is. It’s just really balancing everything that I do. I tell anyone this, first and foremost, I am a servant. That’s never going to stop. I serve this community. I serve our listeners every single day. We’ve had things happen in our community that required us to be the servants that we have been put in place to be, to serve our community. That never changes. That is always going to stay. No matter what I do, I am a servant first. I serve other people.

I say this all the time, every platform definitely has to have a purpose for me, so everything that I do has a purpose. Even in radio, yes, I’m here to entertain people, but I also want to inspire you, I want to encourage you, I want to motivate you. I want to do all of those things.

I want to be more than a voice on the radio. I’ve always said that, even before Belle Collective. I think that’s very important, but it’s a balancing act. It is a balancing act. Every day is different. Filming can be challenging, and every day is different, but I’m up for the challenge. I’ve always been up for a challenge.

In radio, I do believe radio prepared me for TV. That’s just the truth, because even in entertainment. Every day is different. It’s different. I’m never doing the same thing every single day. I don’t have a set schedule that I have to do every single day. It’s different. This is what I love to do. This is my first passion. This is what … This is work, but it’s work, but I feel like it’s not work. It’s a lifestyle. Once you get on radio, TV, a lot of people don’t realize I started on television. Once you get there, it is a lifestyle, so it’s a lifestyle for me.

PC:  You said that one has prepared you for the other and they’re basically simultaneous. My final question to you would be how are you using this platform as far as being on Belle Collective and on OWN to further expand your projects? Because I know you’ve done some hosting, I know you’ve done some TV, and then obviously you’re doing your radio. What do you think is next for you in the entertainment space?

TC: Well, actually it has spawned other opportunities as far as television. I just did something recently that was for another network, but it was related to me being a journalist on the show. I did another network that was related to me being pop culture as far as what I do, as far as corresponding to entertainment news.

Of course, you’ve seen even before Belle Collective I was doing guest hosting on Dish Nation. It’s just those different opportunities that present myself that are all a part of my career of what I already do. That, I love that. Anything that’s part of anything that … I love entertainment. That’s just a part of what I do and it comes naturally for me.

Belle Collective presents the challenge, but I’m up for the challenge. I love the opportunities that it brings and I love to actually see when women come up to you and they tell you they can relate to you or they relate to a story, or they relate to things that you have gone through and maybe that may be fibroids, something like that. That lets me know it’s a reason for the platform. That lets me know that you know what? You inspire one person, you helped one person, you motivated one person, your job is done, and I am good.