

The truth about motherhood is that the journey can be frustrating AF! For some women, it's hard enough to even come to the decision to want to bring another life into this world, and after acting on the desire to become a mother, experiencing roadblocks can be a devastating blow.
Mogul Eve is taking her struggles in stride all while giving us a closer look into the obstacles that she is facing on her journey to motherhood. During a recent episode of The Talk, she was accompanied by women who openly discussed age and other factors that affect women's fertility. The encouraging words and testimonies from other women paired with her own determination allow Eve to adopt a 'pitbull in a skirt' stance on overcoming her own fertility issues. This new adjustment in her perspective came after the initial feelings of failure and shame when realizing she would require medical assistance in order to conceive. Eve struggled:
"I felt like I was broken. I felt like, 'Oh well maybe I'm not good enough.'"
The fertility conversation started as a response to actress Emma Roberts opening up about her current pregnancy and finding out that her struggle with endometriosis would have an effect on her fertility. The 29-year-old actress revealed that she made the decision to start freezing her eggs in her late 20s, and the news prompted all hosts to address the relationship between age and fertility.
Sharon Osbourne was able to offer some optimistic wisdom and encouragement by sharing that she knows a woman who is well into her 50s and was able to have a healthy baby. Though viewers were able to walk away from this segment heart-warmed and hopeful, Eve shares that the reality of walking out of a doctor's office can leave women with opposite emotions. She shared her first-hand experience:
"I think as women we're always told when you reach a certain age, 'You're too old. You should have done this then.'"
However, Eve is not going to let what is perceived by many as a late start deter her from her time to shine in the sector of motherhood. Though she is already a proud stepmom of four, the rapper-turned-host is ready to have a biological child by exhausting all options. To increase her chances of conception, Eve has opted for surgery. She explained:
"For me, I'm 42 now. My husband and I, we've been trying and trying and trying and trying...We've been doing certain things and for me, I understand where Emma was coming from with the endometriosis because, at the beginning of the year, you ladies know…I had a procedure called a myomectomy that gets rid of fibroids."
She also added:
"I used to have these horrible periods. And I'm only saying this to say, there's a lot of women out there that think [that], we were told that periods are supposed to be painful. They're not. Go to your doctor, and if they don't believe you, go to another doctor."
While being on her pursuit of biological motherhood is teaching Eve how important it is to prioritize her health and peace, she credits her stepchildren for changing her perception of what it means to be a nurturer. Eve shared during our exclusive interview:
"Being married and having stepchildren has completely changed me because when I first met him, I didn't even know how to talk to kids. I was like, 'Do you want to color? What do you want?!' I was so weird with the kids, and it takes a minute to settle, but I definitely softened as a person. I don't come from a family of huggy, 'I love you' type of affectionate people. If we kind of know you, you'll get the head nod and, with the kids, you have to be open to hugs and that changed me, and it's a really nice thing."
We wish you all the best Eve!
Featured image by Instagram/therealeve
New Jersey native creating a life that she loves while living in gratitude. She loves using beauty, and fashion to create a balanced lifestyle while prioritizing wellness. A devoted fur mom, and a full-time lover of laughter. She is out for revenge against the darkness by being light, taking her own advice, traveling the world, and letting you know that you are so lit! Connect with her via IG @iamzaniah and please visit Zaniahsworld.com
Eva Marcille On Starring In 'Jason’s Lyric Live' & Being An Audacious Black Woman
Eva Marcille has taken her talents to the stage. The model-turned-actress is starring in her first play, Jason’s Lyric Live alongside Allen Payne, K. Michelle, Treach, and others.
The play, produced by Je’Caryous Johnson, is an adaptation of the film, which starred Allen Payne as Jason and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lyric. Allen reprised his role as Jason for the play and Eva plays Lyric.
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Mother's Day is loading and so is our new series. Meet Michelle Ganey, Laurencia Bright, and Joy Ferrell as they each share their motherhood journey and the ups and downs that come along with it. Whether you're in your motherhood era, wanna be one, or just love yours deeply, The Mother Load series will have you laughing, crying, and calling your mom.
Motherhood is one thing, but Black motherhood is its own unique institution. From fears that only Black mothers can understand to the unspoken language that connects them, our series delve into the vulnerable conversations that are often not highlighted in mainstream media.
Laurencia Bright
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“They are products of their environment, of your parenting, of your personality, things like that. So check yourself,” Laurencia reminds us. Motherhood may come with a whole set of challenges and having to face yourself can be one of them. Laurencia opens up about how motherhood taught her to break generational cycles.
Joy Ferrell
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Joy, like most mothers, put their kids first. However, the mom of two is now learning that it's okay to put herself first. "It's okay to not fill your life up with your kids," she says. "It's okay to still be an individual and to actually actively and aggressively pursue being an individual versus a mom."
Michelle Ganey
xoNecole YouTube/ Screenshot
When it comes to Black mama rules, Michelle Ganey reflects on a classic one, "Do not embarrass me in public," she says. "I think one of my hardest struggles with kids is not caring about how they look when they leave the house and it feeling like its a direct reflection on me as a mother."
Watch the full The Mother Load series below:
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