Countess Vaughn Reflects On Fatphobic Jokes Made About Her ‘Moesha’ Character
Moesha was a popular television series for many Black households in the ‘90s. Starring Brandy as Moesha, the sitcom focused on the character as she navigated life as a teenager in Los Angeles. Viewers tuned in every week to see Moesha and her friends deal with peer pressure, schooling, and dating all while trying not to get in trouble with Moesha’s dad and step-mom, who was also their principal, played by Sheryl Lee Ralph. One of Moesha’s friends was Kim Parker, played by Countess Vaughn.
While Kim’s character was stylish and had a talent for singing, she was constantly at the center of fat jokes. In a recent interview with fellow actress Cherie Johnson, Countess opened up about her time on Moesha and how she was self-conscious about her body.
“And I get mad at myself because I was a lot smaller when I was on Moesha, and they made me the fat kid,” she said. “The jokes. Even the first episode… I forget what the line was, ‘oh, it’s baby fat,’ and whats-her-name goes, ‘no, it’s fat, baby.’”
She also revealed that she got butt injections following her time on The Parkers due to insecurities.
“They used to clown me on the show. They’d be like, ‘you’re a Black girl and Jenna von Oÿ’s butt is bigger than yours and she’s a white girl,” she said. “And that used to bother the heck out of me. That used to be the joke, all the time.”
Jenna, Countess’s co-star, played her best friend Stevie Van Lowe on the sitcom.
“Because I’m a Black girl and I’m supposed to have a big butt,” she continued. “You know, you fall into these stereotypes. You feel like, ‘I’m supposed to have this.’ And then you’d see all the attention she would get for having it. They would lose their minds. I’m like, ‘ass is everything.’”
When Countess was on Hollywood Divas, she shared that she overheard a conversation about her while working on the set of 227 and alluded to it being the start of her body image struggles. “One of the characters stopped liking me because I was fat, Black, and ugly,” she recalled.
She added, “That kinda painted the way I saw myself from then on at the age of 8 and 9.”
Since her time on Hollywood Divas and Moesha and The Parkers hitting Netflix in 2020, many people have come to Countess’s defense after seeing how her character was portrayed on the beloved sitcoms.
Countess Vaughn from The Parker’s full interview
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Featured image by JC Olivera/Getty Images
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Crystal Renay Is Prioritizing Healing, Her Kids, And Her Coins Amid Divorce
Crystal Renay is reclaiming her time and her identity after dealing with heartbreak. The model was married to Ne-Yo for seven years and they share three young children together. However, after a cheating scandal that resulted in a baby outside of their relationship, Crystal decided to end her marriage to the “So Sick” singer. Now, she is focusing on her bag and her kids. She is co-owner of Johnny’s Chicken and Waffles, launching a lip kit line, and is back on TV starring in the new WE TV reality series Bold & Bougie.
But it wasn’t an easy road, especially with reality TV. From the beginning, Crystal and her castmates bumped heads due to misconceptions and alliances with her ex-husband’s former partner, Monyetta Shaw. However, the mother of three exclusively tells xoNecole that she doesn’t regret her decision to join the show.
Crystal Renay
Photo courtesy
“Honestly, being in that space, we had a– you know, when you're first getting to know people, sometimes it can be smooth, and sometimes it can be rocky,” she says. “In our case, it was a little bit rocky and just getting to know each other, and I like to call it growing pains. And I felt like we had a couple of moments, but all in all, like the experience was really good for me, and I would do it over again.”
Crystal describes herself as “career-oriented” and says she is in her selfish season because she is now prioritizing herself first. But she admits that she is still healing from her divorce. The reality TV star shares some tips for others who may be going through the same thing.
“I would definitely say pray, pray as much as you can. Try to take your emotions out of your reactions to things because it’s always going to be something that you don't like in the situation,” she says. “But we can't move off of emotion because 10 times out of 10, a few months later, you're not going to feel like that. So, I'm a firm believer in not doing things that I will regret later. So I would just say be patient with yourself and stay positive.”
While there may be an opportunity to find love again, that’s not Crystal’s focus at the moment. She is in the rebuilding phase of her life, emphasizing the importance of self-care, personal growth, and finding her own happiness. She has had her share of challenges, including dealing with negative emotions and the public's perception of her, but her priorities involve spending quality time with her children and running lucrative businesses.
“I would definitely say pray, pray as much as you can. Try to take your emotions out of your reactions to things because it’s always going to be something that you don't like in the situation.”
“With my kids, I'm very hands-on. I’m team mother with soccer kids, and they don't really make no goals because they like five years old, but I'm there cheering them on every week,” she jokes. “I want to travel, especially this summer, with my kids and take them somewhere internationally because they're at the age where they can handle a long flight. So, me just spending more time and more new experiences with my kids is my main focus with them and showing them all the love that I could possibly give them.”
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Photo courtesy of Crystal Renay