Chilli’s New Love With Matthew Lawrence Is A Lesson In Waiting On Your ‘Perfect Timing’
It was thirteen years ago, almost to the day, that Rozanda ‘Chilli’ Thomas blessed us with reality TV greatness at a time when reality TV was in its prime. It may not have been on your bingo card in 2010 for 1/3 of mega group TLC to be showing the world What Chilli Wants, but it certainly was a time.
Chilli, who has been linked to super-producer, Dallas Austin (also who she shares her only son with) and held down a high-profile romance with the one and only Ursher Baby, was almost 40 years old at the time, and still navigating love like the rest of us. The show lasted for two seasons and gave us plenty to openly discuss amongst girlfriends, such as the importance of knowing, having, and standing firm on our “lists” – or the list of requirements we’re looking for in a partner (y'all remember that?).
Anyway, fast forward to today, where our girl’s dating life had flown under the radar until last August when rumors began to swirl that the "No Scrubs" singer was getting her sip on in Waikiki with Boy Meets World star, Matthew Lawrence. And although this probably wasn’t on our bingo card either, the two eventually made it all Insta-official when sis claimed him while promoting his new podcast with his also-famous brothers Joey and Andrew, titled, The Brotherly Love Podcast.
The best part? He adores her, y'all. Like truly speaks highly of her, which you know we’re always here for a Black woman being loved at 100%.
Lawrence spoke about their relationship, how they connected, and more with Entertainment Tonight, saying “I hope,” when pressed on whether a family with Chilli is on the table.
“That’s the game plan. That’s what we’re trying to do. My life is in complete bloom right now. I get to spend time with an amazing woman like Chilli,” he noted, before describing the singer as “really, really special.”
Chilli is already a mother to 25-year-old son, Tron, and Lawrence, has no kids, but is coming off of a divorce from Dancing With The Stars alum, Cheryl Burke.
Lawrence also revealed how they connected and that it was a snowstorm that prevented their relationship from becoming a missed connection.
“I had to be back for work, so I was getting (the airline) to change my flights all around,” he explained, adding that the only flight that was available for him at the time was one with a connecting stop in Atlanta, where Chilli lives. The opportunity allowed the two to talk and before parting, the two agreed to stay in touch. “It almost did not happen. I mean, literally an hour before the flight took off, they’re like, ‘Okay, we got you on this flight. You gotta go.’”
The two did in fact stay in touch. So much so, that the energy is permeating through Lawrence’s brother, Joey, who told PEOPLE, "She's great, a sweet person, super genuine, so warm and kind. And yeah, they're just having a great time and it's just good to see him happy and he makes her happy. So that's all you can ever ask for. Life is [full of] unexpected twists and turns — you don't know what's up next, but you just hope that everybody ends up happy. And he's happy right now and she's happy, and that makes us happy."
It must be so rewarding to find a new love willing to openly meet you in whatever season your life is in.
As for Chilli, she believes in God's timing, writing on Instagram: "God has perfect timing. Never early and never late," her New Year's Eve post read. "It takes a little patience and a lot of faith."
You better say that.
Congrats, lovebirds!
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Featured image by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Lifetime
Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Self-Validation, No Meals After 5 P.M. & The Wellness Rituals That Helped Lizzo Take Her Power Back
Don't let the "weight release" fool you, Lizzo's transformation wasn't just physical. It was spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal. In her Women's Health cover story, the "Good As Hell" artist opened up about the low point that became the catalyst for radical change in her life, inside and out.
In the summer of 2023, Lizzo found herself at the center of what she calls painful allegations when some of her former dancers filed a lawsuit against her. The 37-year-old singer has denied their claims, and though she has experienced "backlash my entire career," going through such legal woes coupled with public scrutiny proved to be detrimental to her mental health, leading her to one of the darkest periods of her life.
She told Women's Health, "I got very paranoid and isolated. I wasn’t even talking to my therapist. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t open. I wasn’t myself anymore."
After spending months in isolation, Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, decided to go to a tour stop on the Renaissance World Tour. She was nervous that the public would shun her, boo her, or reject her, but instead, she was embraced. It shifted something in her and after feeling so in the dark, she saw the light again. "It made me feel like, wow, maybe I don’t want to die," she shared with Women's Health.
"That was the kick-starter to me being like, ‘Okay, Melissa, get your ass in gear and take your f*cking life back.’"
Her first step in Operation Get Your Life Back? Cutting out the external noise. She gave her team total control of her social media and stopped looking at comments. "My validation was from external sources, people telling me they loved me, or that I look good, and accepting me," she explained. "But if that’s all I’m getting my validation from, when it changes—and it will, because people are not always going to like you—what happens? Where are you going to get your love from?"
Lizzo continued, "I can convince myself that I’m beautiful, my body fine, no matter how big or small. But reminding myself that you can’t let others tell you who you are—that was hard work."
Lizzo started going to therapy again, she started practicing quigong meditation, reading books, journaling, and doing sound baths. She released unhealthy relationships, drank echinacea tea, and began incorporating Pilates as a means to "feel sacred" and "be gentle" with herself.
But what many have interpreted as a "weight loss transformation" after she popped out sharing she met her "weight release" goal earlier this year, Lizzo has clarified that it has been something deeper for her than the aesthetic of a smaller body. "I wanted to be big-girl skinny," she told the mag. "Every big girl knows what I’m talking about. Big-girl skinny is 250 pounds." According to her, it was her back issues that inspired her to take the physical part of her wellness journey seriously.
I DID IT! #weightrelease
@lizzo I DID IT! #weightrelease
Through her friend Kelly Rowland, she linked up with her now-trainer Marvin Telp and developed a fitness regimen that prioritized strength and intention. Her weekly schedule now includes moves like single-leg deadlifts, reverse flies, and lateral lunges, along with infrared sauna sessions and cardio. Add to that a change in eating habits after realizing her vegan diet no longer served her (to be fair, she wasn't doing the vegan thing the "healthiest" way).
All the meat substitutes, bread, cashew cheese, and soy left her bloated and lightheaded, so now she's switched things up a bit to fill the nutritional gaps. When it comes to diet, it's heavy on the protein and vegetables for Lizzo. A typical day eating looks like scrambled eggs and cauliflower hash browns for breakfast, Thai chicken salad or lettuce wraps for lunch, and turkey meatloaf with greens for dinner.
She also has a strict cutoff of no meals after 5 p.m. to support her GERD and give her body the time it needs before bed to digest her food sans the acid reflux. Of her relationship with food and wellness, she told Women's Health, "There's a balance. I think that's what true health is."
Read Lizzo's full cover story with Women's Health here.
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Featured image by Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock