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00:04we were in the throes of the holidays and there was so much going on you know how it is
00:09and i told myself i would put off my wellness exams including my mammogram until you know
00:16sometime down the road maybe the early part of 2026 when things wind down and i mentioned this
00:22to a friend laura who was assisting me with keeping all the balls in the air and
00:29she gave me the nudge that i needed and that small push changed everything i'm thinking anita we all
00:36need a laura in our lives so tell us what happened next well that mammogram led to a ultrasound and
00:43the ultrasound led to a biopsy just before christmas i was diagnosed with triple negative
00:49breast cancer and it's a very aggressive kind of cancer that disproportionately affects younger women
00:57brocco one mutation carriers and black women so christmas comes and it goes have we become a
01:03seat yourself greasy spoon yes i had my port inserted just after the new year and i've gone through
01:10several rounds of chemo and when that's done assuming that the tumor has decreased in size
01:16i'll undergo surgery this is really one thing that i am certain of
01:22one thing that i am certain of my life is that if i had waited to be screamed even for
01:25a few months
01:27my chances of success would be far less is that why you chose to tell your story on your terms
01:34and
01:34come forward today i know there are women watching right now who have put off their mammograms because
01:40it's inconvenient because it's uncomfortable i hope my story will give them the push that they need
01:47and if it's not you but someone you love then nudge them call make the appointment drive them
01:57we have to be diligent and do whatever it takes because cancer doesn't wait for us to be ready
02:03now and it certainly doesn't disappear if we try to hide from it there was nothing i needed more than
02:09to be surrounded by my family and to show them beyond a shadow of a doubt how much they mean
02:16to me
02:16i'm thinking having your family right there beside you during this battle to me that seems key but what
02:24has it meant to you they have been everything i've needed and i have needed all the things comfort and
02:33strength tears and laughter bad jokes and good music they are carrying me through this harsh winter of
02:43fear and pain and if i make it through this i should say when i make it through this because
02:51i have every
02:52intention of doing so well i hope your grandmother's message got through for a smart lawyer you can be so
03:01unbelievably dense sometimes ashley naomi don't you think it's time that you tell your family you
03:10tested positive for the broca gene don't you think it's time you mind your own business
03:44so thank you love so i have terrific news provident medical will donate five heart monitors and garland
03:52memorial promise the same oh and other great news derek wants the job yeah well great news would be me
04:00finding out that my shouse is finished or that isaiah wants to make an honest woman out of you now
04:08that
04:08derek is on board we can open he knows exactly what we need to get certified hmm
04:17those dupree women on my feet day and night you know i haven't even gotten any traction from the media
04:26for
04:26my charitable work i mean it's all about danny dupree this and anita dupree that
04:33i know i know i know all right so i am going to make a splashy announcement about the free
04:44clinic today
04:49mrs dupree we were all glued to the program thank you for having such courage
04:55a member of our way staff to be right with you both thank you eugene thank you you see darling
05:01you're
05:02already having a big impact and the segment just finished airing you poor poor dear cancer if there's
05:12anything you need there is i need you to take all those stones you've been throwing and put them in
05:18your pocket and then drive straight to rehoboth beach and walk in and keep walking until those stones weigh you
05:25down to join the rest of the bottom feeders that live there your faux sincerity is making me sicker
05:31than chemo i can drive you how dare you i will not be maligned by a woman who consorts with
05:40criminal
05:40degenerates nor will i be treated like a second-class citizen in my own club by a woman who shook
05:48her tail
05:48feather on the stage and then married into status may i remind you anastasia my father founded this club
05:57and his vision was a safe place for tail feather shakers and heads of state all celebrating their
06:08uniqueness perhaps it's time for me to speak with gabe and discuss your membership
06:15i can assure you that won't be necessary
06:21laura i didn't realize you encouraged gran to get her mammogram props the credit goes to nicole
06:28she hadn't loaned me out to anita for winter fest prep anita might have kept pushing back the
06:33appointments i believe it was something else divine intervention
06:39have your changes escalated from wardrobe to the metaphysical i only mean that it takes a lot of
06:46pieces to fit together to get mother to this point it wasn't luck or a coincidence the duprees have
06:54angels watching over us i totally believe in angels i have one on my shoulder i know my mom is
07:01watching
07:01over me 24 7. it's the only way i can explain how i'm still alive either speaking of angels i
07:11wish there
07:11was an avenging angel around to strike that leviathan down and if eva got vanquished in the process well
07:21that that would be divine intervention
07:26it takes a lot to coordinate a press event booking a venue deciding on news outlets
07:33do you have a mission statement press packets a single person on your team that's not me
07:39girl i do not need all of that okay i am perfectly capable of handling myself in front of a
07:45gaggle of
07:46hacks this is so last minute and that is why they call it news my dear it is new
07:53and i am making the announcement today okay and you know what i know exactly who to rub elbows with
08:03so i am going to alert the media and you can handle the rest and where are you planning on
08:09doing this
08:10right here is orfie jeans baby look it is the perfect spot i mean it's right smack dab in the
08:17middle of
08:18the neighborhood benefiting from the clinic okay so what's my job okay so you get permission from the
08:27manager and then you round up an audience of homely looking people and i mean ones who look like they
08:35need a doc and not a mortician and the revenue the restaurant will lose hosting this event mama warbucks
08:43in the house and you get to work soon the news outlets will be saying
08:49dupree who leslie thomas is in the headlines now why are you so upset with me
09:01this decision is mine okay if my gran wants to tell the world she's got breast cancer cool
09:07i applaud her but i do not want anyone knowing that i am carrying that gene look this decision is
09:14complicated i get that but you have never gotten up in my face like that before
09:20what's really going on jacob moved out
09:30i have always thought you were stronger than most but sharing your cancer journey with the world
09:38was amazing no doubt that anita's army will help get the word out about the importance of annual
09:46screenings and early detection her army is already deployed ever since the promo started running for
09:53the interview people have been flooding my socials with prayers testimonials screenshots of the mammogram
10:02appointments they've booked they've even donated to various cancer foundations in honor of family
10:08members i mean all the things that i urged them to do in the interview it's simply incredible
10:14well it's getting late i'll let you enjoy lunch oh before you go vanessa i want to thank you for
10:19asking donnell to be samantha's escort at cotillion oh yes what a sight to imagine our great granddaughter
10:27making her debut on the arm of a banneker man always happy to help however i can i'm just so
10:34happy
10:34samantha hasn't allowed my situation to temper her excitement about cotillion i never wanted my family to
10:41stop living their lives because i became ill kids resilience is pretty marvelous they can bounce back
10:48from adversity so quickly usually what is it vanessa
10:57deanna's still having a tough time dealing with doug's death
11:03i thought she was doing better for the holidays but she seems to have regressed
11:07i came up with the idea of donnell escorting samantha hoping that he'd come home and bring her with him
11:14she's she's been away for so long deanna will she'll work her way through her grief in time
11:24she has a strong loving mother to show her the way through it's hard to be an example when there
11:31are days i just feel so incredibly sad over doug's death may i offer you something vanessa
11:43of course when i am at my lowest i think of the words of archbishop desmond tutu
11:54hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness i've started reciting these
12:03words daily they comfort me i hope you'll find comfort in them as well thank you
12:13mother is such a badass going on tv opening up about her health and looking flawless while doing it
12:20it sounds like someone else i know lazing through life in style i want to meet this woman
12:28okay well i'll get your light and mirror from your vanity
12:33come on i'm serious you are your mother's daughter
12:37with half the class mother would never walk into a wedding packing heat
12:42danny she never had to vernon respects the sanctity of marriage
12:46i always wanted to be with someone who looks at me the way my father looks at my mother
12:51and how is that with wonder and reverence even after all these years daddy is still completely in awe
13:02i know the feeling i'm a lucky man to be married to a woman who constantly gives me new reasons
13:10to love
13:10her i'm pretty sure tequila had something to do with that
13:20smithy i am glad to see you why is that okay listen i am announcing the opening of my new
13:28clinic
13:30and i thought it'd be great to have a first class journalist like yourself to get the first scoop
13:37yeah i can't believe that you are asking me of all people for help
13:43hi i mean you're a journalist and you do live for first sticks right you co-opted the idea of
13:50the free
13:50clinic from my daughter samantha fine she can stand next to me just let little sammy stand right next
13:58to me in the press conference okay is that better no she can take some pictures
14:13this has been quite the day already
14:18hope this confab doesn't end up with you nearly losing your lunch like you did last time we were
14:23together don't count on it wait did something happen between you guys why would he move out
14:32to keep me safe oh because of the undercover case he's working on yeah and the people he's trying to
14:39take down are dangerous he couldn't even tell me when we'd see each other again hmm well no wonder you're
14:46an edge that's a lot to take on especially with everything else you know i'm used to feeling
14:52anxious when he leaves for work but this this takes it to a whole nother level
14:58you know the night the night he told me he'd have to move out we made love like it would
15:05be the last
15:06time oh my god what if it was nope nope we're not gonna even go there jacob is an excellent
15:13cop he is
15:14not reckless he's smart he's gonna come home how did you deal with derek's job dating a fireman is as
15:21stressful as being with the cop yeah well mom was my lifesaver she'd keep me sane when i would spin
15:29out over some three alarm fire derek got called to uh she would drag me to the gym to the
15:34movies
15:35even love boat fan club event if you can stand it i can be your jam we can play bocce
15:46ball we can go
15:46to wine tasting you can literally do anything that you want i do empathize with you too i mean my
15:56mother peaches well the woman who raised me is still ill and i mean it takes a toll on both
16:04the patient
16:04and the family anita your words were powerful well i'm grateful the interview touched so many lives
16:12including yours oh well i didn't get to see the whole thing but uh i did catch the highlights
16:20and that's what i'm here to speak to you about i'm gearing up for my own announcement i mean nothing
16:27as dire as cancer of course but something that will affect just as many if not more in fact leslie
16:37what do
16:37you want from me well i would love it anita if you could give me gail's number so that i
16:45can arrange a
16:46sit down with her i don't have her personal contact information our publicist set up the interview oh
16:53okay just give me their number and then i can anita you still have leslie's contact information from
17:00winterfest don't you i do well that's all i need i'll pass your information along to our publicist now
17:09i'm not sure if he's taking any new clients but if he's not too busy he'll contact you but fern
17:17i need the presser to happen today so wish we could do more
17:26i understand the mighty dupree's don't want me infringing on their moment in the sun fine
17:38i will find another way
17:44you can tell the ladies who lunch that although anita dupree may have cancer she is still a spotlight
17:52hogger as always
17:59that spawn of satan is making herself at home in fairmont crest she's building a monstrosity across
18:06the street from my grands she's bribing the country club with a brand new sports complex and
18:12she's trying to rehab her image by funding a free clinic all with the money my grandmother put
18:20into a blind trust mother's intentions were noble she wanted to take care of barbara's family
18:25unfortunately leslie turned out to be the beneficiary at least with the free clinic she's putting the
18:31money to good use i thought leslie would be in solitary confinement by now not high society and
18:37it's not fair that you and mom have to constantly cross paths with the woman who wrecked your lives
18:45or that her fantasy book reading ugly boot wearing co-conspirator has also been forgiven
18:52i think eva has a lot of remorse for the part she played in leslie's scheme
18:57she was lied to just like the rest of us please stop defending her
19:03laura almost died because of those two
19:07i won't forgive and i will never forget
19:15oh this is a sweet one how does this woman maintain such grace and beauty while announcing
19:22a cancer diagnosis these are great so far i'm glad the trolls haven't popped up yet
19:29what uh you spoke to some yeah
19:35behave why are you lurking outside my door oh i would have knocked at the front but i thought a
19:41surprise appearance would get me in faster you were wrong surprise okay oh la la i am going to hit
19:55you up with your decorator's name when my place is finished why are you here oh i saw your live
20:02stream when you announced your return to modeling and and i have some big news of my own so i
20:09want to
20:10utilize your resources to get the word out your modeling oh i am flattered that the danny dupree thinks
20:18i actually have what it takes to be a motto i don't unless tatum has a deranged line then you'd
20:24be perfect
20:24hmm yes well i am the new face of benevolence i am opening a new free clinic okay and i
20:36need you to
20:37put me in touch with your reporters the ones who covered your announcement why would fashion reporters
20:43be interested in a free clinic news is news honey on what planet leslie okay listen you don't want to
20:50give me your contact information that's fine at least give me a tatum original to wear girl please
20:58hop on your broomstick and fly away okay you heard her come on all right i'm leaving i'm leaving but
21:03oh i have a proposition for this chocolate more so be my videographer out okay all right all right i
21:10will take that as a maybe hey hey don't go get rough all right but listen i'll be at orphe
21:14jeans so if you
21:16decide to take the job then it's for a good cause goodbye
21:24hi eva laura hey um want to sit sure
21:36what are you reading um octavia e butler parable of the sower
21:43read it no good what's like reading about the times we're living in but written like 30 years
21:53ago yeah she was prophetic speaking of the past it's been a year since my accident
22:02and me filling in for you at nicole's
22:07we don't have to rehash everything we've talked about it and i'm in a much better place now
22:14thanks for saying that because if anybody has a right to hold a grudge some people still do
22:22cat i try not to give energy to negative thoughts i have chosen to focus on the positives like how
22:29you
22:29taught me that new system which made my life so much easier at work how i got to help mrs
22:34dupree
22:35with winterfest and some personal matters and how you have a relationship with ted now
22:43i know how important that is for you well i don't even know what to say
22:49you could be spitting in my face but instead you're happy for me you're pretty amazing laura
22:59but i should warn you my mom will be back any minute another positive i've learned to stand up
23:06for myself in every aspect of my life i'm not going to shrink away from leslie anymore
23:12so i'll be at the counter enjoying my biscuits and gravy
23:21you are just the face i was in the mood for likewise i saw your mother's interview and spoke to
23:29her
23:29afterwards she is astonishing here she is dealing with her own crisis but still it's time to comfort
23:37everyone else one of her amazing qualities strength she has stores and stores of it i spoke to her
23:47about the twins well mostly deanna and how i miss her so much i thought we talked about you giving
23:54her
23:54time and space and i have been but the sadness isn't only her not being here it's the terrible weight
24:01none of us can seem to lift duck's passing i know this is nowhere near the same but losing ted
24:10is
24:10like that for me grief is grief just when i think i've turned a corner something knocks me for a
24:19loop
24:19and i realize that i've only just turned a lighter shade of blue when i hear a song or encounter
24:26a
24:26fragrance brings back memories of a life you used to have and then you go spiraling down the rabbit
24:32hole of emotions neither one of our marriages turned out to be the fairy tale we thought
24:39we spent much of our lives with ted and doug it's normal anita taught me a saying to recite when
24:47i'm feeling down i'm a true believer in the wisdom of anita
24:52and i think the world would be a better place if everyone listened to her
24:59you won't believe how many people and organizations have reached out to me since the interview aired
25:06my army is breaking the internet with responses and donations anita's army has quite a ring to it and
25:15did i tell you tracy and sharon have arranged to have a mobile mammogram bus in the parking lot at
25:21one
25:21their concerts every woman who is screened gets a free ticket now that's some incentive and also the dupree
25:29heritage foundation has unveiled this big beautiful pink ribbon sculpture in the office lobby and you
25:38know there's an organization that is blowing up socials with the interview and including a link for
25:45all kinds of resources for women who have been impacted and their families well so many people just
25:51don't have the support system that you've been blessed with that is so true and jackie tyree is hosting a
26:00show on the vegas strip to raise awareness about early detection from between the interview and the
26:08promotion surrounding it you have drummed up more support than i ever could have thought you would
26:15and i am not taking it for granted and vernon i want you to hold my feet to the fire
26:21i have to be diligent and not lose momentum i want to save as many lives as possible
26:27i don't doubt that you'll do just that
26:34can we circle back to anita's interview for a second do we have to it was so inspirational to me
26:41and it can be for you too and before you shoot me down please can you just hear me out
26:46about why i
26:47am pushing you so hard to be honest with your family i'm listening okay i know that you think that
26:54you are offering them some kindness by keeping quiet right all you're really doing is keeping
27:01the people who care about you from having the chance to surround you with love and support
27:06my family's dealing with a lot right now and i don't want to add more pain and stress and worry
27:11to their lives and if telling them the truth changes nothing i will still be a carrier if you continue
27:18to keep your genetic results under wraps from your family who are bound to talk to you about anita's
27:23cancer by the way you're you're going to reach a tipping point you're going to blow up like you did
27:28today it's not like i don't see the logic of what you're saying but but you're tough and you're
27:35independent and you've got your pride you're also a dupree and they are the gold standard
27:45when it comes to supporting each other naomi you have to take advantage of that
27:54okay okay ashley i will consider all of my options okay good and know this
28:06whatever you decide
28:09i'm always going to be here for you okay i know even when you get snippy
28:19sorry
28:23martin is on the campaign trail as we speak shaking hands and kissing babies bless him there are several
28:30things i'd do for business but kissing other people's blubbering tots is not one
28:35let's sit please help yourself yeah great i am so happy that you two had the idea to have donnell
28:42escort samantha at the cotillion is my grandbaby excited she went from total despair to walking on
28:50air overnight donnell is well versed in all things cotillion he's been an escort several times and
28:56he lived through all the prep for diana's debut as you know that schedule's not for the faint of heart
29:02actually i was a total novice i didn't know anything about the tradition nicole had to
29:08school me on the historical significance again thank you for saving the day
29:15but you are concerned
29:19only a little bit forgive me while i put my protective dad hat on martin and i just want
29:27to have a sit down with donnell before the big day we know that you and doug raised a great
29:35kid
29:36it's just kind of a dad thing that we need to do
29:39i completely understand smedy i love how present you and martin are in samantha and tyrell's lives
29:46my grandchildren have the best role models not every kid is that fortunate
29:52where is my audience mama i tried to get some bodies but it was a hard sale
29:59did you find a media outlet no i mean the haters don't want me to upstage queen anita and you
30:07know
30:07what we're just gonna have to do this ourselves and get the message out to the masses honey okay so
30:14listen i will do the live stream and you will be the camera operator you do know that you don't
30:22have
30:22very many followers right yeah you do know i'm not worried about that all right if you live stream it
30:31they will come i think we should wait until we find a professional who has the right equipment nope
30:39i'm not waiting and this phone is going to do just fine okay well can we at least do a
30:46rehearsal
30:49what whose child are you fine fine okay five four three
30:59hi i'm leslie thomas a creative entrepreneur and pillar of the community and yes i am here at orphy jeans
31:13the restaurant for the people clearly the walk and talk thing is not gonna work
31:21okay it's fine to tell you what we're gonna stand right here i will plant myself and we would do
31:26it
31:27here all right let's go i'm leslie thomas creative entrepreneur and pillar for the community
31:39now i have built my own health clinic a free health clinic it's called the phoenix street
31:47free health clinic should have been called the leslie thomas free health clinic that's what i wanted
31:54but you know say lovey oh my god do we have the same idea comfort food you might want to
32:01hit up a
32:02different spot when you're making a difference on this scale i am it deserves to be seen they're
32:09live streaming right now as far as i know they had a few disastrous rehearsals but so far this take
32:17is drama free i am over it though see you later bye state of the art equipment all made available
32:26to a deserving community through my largesse this isn't charity darlings this is legacy
32:40the artichulets to a march in walesse
32:41damn we were so cozy before hurricane leslie hit hope we don't have any other unexpected visitors
32:48today for real but let's not let her turn us totally against unexpected sometimes surprises can
32:57be a blessing what do you mean do you know the full story of how my parents met
33:04so my mother's manager dante green sends the articulets to a march in washington
33:11my mother was exhausted from a tour didn't want to go but that choice
33:18i mean changed the whole trajectory of her life she had no idea that she would meet her one true
33:22love
33:23and together they've weathered every storm and built a lasting legacy
33:30they've always been such a good example i'm hearing a but is there a but coming
33:37i sometimes wonder if i've fallen short with my kids
33:40whoa come on no no no how can you say that danny they're both successful in their lives and in
33:47their
33:47personal relationships what have they learned from watching me to live their dreams to live out loud speak
33:55their minds and most importantly your daughters have learned not to take crap from anybody
34:02you're damn straight damn straight and if you ask me
34:07i think that's one hell of a legacy
34:14anita dupree here you are in the battle of your life and you're still speaking your truth
34:22you know me i don't feel like i have any choice
34:27well you could have chosen not to let people see you at your most vulnerable but
34:33you're excited with something sacred in yourself and you are my example and my inspiration
34:42having you by my side brings me such peace you have loved me so deeply and so consistently
34:50throughout our entire marriage and i never intend to stop our love is unbreakable much like your spirit
35:00hey to you anita and your wildly successful interview
35:11you see as the pillar of the community you should be as generous as you are smart as selfless as
35:19you
35:19are clever and as bold as you are beautiful this pillar of the community is a homicidal homewrecker who
35:29tried to murder someone twice turn that phone back around so i can defend myself against these
35:36outrageous allegations while we weren't actually live i decided to record the announcement so we can
35:44edit it and release it later good looking out for your mama baby girl you need to clip your claws
35:55cat cat bread because your attention won't be televised today i swear i will find a way to expose you
36:05for the
36:05murderous snake you are i will make you pay for what you did to my mother-in-law if it's
36:12the last thing i do
36:33you
36:35you
36:39you
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