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Toya: A Family Affair. My Super Sweet 16. Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta. Tiny & Toya. T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle. Toya & Reginae. The mother-daughter duo are reality TV legends. The ladies discuss putting their lives in front of the camera since 2009, what they regret, what they’re most grateful for, and how that turned into business, book and acting opportunities that have allowed them to have staying power even when they’re not on our TV screens.
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00:05They ain't asking the right stuff, that's not what I wanted to know.
00:10Well, Disney made sure we get all the tea, and we're gonna get it right about now, y'all.
00:15So show some love for our moderator, Shelby Stewart, and the mother-daughter magical duo,
00:22Toya Rushing and Regine Carter!
00:30Thank you, Shamia! Round of applause for my girl Shamia!
00:34What's up, what's up? How y'all feeling today?
00:40Are y'all enjoying my city? Are y'all eating good, enjoying New Orleans, good food, good culture,
00:48having a good time at Essence 2026? All right.
00:53All right, so Toya, you're back at home in New Orleans, and we're here for Essence Festival,
00:59so what does it mean to share this stage with Regine right now?
01:03It means a lot to share this stage with Regine.
01:06I've been doing Essence, this is my 16th year, and to have my daughter along,
01:12she's been doing it for the past few years, it just feels good.
01:15Like, we're home, we get to see our family, we get to eat good,
01:19we get to see all of these black businesses in here.
01:23You know, just do a lot of things that we haven't seen and done in a while,
01:27so it's good to be a part of this with Regine.
01:30And you know, neither one of you are strangers to the camera,
01:33so I want to ask you guys, what has been, you guys have been on TV,
01:38on my TV screen for a very long time, so what has been your favorite reality TV show to shoot
01:44together?
01:45What's our favorite?
01:47I would say Toya and Regine.
01:50Uh-huh.
01:51Yeah.
01:51Yeah, I mean, because it was mostly about us.
01:56Yeah, Toya and Regine for sure.
01:58Yeah.
01:58Reality TV sometimes can be stressful when you bring your family along for the ride,
02:02but I would say that was one of my favorites too because it was me and my daughter together,
02:08so yes, definitely.
02:09Absolutely.
02:10So the world has watched your relationship evolve over the years.
02:14What's one thing about each other that hasn't changed?
02:18One thing that hasn't changed is just me being my authentic self.
02:23What you see is what you get.
02:24I don't like to, you know, portray to be someone else.
02:28I like to show up as myself.
02:29You either mess with me or you don't.
02:32That's my answer.
02:34Okay, so question.
02:35I'm thinking you're saying what's one thing that hasn't changed about my mother.
02:39So you're saying what's one thing that hasn't changed about me.
02:42Okay.
02:46Um, I guess just me staying true to myself and being like authentically myself and never letting
02:54anybody like tell me what I can and cannot do.
02:58I feel like I've always been like I'm going to go for it and nobody going to stop me.
03:03So Toya, you kind of mentioned, you know, it's kind of hard bringing your family along
03:07for the ride, especially when it comes to reality TV.
03:10So how do you guys kind of block out all the noise or any of the commentary that fans
03:16might have about you?
03:17I mean, you have to be open to hearing it because when you open your life up to the world,
03:23that's what comes with it.
03:24It is a stressful journey, you know, cause you dealing with it behind the scenes.
03:28But then when you bring it to the forefront and allow people into your lives, they're
03:33going to have an opinion.
03:34That's natural.
03:35But sometimes you got to tune out that, you know, and just focus, get focused and focus
03:40on you and what you got going on and try not to let the outside noise, like, you know,
03:45bother you.
03:45Cause it gets to, it do get to you, you know, and a lot of people have a lot of
03:48negative
03:49things to say.
03:49And you already dealing with drama, dysfunction.
03:53And you know, it's like, why would you, you know, you gotta hear all this negative stuff.
03:56But I just say you have to lock in, protect your peace and kind of lock all of that out.
04:02What about you Reginae?
04:04Oh, I would do the same.
04:06And I will also, you know, I have to think nine times out of 10, they don't know me.
04:11They know what I've allowed them to see.
04:14And I get that.
04:15But I just been the type that meets somebody before I judge them.
04:20So just like, I just have to know, like, these people, they don't know me.
04:23They just know what they see.
04:24So I can't really fault them for making their opinion, but I know who I am.
04:29Right.
04:30So what's your favorite memory from filming together that fans have never got to see?
04:36I would say my favorite memory of filming together with Reginae was when she, watching your,
04:43your kids, your grown kids to grow up and make decisions that, you know, show that they're
04:50really, really grown.
04:51When my baby decided, decided to move to L.A.
04:55And that's all the way across the country.
04:57I'm like, oh, that is so far.
04:59And I moved, we helped move her there.
05:01Like that was one of those moments that didn't hit the TV.
05:04But we were filming during that time.
05:06So I would say watching her just become very independent, go somewhere where she had no
05:11family.
05:12Well, she did have her dad there, but like we are very family oriented, very tight.
05:16So watching her make that move and just be her own woman and become her own boss.
05:21And like, okay, I don't care.
05:23I'm leaving Atlanta and I'm going do my own thing.
05:26That was like a proud mom moment for me.
05:29So yeah, I would definitely say that.
05:32I came back.
05:33Yeah, I definitely went back.
05:34I said, I miss your mama.
05:35Hold up.
05:35I was just about to ask you, what was it like going out there?
05:38Cause you and your mom are so joined at the hip.
05:42Honestly, it was a great experience.
05:44Like my mom said, I'm so glad that I actually had the courage to do it.
05:48Cause I didn't think that I would, but I learned a lot about myself.
05:51Um, I learned about patience.
05:54I just learned a lot and I'm glad that I did that move, but I'm glad to be back where
05:57I
05:57am.
05:58She used to be calling me Thanksgiving and different holidays that she did.
06:03She decided to stay in LA.
06:05Like what y'all doing?
06:06What y'all eating over there?
06:07What y'all eating over there?
06:08I was like, girl, you miss us.
06:09Just come on home.
06:10Come on home.
06:12Um, but my answer, wait, what was the question again?
06:16The question was, um, what's your favorite memory from filming together that fans never
06:20got to see?
06:22My favorite memory of filming together.
06:27Yeah.
06:28I would just say just watching us both grow and just like those moments.
06:34I feel like the best scenes be the ones where my mom had to tell me about myself and
06:39I was like, and I wish you could have made it to the TV screen when I had to read
06:43her.
06:44All right.
06:44That's the best scene y'all ain't get what you have to tell me about myself.
06:47But honestly, it really like, it builds me up too.
06:49And just my mom is just the best teacher to have.
06:53Absolutely.
06:53I think that's a great segue into my next question.
06:56So I want you guys to be honest.
06:58Who's usually right?
06:59And who's the first to apologize?
07:02I'll let Reginae answer that question.
07:05She's usually right.
07:06She's the mother.
07:07Oh, right.
07:08Because you just got to let the moms be right.
07:11So she's usually right.
07:13Okay.
07:13Um, and what's the second one?
07:16Who's usually first to apologize?
07:19Oh, me.
07:20I'm usually first to apologize.
07:21She kind of hard up.
07:22Oh, yeah.
07:23When I tell you if when Reginae makes me mad, I cut off.
07:27I mean, cut her off.
07:30She knows that I value our relationship so much.
07:33I got to make a feeling.
07:34You know, sometimes you have to get your point across.
07:36I don't care if it's your kids, whoever.
07:38If they disrupt your peace, it's okay.
07:40Cut them off.
07:41I need a little break.
07:43Listen, amen to that.
07:45Cut them off.
07:47So you both grown from mother and daughter into two women building successful careers and
07:53even generational wealth.
07:54How has that changed your relationship?
07:58Repeat it.
07:59I'm sorry.
07:59I didn't hit it.
07:59I said you've grown from mother and daughter into two women building successful careers
08:03and generational wealth.
08:05How has that changed your relationship?
08:07I would say it brought our relationship closer because like watching Reginae evolve and the
08:13different things that she's doing, like her podcast, living out her dreams.
08:17Shouts out to air time.
08:18It just makes me so proud.
08:20Even watching her step into the acting world, you know, pivoting from music to acting.
08:26When she was in the OMG girl, she was like, that's not really my passion.
08:29I just was doing that, you know, because her dad was a rapper.
08:32It was one of those things that she felt like she had to do.
08:34But watching her actually live out her dreams and do the things that she really loves that
08:40mean a lot to her and me being along to support it every, you know, every step of the way.
08:45I just feel like it brought us closer together, even though sometimes we have our moments.
08:49We bump heads, as you know, mother and daughter do.
08:52I love and I value our relationship because we are we talk about everything.
08:57We disagree.
08:58I'm still going to be your mama no matter what.
09:01I don't care how old you are.
09:02I'm going to let you know when you wrong.
09:05I'm, you know, expect you to take a, you know, be accountable for things that you're not doing right.
09:09I'm going to always step up and be that person in her life.
09:12And I think she values that even though she sometimes give me some pushback.
09:17But for the most part, I love the young one, you know, the woman that she's growing into.
09:22So I'm very proud of her.
09:26What about you, Reginae?
09:29You get a great answer.
09:30I mean, honestly, I would say the same.
09:33Just what did we learn about each other?
09:36I feel like with my mother and everything that, you know, she has like overcome and just she is just
09:46my hero.
09:48I look up to her.
09:49I really do.
09:49No matter how many pushbacks I give her or whatever, I just know my mom is like the epitome of
09:55just like a great woman.
09:56So like whatever she says, sometimes I don't agree all the time, but I know that it's from a good
10:03place.
10:04And growing up, the older I get, the more I know like she just trying to, she just trying to
10:10make me a better me.
10:11Like that's all she trying to do.
10:13And I know when I become a parent, I'm going to be the same because I be trying to make
10:17people better and they don't even be my kids.
10:19So honestly, I know I'm going to be like her too.
10:24So Reginae, I want you to talk a little bit about, you know, leaving home, going to L.A., chasing
10:30your dreams.
10:30What has it been like for you to really go after what you want?
10:36Well, it's always been what I'm supposed to do because my parents always instilled me, like instilled in me, hey,
10:44listen, go for what you want to do.
10:46Shoot for the stars.
10:48Don't ever let nobody tell you what you can and cannot do.
10:51So it's like this is like my nature to do because my parents always put that in me.
10:56Like, hey, listen, if you're going to work, if you're going to do this, make sure you go full out
11:00and make sure you do it.
11:01Don't give up.
11:02So I feel like that's what I go off of.
11:05I love that.
11:06So can you tell us a little bit about what we can expect from you?
11:09Anything coming soon?
11:10Oh, you know, season two of my podcast airtime is coming.
11:16I have more I fit in coming soon.
11:20My fitness line, more acting coming.
11:24And yeah, it's a lot of things that's coming up that I can't really say to, but just stay tuned.
11:31So I want to ask the both of you, what's one lesson you've learned from each other that you'll carry
11:37for life?
11:38I would say one lesson I learned from Reginae is like she has this thing about her that I really
11:45I love it, but sometimes it get on my nerves.
11:47It's like I don't I don't give a damn attitude because in this world, I feel like you have to
11:53have tough skin.
11:55And the way that people have been tearing her down for years since she was a kid, like the media,
12:01you know, and just negative comments and stuff that she have to see and read.
12:06Reginae really is a strong person like I love her.
12:10I don't you know, it may come off crazy at times, but I love her confidence.
12:14That's one thing I would say that I love about her, like her confidence, like, baby, I am who I
12:20am.
12:21And these days you have to stand on that, be who you are and be proud of that.
12:26Right.
12:27I can only be me.
12:31Oh, well, my.
12:32Okay.
12:34One more time.
12:35Yeah.
12:36What's one lesson you've learned from each other that you'll carry for life?
12:40Okay, it's a it's a lot of lessons.
12:42But let's see one.
12:43I would say just being like a classy woman in this world, just like like walking around and holding my
12:52head high and not everything deserves a reaction.
12:57My mom, she's been teaching me that for years.
13:00I'm still learning.
13:01But I do.
13:02I have learned that from her.
13:04I'm also just stay true to who I am as a woman.
13:10And don't don't like get lost in what I see, you know, like be true to me.
13:16And I know what the media is a lot of it's a lot of things that you see on the
13:19media and you feel like, oh, I want to do this or why I'm not getting this.
13:23So it's always just trust the process, too.
13:26And just be where you at when you're when you're there.
13:29Don't always look at somebody else's page.
13:33Stay in your book.
13:34Yep.
13:35So looking back, is there anything you tell your younger selves about balancing family, being famous and growing up in
13:42the public eye?
13:44Looking back, something that I would tell my younger self, to live in a moment more.
13:49You know, we spend so much time trying to do so like do so much so soon.
13:55Good afternoon.
13:56And when we get beauty con is currently closed.
14:00Okay.
14:01I repeat.
14:02Good afternoon, participants.
14:04Beauty con is currently closed.
14:08I just I would tell my younger self to live in a moment more.
14:11You know, I look back at my life and I have had like a lot of different things like to
14:17be proud of, like me being a young girl from New Orleans.
14:21My parents was drug addicts.
14:24I had a difficult childhood.
14:26And to see to see me today and a woman I am in a beautiful family I have today.
14:32It's like I'm learning more and more to just appreciate life, live in a moment, love on who love you,
14:39you know, who love on you.
14:41And just be a positive influence in this world because it's just full of so much negativity.
14:52See, she's not, you're not paying attention.
14:54He called me.
14:55I love it, Reginae.
14:56I love it.
14:57I love it.
14:59That's Reginae for you.
15:01Oh, um, like my mom said, I feel like go for what you want to go for.
15:07Don't let nobody tell, you know, and dream it.
15:12Right.
15:13Oh, wait, what's the way?
15:15What's the question?
15:16The question was looking back.
15:18Is there anything you tell your younger selves about balancing family?
15:22Being famous and growing up in the public eye?
15:25I do know.
15:26I do know.
15:27Okay.
15:28I'm gonna tell myself, my younger self, it's okay.
15:34Like, girl, don't worry.
15:37I would say calm down a little bit.
15:39Like, you know, humble yourself.
15:41My younger self, I would tell my younger self, humble yourself, girl, because in a couple
15:45of years, you just never know what's gonna happen.
15:47You just, you know, like, you can't just live on top of this and feel like you just up
15:53above and everybody know.
15:54Humble yourself.
15:55So, I was five years old with a daddy, Lil Wayne.
15:58I didn't know.
15:59But, I humbled myself.
16:03This girl.
16:05So, I wanna ask you guys both, before we wrap up, you know, we were, Shamia was basically
16:10saying you guys are truly just like the model mom and daughter.
16:14You guys have such a great relationship, but for those people who may be struggling with
16:18their relationship with their mom or a daughter or vice versa, what kind of words of wisdom could
16:23you guys offer?
16:24I would say, for me, what I have realized is, you know, we look at our lives and we want
16:31our kids sometimes, well, some of us, especially black women, we want our kids to kind of move
16:37how we want them to move.
16:39And instead of like, you know, we can teach them, but we have to allow them to be who they
16:44are, you know, because that kind of ruins them and push them away sometimes when you
16:48try to, okay, I need you to do this.
16:50I want you to do that.
16:51Instead of like, you know, what do you want to do?
16:53And I'm going to support you.
16:55And I'm going to lead you and guide you.
16:57But we always trying to make them someone that they're not.
17:01And it kind of messes them up in the long run.
17:03So my advice, you know, I would just say, allow your kids to be who they are, support
17:08them, guide them and always, you know, be there to give them advice and stuff like that.
17:14But don't try to make them who you are or base it off of your life being tough.
17:18So it's like, I don't want you to do that.
17:20I don't want to, you know, like communicate and have an open relationship with your kids.
17:24That's what I would say.
17:27I would say, be on your kids, make sure they are doing the right thing.
17:35They might, they might be like, oh, they are going to be so thankful when they get older.
17:40I'm so glad that my mom was on me.
17:42Oh, she probably could have been on me a little bit.
17:46No, I'm kidding.
17:47No, no, but for real though, I am.
17:51But I had to let you grow up.
17:53No, you did have to let me grow up.
17:54I used to be like, ah, ah, ah, ah.
17:55But I'm saying when they're younger, like, but honestly, you doing that, everything that I do, I think about, wait,
18:03is this good?
18:04Like, is this going to be good for the brand?
18:06Is this going to be good for me and my mom?
18:07Like, it's like, but that's, that's how you're supposed to move in this world because you are a brand, your
18:12family, your name.
18:13Like that's, that's who you are.
18:15So I'm thankful that my mom stayed on me because it taught me to be who I am.
18:21Okay.
18:21So before we close, I want you guys to finish this sentence.
18:25No matter how much life changes, Regine will always be my heart, my first born.
18:32She will always be my heart, will always be my first born.
18:35Um, yeah, that's what I have to say.
18:38And Regine, no matter how much life changes, Toya will always be my everything.
18:46My everything.
18:47I call this lady for everything.
18:48I was like, mama.
18:49I mean everything.
18:51You hear me?
18:51I love it though.
18:52I love it.
18:53No matter what, everything.
18:55I love that.
18:56Y'all give it up for Toya and Regine.
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