Tamera Mowry-Housley Shares How Her Time On 'The Real' Made Her Realize Her Voice Mattered

Tamera Mowry-Housley has been in the spotlight since she was a child acting alongside her twin sister Tia Mowry. But while she has taken on roles that show her as outspoken and opinionated, like her Sister, Sister character, in real life, she mostly kept her views to herself. In an interview with Essence, the veteran actress shared how working on The Real was the first time she truly felt heard.
“Because I had experienced and lived enough life to do so. The first time I truly ever believed and realized that my voice actually matters and that there is an audience that wants to hear it, was when I was doing The Real,” she said.
But it wasn’t that simple. While she had a platform with an audience and co-hosts who accepted her as she was, she still struggled to voice her opinion for a while. “For at least three years, every single time I heard ‘This Is Our Time,’ I thought I was going to throw up!” She confessed. “I wasn’t used to speaking my voice. I always spoke others’ words. As an actress, I would speak whatever is on that page.”
Speaking about her faith was a lot easier than exposing her personal life such as dating and sex. She admitted it was “daunting” at times but realized this. “‘Whoa. I actually do have something to say and I shouldn’t be afraid of it.'”
The mother of two delved further into her personal experiences with her memoir You Should Sit Down for This: A Memoir About Life, Wine + Cookies and shared that writing the book was equally as agonizing as her time on The Real.
“Every day I was exposing something of myself, and there was a tagline about it, whether I wanted it to happen or not,” she said. “But I realized the power of being vulnerable, and what I mean by ‘power’ is that that’s when you resonate with people. For me, I don’t do things just to do them. Not for self-glorification. That never felt comfortable.”
She added, “The core of what I do is I always want to encourage, inspire. I’m not just saying things to hear myself talk.”
But through the writing, the former talk show host learned a lot about herself and shares the advice she gives her readers. “I’ve always known that I was strong, but looking back, wow. Wow, that is definitely a gift of mine. The fact that I didn’t quit, I’m shocked,” she said.
“Still staying sane and happy and a loving person, never let what people say to you define who you are – that’s what I talk about in the book, and to know who you are as a person and never let them change who you are.”
She hopes that her memoir gives readers a one-on-one experience with Tamera the person and not just the actress or talk show host we see on TV. “This book is a love letter to myself and to everyone who has grown up watching me,” she said. “When you read this book, you’re sitting down with me and we’re ki-king, we’re talking, we’re enjoying each other. Having that tea, having that cookie, having that glass of wine, we’re just talking about life and inspiring each other and encouraging each other.”
You Should Sit Down for This: A Memoir About Life, Wine + Cookies is out now.
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Featured image by Jason Mendez/Getty Images
Sleek & Heat-Proof: Straightened Hair, The Summer It List Way
This article is in partnership with SheaMoisture.
The world may try to convince you that straight hair is a no-go for the summer heat, but if you’re an It Girl, defying the odds is embedded in your DNA.
When it comes to achieving sleek strands for the summer, xoNecole and SheaMoisture have your blueprint for smooth, frizz-free, humidity and heat-damage-resistant hair throughout this season!
From hair styling oils to bond repairing products, and strengthening shampoo and conditioner, SheaMoisture offers a range of products that help you achieve the perfect silk press without worrying about the heat damage, thanks to formulas that moisturize, reduce breakage, and more.
We want your silk press to stay pressed, not stressed, so here’s our quick, three-step guide featuring SheaMoisture products from our xoNecole Summer It List for straightened hair all summer long.
Step 1: Keep Your Hair Strong
Like everything in life, if the foundation is rocky, things won’t last, and the sentiment remains when it comes to your hair.
SheaMoisture’s Hair Styling Oils are a must-have when preparing and protecting your strands before getting them pressed. The Bond Repair Oil is perfect reinforcement that your hair needs from within to prevent breakage and dryness when using heat-forward tools to achieve your look.
Protecting the hair before adding heat with SheaMoisture’s Bond Repair Leave-In helps guard against styling damage. The product also ensures hair bonds are repaired and essential proteins are replenished, resulting in less breakage. It also provides a boost of hydration and 24-hour control against frizz.

Courtesy of SheaMoisture
Step 2: Seal The Deal With Some Shine
Whether you’re preparing to attend a summer wedding or hitting a rooftop with your girlfriends, finishing the look with SheaMoisture’s Manuka Honey & Yogurt Lightweight Oil serves you and your hair right by adding luster, locking in moisture, and taming flyaways.
Step 3: Repair Your Hair Following The Heat
Before jumping into your next style, a moisturizing cleanse is a great repair duo to put the life back into your hair after a silk press.
The SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo and Conditioner offers damage-repairing benefits that will have your hair thanking you. It restores, nourishes, and strengthens hair, eases detangling, and brings damaged hair back to life with shine and movement, while most importantly, restoring moisture.
Who said that straight hair was off the table during the summer heat wave? With SheaMoisture and a plan, you’ll hit the scene like the It Girl you are for every summer festivity.
Consider your It Girl era unlocked. Shop all of our beauty and lifestyle must-haves on The It List.
Featured image courtesy of SheaMoisture
Jay Hill On Self-Control, Modern Dating, & Co-Parenting
Podcaster and media personality Jay Hill opened up about the lessons learned growing up in Baltimore and navigating the complexities of manhood, relationships, and emotional growth in a reflective conversation with xoMAN host Kiara Walker.
He explained that his environment taught him early lessons about survival and reputation:
“You learn that if you don’t play by the rules, you end up being a person they tell stories about.”
Central to his message is the importance of self-control, which Jay believes is an important aspect of true manhood. “I think that’s the biggest area of manhood that most of us lack and that we all need to grasp early. Even when I was younger, thinking I was a man, like fighting and stuff… Imagine if I was fighting to stay in school. Imagine if I was fighting to graduate.” He shared that he recognized that understanding what you fight for matters.
Jay also got into his experiences with marriage, infidelity, and co-parenting, emphasizing the role of therapy and accountability in healing. He discussed modern dating and what he values in a partner.
For Jay, it’s someone who commands respect and holds her man to high standards—“being a great mom, respecting your own boundaries, being a source of admiration, and requiring him to meet your standards.”
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.
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