However, in our exclusive interview with Shaunie, the Undefeated author said the show was created out of necessity.
"We just tend to tear our own people up for whatever reason. When I started Basketball Wives, it was really a matter of survival for me. I was in desperation mode. I needed the show to be successful because I had to figure out how I was going to live and provide a life for my children," she said. "Basketball Wives is a platform and it is a space for women to have the freedom to be and say and do what represents them. And what that is, is their decision, right? I just provided the platform for it to happen.
She also explained that she wanted to help other women financially by having a platform that will give them access to opportunities.
"I knew that I had lost my voice before, and I wanted to provide a space to ensure that other women didn’t lose theirs. Again, what they decided to do with the camera time and who they decided to show up as is on them, but here's the platform, and I think for many women, it has been just that. It’s boosted them into a space in their life where they're able to make money and branch out into other opportunities that they may not have had otherwise."
"I knew that I had lost my voice before, and I wanted to provide a space to ensure that other women didn’t lose theirs. Again, what they decided to do with the camera time and who they decided to show up as is on them, but here's the platform, and I think for many women, it has been just that. It’s boosted them into a space in their life where they're able to make money and branch out into other opportunities that they may not have had otherwise."
Basketball Wives: LA Cast. L-R: Jac'Eil Duckworth, Brooke Bailey, Jackie Christie, Shaunie Henderson, Evelyn Lozada, Jennifer Williams, and Brandi Maxiell
Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images
One of Basketball Wives' most infamous moments was the fight that occurred between Evelyn Lozada and Tami Roman in the second season. While it was a very explosive scene, Shaunie revealed that behind the scenes, the following day, everything was copacetic. She recalled that moment and said it was one of her most cherished memories from the show.
"It was probably the day after the infamous fight between Tami Roman and Evelyn Lozada. Evelyn had coined the “non-mf factor” phrase, and production had broken up their fight the night before. Me and her were on the beach, and Tami called to see what I was up to. I told her I was with Evelyn, and she said she was coming to meet us," she said.
"I'm thinking I'm about to be in part two. There's no security, we were off for the day and I was sure it was about to be horrible. Tami gets there. She’s already got her cigarette lit, her bob is bouncing as she walks up to us, and I just remember her saying, ‘What y’all heffas doing?’ It was just like nothing had happened at all. It was like they fought, they got it out, and she was off to the next thing."
She added, "Those type of moments I wish people could experience and see that although things happen that seem outrageous, it’s all love. It doesn't always end up perfect. But for the most part, we have had a really, really good time."
Read more from the interview here.
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And so I said, let me try to find something different. So what I did was, and it was like, later on in that evening. So I was trying to find somebody who do late-night massages outside of Jeju (Atlanta spa) and going that far. And so I did, like a simple Google search, just massage therapists that are open. I found one, and it was Black-owned, and it was in a reasonable amount of time. It wasn't too far, like it was less than 45 minutes from where I am. And I decided to give it a chance.
I wasn't looking for anything in particular except to get a really good deep-tissue massage because I was in a lot of pain, and they were open up until midnight, and so I went ahead and booked. I submitted my down payment, and I showed up. And when I showed up, it looked like it was maybe; I don't know if you want to call them; they could resemble homes, but it's like a plaza, I guess. It's his actual business. And when I went in there, it was clean. It was small and quaint, but it was very clean. No issues. And the massage therapist was very nice; very professional.
DragaonImages/ Getty Images
He broke everything down for me. I told him my areas that I needed attention on, and then he gave me a few minutes just to get undressed. He said, if I'm comfortable, I can just lay on the table. If I would like to be covered up, just go underneath the cover. You don't have to get completely naked. You can keep your undergarments on if that's what you choose to do. But me, no matter where I'm at, no matter what type of massage I'm getting, I just like to be completely naked. And I just laid on top of the table because it was pretty warm in there. Like, it wasn't too cold, it wasn't too hot, it was just right for me. And so once he came in he got everything situated, he got the music playing, and he just gets to going, and he's massaging me on my back.
I opted for a deep tissue, and he's really focusing on my trigger points. And normally, when I get a massage, naturally, I'm relaxed. Naturally, I might get excited. But this time, it was different, and I think it was just because of the way that he really paid attention to my body. And not only was he good at paying attention to it, it had a certain type of sensualness to it. So I guess you can say it reminds you of something similar to a sensual massage therapist that you might see online, like a TikTok or Instagram. So it was something similar to that. So once he finished with my back, and he started going to my lower back and buttocks area, he went into my inner thighs, and he's doing my inner thighs and my calves. And the more he starts working my inner thighs, the more excited I'm getting.
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I'm getting super wet, but in my head, I'm thinking, okay, play it cool. Just be professional. Keep it going. But the more he kept going up my inner thighs, the more excited I got, and I know he felt how wet I was. The closer he got to my private area, I slowly open my legs up a little bit more so he can get the idea that I'm okay with him just going all the way through. And if you want to give me a happy ending, I'm okay with that too. But he still took his time, still kept massaging. And the more I opened up my legs, the closer he got, and then he had touched me on my vagina area, and I liked it, and I let out like a sigh.
And so he kept going and going and going. And then he didn't stop until I came. And once I came, he just like... it was nothing. Just kept massaging the rest of my body, and he told me to flip over. And when I flipped over, you know, he did the top portion of my body. He did like my temples on my head. He did my décolletage area, like the chest area. And then he did my legs and my feet, you know, on the top side. But then when he went into my inner thighs again, I get excited again, and he does it again, and so I come again, and after that, I'm completely relaxed, and this man is like, your massage is complete.
And I was just stunned, because I've never had that happen before, but it was amazing. And I said I could do this again. But then I started thinking, does he do this often? Or did he do it just because he knew that I was okay with about opening up my legs a bit more, so he knew that it was okay to keep going in that area. And I really didn't ask him, 'cause deep down inside, I didn't care. I just knew that it was something that I was going to keep with me that way if I want to see him again. I still got him in my back pocket, and I did see him again, but we'll save that for another time.
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Feature image by Casarsa
ladies and gentleman, anok yai pic.twitter.com/XKbGdPpZUf
— ✭ (@badestoutfit) May 7, 2024
The South Sudanese model got her start after being spotted at a Howard homecoming event and at 19 years old, she posed for a photo (captured by Steven Hall) that catapulted her into modeling, something the former biochemistry student once believed was out of reach. The pic went viral, Anok signed with Next Management, and the rest is history. As one Twitter user eloquently put it, with that skin, those face-lifting brows, gorgeous eyes, and an undeniably flawless face, Anok is "a work of art."
Since then, Anok has been the epitome of booked and busy. In 2018, she was the first Sudanese model and only the second Black model to ever open a Prada runway show, the first being Naomi Campbell. She has graced international catwalks, walking for the likes of fashion powerhouses Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Fendi to name a few. She has been featured in numerous campaigns for legacy brands like Chanel and Tiffany & Co. She has also starred in music videos for artists like Travis Scott and Lil Yachty. Most recently, the stunner became the face of Mugler's latest fragrance, Alien Hypersense.
But her rise in ascent in the fashion world in terms of popularity and becoming a muse for some of the biggest fashion houses wasn't always easy. Even more recently, the trailblazer took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a racist experience she had while on a set early on in her career. In a series of now-deleted posts, she'd eventually reveal that the incident happened with a photographer shooting her for the popular retailer Zara.
"I remember in 2019 being called a "cockroach" by a photographer in Spanish. It was from this brand that I used to always work with," she wrote in her posts about Zara. Anok went on, "On the 2nd to last day, the makeup artist starts powdering my face and the photographer puts his camera down and yells ‘Lotion la cucaracha’ Everyone on set starts smiling and laughing. I can’t react the way I want to react because at the end of the day I’m young, I’m alone, I’m Black … anything that I do will affect me, my family, and other Black models."
Despite her discomfort, the then-up-and-comer stood on business by refusing to go on set if the photographer who made the offensive comment was still there. "Someone from the team calls me and says ‘we don’t accept that type of behavior, we’ll fire him now. Tell me who he is and we’ll get rid of him.’ I go to set thinking he’s gonna be gone. He walks by me and smiles." Anok then explained that she was 'gaslit' and was told she 'made it up.'
She continued, "I told her I wasn’t lying, she still doesn’t believe me. But I could tell she wanted me to sit down and shut up so I forced them to call my car to the airport and pay my full rate regardless. I remember wanting to come out with the story to magazines but I was told 'think about what it will do to your career.'"
"That was my first (and not only) time being blacklisted I’m sure they thought I wasn’t strong enough to stand But anyways," Anok's series of posts concluded.
Anok Yai/Instagram
Anok is no stranger to advocating for herself. In the past, she has been known for agreeing to only wear her natural hair in an afro or in cornrows during runway shows. "I got quite a hard pushback from the brands, but they noticed I was just standing my ground," she explained in a 2023 interview with Vogue. "When I first started saying no, I was so scared. But what helped me is that I had a really strong team."
This week wasn't the first time Anok took to social media to recount negative or harmful experiences. She did so before to allude to the reason she decided to part ways with long-time agency Next Management in late 2023. After Next Management implied she had been 'dropped' from the agency, Anok mentioned them in one of her Instagram Stories, warning them to 'keep it cute' in how they framed her departure.
The fashion industry can be cutthroat, no matter your experience. Add melanin to the mix, and the grind gets that much harder. Despite some adversities along the path to success, Anok has been able to dust herself off and level up into a promising career with notoriety and longevity. And she has managed to do so while keeping as true to herself as possible.
Our good sis and her face card will never decline, so those who can't compare should never try to compete. Bigotry be damned.
Consider this a reminder, keep reading for 8 more times Anok Yai captivated us with her beauty on Instagram:
The time when Anok played it coy in cream...
The time she was all smiles pictured with Prada
When she served bawdy and R&R while in Senegal
When she dropped her model off duty beauty routine on Vogue
The time she rocked her TWA in the waterways of Venice
When she reinvented the classic bathroom selfie with a series of flicks
When she captivated us in baby blues
The time she gave model off-duty on a Friday
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Featured image by Rosdiana Ciaravolo/Getty Images