

Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson is revealing the source of her confidence.
The acclaimed actress and producer, 34, recently appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show to discuss how she's rebuilt her confidence following a “bad” breakup and how mentors within the industry have helped ground her during moments of negativity.
“Yesterday was one of those days where negative forces were coming in, and I think one, it's… identifying it as such so you know how to combat it,” she told the talk show host. “I really lean into the people who love me, who I love, people that I trust. I was having a negative thought yesterday and I was actually with Sterling K. Brown. He's someone who has shown me nothing but love and graciousness and gratitude in this industry and vice versa.”
According to Brunson, the American Fictionactor provided her with reassurance and a clear perspective on the moment. “I went up to him, and I said, ‘Hey, Sterling, this is something that is in my brain. That's crazy, right?” she reflected. “I told him the thought, and he was like, ‘That's not true. It's just not true. It's not a true thing. It's not real. This is real, right here,’ and I think it’s important having the people around you that actually see reality for what it is.”
Quinta Brunson Remembers Meeting "Douglas" for the First Time | The Drew Barrymore Show
The Emmy-award-winning actress recalled how a painful breakup initially left her broken but ultimately led to personal growth and “rebuilding” herself for an even greater comeback.
“And I guess besides that, I told myself in the mirror that I love myself, and I like myself – I do,” she says. “It seems corny, but it helped me out of a bad way.”
“I also had a really bad breakup,” she adds. “And that breakup, it almost broke me to pieces and I think after you rebuild yourself, it feels harder to get broken down again. So it's the one thing I give my ex, I'm like, ‘Thanks for breaking my heart that bad because I came back strong, baby.”
Having confidence is all about having mental fortitude. While she’s always been a supporter of mental health, Brunson likens her recent “investment” into getting therapy to a necessary tune-up for a car to ensure it runs smoothly and doesn't break down.
“I invested in a therapist — not money-wise, but just like it's a time investment, it's a commitment — last year, and that was really important for me. For a while, I was an advocate of therapy. I supported a friend who had had wonderful experiences in therapy, but I've never had one for myself. I was like, ‘My mind is pretty on point,’ but it wasn't about that,” she says.
“I now consider it like the tune-up I need to make sure my mind stays on point, you know. I have a lot going on, so just what it's like a car, like yeah, my car is running well. But you know you should get it checked, one because you know if it falls apart, that's not cute.”
As the sitcom star says, taking time to learn and heal through her life lessons has been “a beautiful feeling.”
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Aley Arion is a writer and digital storyteller from the South, currently living in sunny Los Angeles. Her site, yagirlaley.com, serves as a digital diary to document personal essays, cultural commentary, and her insights into the Black Millennial experience. Follow her at @yagirlaley on all platforms!
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
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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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