

Blac Chyna Opens Up About Her Initial Fear To Share Her Spiritual Journey With Others
Watching Angela “Blac Chyna” White’s transformation in real-time has truly been a sight to see. It wasn’t that long ago that she announced that she was reversing her cosmetic surgeries in an effort to go back to who she was before the world came to know her as Blac Chyna. In previous interviews, she stated that she was dissolving her facial and lip fillers, removing her breast implants, and getting a butt reduction, as well as removing the dimple piercings that enhanced her fame and controversial tattoos.
In a recent Tamron Hall interview, the mother of two said that she has “fully recovered” from the procedures. She is also celebrating one year of sobriety and opened up about being worried about how her new journey would be received by others.
“I’ve been in the entertainment industry for so long, right, and of course, like, you know, coming out, I’m like young, I’m gonna do wild things as we all have,” she said.
“...I feel like by me being vocal and showing everybody you can change your life and things can get better, like through myself, that right there is an accomplishment, and that’s a part of freedom, too.”
But as she started on her journey, many people have shown her grace, which is something she’s grateful for. “And then the fact that people have been showing me grace, it’s like amazing,” she said. “And I feel like when I did it, I just did it. It was more so like spiritual thing and I feel like people see that, and I’ve always been like my authentic self, so what you see is kinda what you get with me, and that’s just kinda what it is.”
Chyna, who recently received an honorary doctorate from Sacramento Theology Seminary and Bible College, has also repaired her relationship with her mom, Tokyo Toni. The social media celebrity surprised her daughter on the Tamron Hall Show. Prior to the sentimental surprise, Chyna dished on the reconciliation and having a better understanding of her mom.
“I must say, some of the things I have to take accountability for because, like my actions. As a mother, you don’t want to see your daughter doing certain things ‘cause it’s like it doesn’t matter what my past was or what we’re going through, I didn’t raise you that way,” she admitted. “So, it’s like, okay, maybe I was a little bit wrong. Maybe I was acting out a little bit. But I feel like as we grow older, I kinda see more, and I understand more.”
Chyna will be starring in season two of Fox's reality competition show Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
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London Alexaundria is the contributing editor for xoNecole. She is an alum of Clark Atlanta University, where she majored in Mass Media Arts and has worked in journalism for over ten years. You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok @theselfcarewriter
Jada Pinkett Smith On How Psychedelics Saved Her Life & The Status Of Her Marriage To Will Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith is speaking her piece on the status of her marriage with longtime love Will Smith. On the heels of releasing her highly anticipated memoir, Worthy, Jada is gracing the cover of PEOPLE and sharing the truth about her mental health struggles throughout the years, the infamous Oscars slap, and her marriage.
According to the 52-year-old author, though she seemed to "have it all" in life - the riches, the fame, the love, the family, there was a part of her that couldn't escape her past traumas and depression that plagued her early on in her career. "While I was really living the dream, I hit a huge wall — a massive amount of depression. I think that I looked at having outside sources to supplement for the voids that I was feeling inside," she told PEOPLE.
By the time she turned 40, she had encountered her breaking point and spiraled so deeply that she saw no way out for herself aside from death. She went on to say that she heard voices in her head telling her to end her life and that told her of her unworthiness, pulling her deeper into her depression. "I started looking for places, cliffs where I could have an accident because I didn't want my kids to think that their mother had committed suicide.”
Jada credited friends of her son Jaden for putting her on to ayahuasca, a powerful and traditional plant-based brew used for shamanic and healing rituals known for its psychoactive properties. She said partaking in ayahuasca changed her profoundly and "the suicidal thoughts completely went away."
"Ayahuasca helped me, it gave me a new intimate relationship with myself that I had never had before," she told the outlet about her first time taking the psychedelic. Keep reading for more key takeaways from Jada's PEOPLE exclusive.
Jada Pinkett Smith on the status of her marriage to Will Smith:
In what might have been a shocking revelation to most, Jada revealed to the world that she and Will have actually been separated for the past six years, going on seven years. She explained the status of their 26-year marriage to PEOPLE:
“We’re still figuring it out. We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us.”
Amy Sussman/WireImage
Jada on how her relationship with Will Smith caused her to abandon her mental health:
As her star in Hollywood was rising thanks to starring roles in projects like A Different World, Jason's Lyric, and Set It Off, Jada revealed that she was taking Prozac and being treated for depression and suicidal ideation. Meeting Will would cause her to develop a false sense of not needing to take care of her mental health.
"Once I met Will, I completely abandoned my mental health. I was so intoxicated by him and our dynamic. I really felt like I'm cured," she said to PEOPLE. "He became the drug."
Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Jada Pinkett Smith on the self-acceptance her kids have taught her:
"My children, they’re little gurus," she told the mag of her kids, bonus son Trey, 30, Jaden, 25, and Willow, 22. "They’ve taught me a deep sense of self-acceptance.”
“They love every part of me. The level of love, unconditional love that they have for me and their dad. And it's one thing to want to be the person that gives that unconditional love. And then there's, to be the recipient of that.”
For the full cover story and photos, head over to PEOPLE here.
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Kelly Rowland On Being A 'Woman's Woman' And Surrendering To Her God-Given Gifts
I think we’ve all imagined what it would be like to have Kelly Rowland as a friend. Her warm, big-sister energy has a way of making us feel like we’ve known her all our life, even though we’ve only scratched the surface of her depth. Fortunately for us, a new interview has given us new insight into the Grammy award-winning singer’s upbringing and how it shaped her perspective on sisterhood, community, and living out her dreams.
On Tuesday, Kelly appeared on the season 3 premiere episode of Kerry Washington’s Street You Grew Up Onto series to discuss her upbringing as a child and the maternal figures that shaped her outlook on forming sisterly bonds.
The Power of Sisterhood | Kelly Rowland on Street You Grew Up On
During the conversation, Kerry points out that when she thinks of Kelly, she thinks of someone who “really embraced your sisters,” adding that Kelly is a “woman’s woman” in her eyes.
Kelly shares that her knack for connection is one that’s deeply influenced by the presence of her mother and aunties growing up, which has helped her to dig deep with her friends.
“When I’m in a friendship and it just feels surface, I ask why,” the former Destiny’s Child singer says. “I’ll just say, ‘You’ve been distant, why are you distant? Are you okay? Do you need to talk?’”
She adds, “And I’ll say, ‘Maybe that’s what you needed this time, and I respect that, I understand that, then I’ll move back. But I’m concerned.’”
All throughout Kelly's life, the presence of her female relatives has felt spiritual. So much so that she reflects on a divine encounter that she experienced with her paternal grandmother, who sang for Lena Horne and Count Basie, that confirmed her purpose.
“One day — I can’t remember if I was warming up or something — and I could feel every part of this woman,” she recalls. “And I felt like she was saying, ‘I’m living through you,’ like ‘I’m living my dream through you.’ And I was just like, well, have at it.”
The “outer body” experience shifted Kelly's perception of her talents, allowing her to fully embrace her gift of singing and surrender. “I stopped second-guessing myself. I had to stop second-guessing myself — I was like, just roll with it.”
While Kelly has been a beacon light to many Black girls through her music and — persona, she takes time to empower the little Black girl inside of her who had the dream of becoming a star and went for it.
“I would say, continue to dream big, blow your mind with your dreams, like let them scare you, and run to them,” she concludes.
And we’ll be the first to say, we love the woman Kelly’s become.
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Featured image by Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images