“Braxton Family Values” doesn’t need a reboot
The big picture
- Braxton Family Values was a popular show that focused on Toni, Tamar and their three other sisters and became the starting point for Tamar’s music career.
- The show’s final two seasons were riddled with controversy, including a pay dispute and Tamar’s suicide attempt, which led to tensions with the network.
- If the show returns without Tamar and after Traci’s death, it likely won’t have the same magic and impact as it did when it first premiered.
Braxton Family Values premiered on WeTV in 2011 and focused on the Braxton siblings Toni, Traci, Towanda, Tamar and Trina and their mother Evelyn Braxton. Toni, the best known of the siblings, was initially the focus as she was in the process of reviving her R&B career. The show quickly became a hit with WeTV viewers and soon Toni was no longer the only star in the spotlight. The second youngest of the siblings, Tamar quickly became a fan favorite thanks to her big personality and hilarious catchphrases. The series led to spin-offs for Tamar, including her show with her then-husband, Vincent Herbertwhich was aptly titled Tamar & Vince. Braxton Family Values was the starting point for Tamar’s solo career and she released two albums during the series’ run. Siblings Traci and Trina also worked on solo projects during the show.
The series ran for seven seasons spanning a decade, and the final two seasons were riddled with controversy. In the show’s sixth season, the Braxton sisters discovered discrepancies in the pay they were receiving. The ladies later revealed that they were paid less than the cameramenwhich led to them going on strike in Season 6. The strike caused unrest within the family as Traci decided to continue filming. The sisters were angry at Traci for crossing the picket line, and there was clear tension between them as they went back to filming. There was also Tamar’s suicide attempt that they wanted to show on the show, which led to a lot of anger from Tamar towards the network. She criticized WeTV on social media for exploiting her pain for reviews. She resigned and announced that she would never work with the network again. The final season of Braxton Family Values was incredibly short compared to all previous seasonsand the relationship between the Braxtons and WeTV seemed irreparable.
Braxton Family Values
The close-knit Braxton sisters, Grammy-winning artist Toni Braxton, Traci, Towanda, Trina and Tamar, and their headstrong mother provide a glimpse into their lives and the drama of family chaos.
- Release date
- April 12, 2011
- Pour
- Traci Braxton, Toni Braxton, Trina Braxton, Towanda Braxton
- Main genre
- Reality TV
- Genres
- Reality TV
- Evaluation
- TV-PG
- Seasons
- 7
“The Braxton Family Values” will never be what they once were
The best parts of Braxton Family Values Everything revolved around the interpersonal relationships between the sisters. The spontaneous songs, fights and tender moments were raw, real and fun to watch. The family dynamic was exciting when Braxton Family Values Premiere, but how about now? Things have changed drastically in the Braxton family. Traci Braxton died of esophageal cancer in 2022which automatically casts a shadow over the series’ possible return. The idea of returning without Traci’s presence doesn’t feel right, as she was an important piece in their family puzzle, even if she wasn’t necessarily treated that way. There is also a controversial relationship between WeTV and Tamar Braxton.
“Braxton Family Values”: Tamar Braxton’s immaturity and entitlement led to her downfall
Since her suicide attempt, Tamar has made her hatred for WeTV clear. She has publicly stated that the broadcaster chose to ignore her mental health issues and that they ignored her cries for help when she sent them. In a long social media post in 2020: Tamar expressed her sincere feelings towards the network, and gave clear reasons why she would never work with them again. In part of her post, Tamar said: “I have been cheated, taken advantage of, overworked and underpaid. I wrote a letter over two months ago asking to be freed from what I believe to be excessive and unfair. I described in detail the downfall I experienced. My cry for help was completely ignored. However, the demands remained.” With all the bad blood between Tamar and WeTV, it is most likely that a Braxton Family Values Tamar will not be included in the restart. Can Braxton Family Values Surviving without Tamar? Probably not, because her presence on the show was key to the comedy and drama that fans love most about the show. If Braxton Family Values is coming back to WeTV without Tamar, will it have the same effect as it did when it first aired? Probably not.
The first three seasons of Braxton Family Values are available to stream on Hulu.
