My 'Where Are They Now" Interview With Renee Lee Taylor (Frank The Entertainer.. A Basement Affiar)

Exclusive Interview

Here is another 'Where Are They Now?" interview that I did recently. This time it's with Renee who was best known being on Frank The Entertainer... A Basement Affiar. The show was one of VH1's last dating shows to air and it only lasted one season . She was portayed as the emotional wreck on the show and she tells me what is she doing now. 

John Taylor: Hey Renee, how are you?

Renee Lee Taylor: I'm good John, thank-you for asking. I hope things are well with you!


John Taylor: You were best known for appearing on "Frank The Entertainer... A Basement Affair." What was your fondest memory being on the show?

Renee Lee taylor: My fondest memory ( while on the show ) was winning the talent date, and then getting the first key from Frank. What a great feeling that was. My fondest memory during that time would have to be realizing that I can do this. Being on tv was something I had dreamed about since I was very young, and doing this without an agent, or prior television experience was amazing to me, especially if you knew where I live ( nothing happens here! ). The people I had met throughout the process was just an overall cool experience. 
And for those of you who may be shouting at the screen saying she only wanted to be on tv, I actually was in fact open for love at the time. That part was true. 


John Taylor: You were kinda portrayed as the emotional wreck on the show. Now was that how you really are or just a persona created by the producers?

Renee Lee taylor: I admit to being an emotional person, and I do wear my heart on my sleeve. However, the producers portrayed me in a way where it was exaggerated for entertainment purposes. I am NOT a desperate person. I am however a competitive one. A lot of the time I was laughing at myself throughout the process, this is something they didn't show at all.

John Taylor: Was that really is house? because I remember when the show aired people said that wasn't really his house on the show.


Renee Lee Taylor: It was not really the house that they live in. The Maresca's do not live far from it, and there were elements within the house that were their actual items.


John Taylor: On the show, you also kinda had beef with Dana. Why do you think she picked on you?

Renee Lee Taylor: Dana tried to pick on anyone that she could to gain air time. She targeted me because she had known I wasn't a mean person, and she felt I was an easy target. She probably also had a feeling that I was getting a lot of camera time and wanted the same. Dana isn't really emotionally stable, or at least she didn't act that way while I was there. She'll act like your friend one minute, and attack you the next. I have no idea how she is today.


John Taylor: Did anything thing else happened on the show that did not air on TV?

Renee Lee Taylor: There were plenty of things that they did not air. They didn't air that I got along with Jess, Melody, or Mandy. They didn't show how much Frank's parents had liked me from the beginning, which actually contributed to a lot of the girls turning against me at the time. They didn't show a horrible fight I had with Felica on the beach. Where she tried to tear me completely apart, even critiquing my job. They didn't show that because they didn't want to portray her as being a bitch. They didn't show lighter moments such as Christi, Jess, and I making up musicals about the show in the kitchen. That would of been cute.


John Taylor: Do you still keep in touch of Frank and his mom? I know that his father passed away back in 2010. What about the girls?

Renee Lee Taylor: I keep in touch with Frank's brother Sal, and we've had a friendship since meeting on the show. As for the rest of them, I don't talk to anyone else on the phone. I wish Frank and his family the very best! They really are a great group of people! I do keep in touch with a few of the girls on facebook. Cathy and I comment on each other's pages frequently, and once in a great while I hear from Christi, Melody, and Jess. The rest rarely update, or we just don't talk at all. It's nothing personal. I miss a few, and would love to hear from them!


John Taylor: It's been three years since the show aired, have you found love now?

Renee Lee Taylor: Yes, my third engagement finally made it down the isle. haha


John Taylor:Let's about the present, First off I want to send my prayers to the people at Boston because 
I know you live there.

Renee Lee Taylor: Thank-you, what happened in Boston is surreal. It's hard for me to believe, and fortunately I didn't know anyone directly affected. However, my heart truly goes out to everyone involved. It's heart breaking. The people of Boston are Strong, and we will recover!


John Taylor: What have you've been doing now since being on VH1?

Renee Lee Taylor: After VH1 I got a few offers to do some gigs but they all fell through. It was disappointing. 51 Minds decided to soon after cancel basically all the love shows, so there was no hope of I love Money, or Charm School. There's not much opportunity where I live, so I decided to do the next best thing, and that is to finish my degree! Right now I am studying theater, writing, and just getting back into the things that I love. It's a great feeling to be back. From there I would like to move somewhere there is more excitement and opportunities for me. If $$ wasn't an issue, I would have already of left! I have no idea what the future holds, however if the right opportunity knocks, I will answer it. 


John Taylor: Would you ever consider doing reality TV again?

Renee Lee Taylor: Yes, but I would do it a lot differently. First off, I've grown so much since the experience. I took a lot of things personally and to heart back then, and I would sincerely try not to next time around. The hardest part for me was reading straight up LIES about me over the Internet ( written by people with no job, life, or anything better to do ). That was very hard. But it happens to everyone that's on TV. No matter how nice, good looking, ect, someone will have something negative to say, and one day with the help of some good people in my life, I got the strength to just say f*ck it, and not look at it anymore. What will be will be. When your on tv it brings out the best and worst in people that you know. They either will be very happy for you, or be insanely jealous/negative. Fortunately I also got a lot of positive feed back from wonderful fans of the show. There really are some good people out there, and I am grateful for that! I would have loved to do I love money, or Charm School. But to be honest what I'd love even more would be to be on a scripted sitcom, soap opera, or the movies.


John Taylor: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Renee Lee Taylor: I can't say what the future holds for me for sure, but I do believe you haven't heard the last of me.  Please be kind to others, as life is short. Take reality TV as bits and pieces, and with a grain of salt. Don't take it all so seriously.... just enjoy it for what it's worth. 

Wendy Williams Shows Off New Figure, Dishes On Weight Loss

The daytime talk show host has been looking noticeably thinner lately and she attributes it all to a change in her diet and exercise plan. In a new interview with OK Magazine, she reveals that she has dropped 20 pounds in the past few months by cutting out foods like cheese and turning it up in the gym. She also offered advice to women, including busy moms who are hoping to do the same.

Wendy also offered some advice to mothers who might be finding it hard to revisit the gym on a regular basis: 

On how much weight she lost
I lost 20 lbs and I lost the weight by doing a little bit of modification to my everyday lifestyle including diet and exercise. I go to the gym and work out with a trainer for one hour, twice a week. I don’t work out anymore than I used to. I incorporate Pilates into my workout, which I’ve been doing all along also.

On what she eats to maintain her weight
I’ve modified some of the things in my diet. My drink of choice has always been water, I put a little Crystal Light in it. I still treat myself to a little Diet soda every now and again. I don’t include any cheese in my diet. Cheese is my weakness. My favorite snack is cheese and crackers. They are a ‘sometimes thing,' not an ‘every day thing’. I also love my trainer who has a private studio so I can let myself go when I’m with her.
I’ve substituted a mixture of mayonnaise and mustard to just all mayonnaise in things like tuna fish. I also remove the top bun whenever I’m eating something. Whether it’s a burger…always take off the top bun or I’ll wrap it in the full lettuce. I no longer use salad dressing where I drench my salad in dressing. Because even diet dressing isn’t good for you. Now I always keep red wine vinegar around and I don’t need the oil part. I pour the vinegar on the salad with only a little bit of salad dressing. I eat the same thing for breakfast every single day. Egg whites and green peppers and I like them crunchy.

On whether she finds it challenging to maintain her current weight
I’m 48-years-old and I’m preparing myself for my 50th birthday. I’ve always heard that when you hit these milestone birthdays, there’s one of two ways that people act. They either get really depressed or really happy with where they are in life. I’ve been very happy with my personal life and my career life. I maintain it by other people’s encouragement of my body. I want to look HOT at 50! I allow myself treats without over-indulging



There are exercises that you can do without going to the gym. For instance, you can do chair dips at the office. You must make time to do these things and put them in your schedule. It’s a must!

Looking good Wendy!

Spotted @ Ok Magazine!.

Beyonce Confirms 'Epic' New Song

Music News: With the entire world still head over heels from her ‘Superbowl 2013′ set, H&M front woman Beyonce ups her branding game today confirming the release of a new song in aid of her brand new movie ‘Epic’.

Penned and produced by Sia and Hit Boy, ‘Rise Up‘ will feature in the breathtaking new movie and marks the latest song to be released by the entertainer this year, following the births of the fiery ‘Grown Woman‘ and 2013′s song of the Summer, ‘Standing On The Sun‘.

Coming hand in hand with the movie’s May 24th launch date, fans of the entertainer will also be pleased to learn that this week saw her ‘Mrs Carter For H&M’ campaign dominate major cities across the globe with posters of the icon sporting the brand’s latest range virtually inescapable.

More below!

YOUR THOUGHTS? 

Kelly Rowland Unwraps ‘Talk A Good Game’ Album Cover

Music News: Kelly Rowland is set to make quite the statement with her new album ‘Talk A Good Game’ and does just that with the stunning cover for the ‘Kisses Down Low’ led set.

The official artwork for the LP unveiled moments ago and is, quite simply, stellar.

Due June 18th, the set features production from the likes of The-Dream, Mike Will, and Pharrell Williams, while collaborations also include the Neptunes frontman, along with Beyonce, Michelle Williams, and Wiz Khalifa.

YOUR THOUGHTS?

Lauryn Hill Pays Her Taxes, Sentenced to 3 Months in Prison

Troubled singer Lauryn Hill paid her overdue tax bill today, but that didn’t save her from doing a time in the federal pen.

USA Today reports that Hill was sentenced to 3 months in prison for failing to pay $1 million in overdue taxes.

Prior to the hearing, Hill’s attorney, Nathan Hochman, said in an email to TIME magazine Monday that Hill paid $970,000 to satisfy state and federal back taxes. Hill, but apparently that wasn’t enough for the judge.

Hill was also sentenced to an additional 3 months of home confinement to be served after she is released from prison.

Hill, of South Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty last year to evading taxes on $1.8 million income earned from 2005-2007.

In a statement to the judge, Hill said she planned to eventually pay her taxes but she was unable to pay during her self-imposed hiatus from show business.

“I am a child of former slaves who had a system imposed on them,” Hill told U.S. Magistrate Madeline Cox Arleo. “I had an economic system imposed on me.”

Hill, a follower of ganja smoking Rastafari, has 5 children ranging in age from 5 to 15 with Rohan Marley, the son of late reggae legend Bob Marley. She also has a 22-month-old son by another man.

In a Facebook post, Hill announced she recently signed a record deal with Sony in order to pay her taxes. Hill’s only album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, was released on August 25, 1998. The album received rave reviews from music critics and went on to sell over 10 million copies. ‘Miseducation’ earned Hill eight Grammy awards.

She put off recording a new album in 1998 when she was forced to settle with a group of songwriters who sued her after she neglected to credit them in the liner notes of ‘Miseducation’.

When asked to provide written contracts to the musicians during the recording of the album, Hill reportedly said, “We all love each other. This ain’t about documents. This is blessed.” 

Let’s see how many years it takes Hill to record a new album for Sony.

Photos: Kena Betancur/Getty Images

Love IT or Hate It? Tamar Braxton's New Single "The One"

Tamar Releases New Single

Music News: Tamar Braxton has released her new single called "The One." It's the follow up to her 1st single "Love & War" which reached # 1 on iTunes. 

What do you think about her new single?

Sean Kingston Talks Dating Evelyn's Daughter Shaniece

Sean Talks Dating Evelyn's Daughter

Sean Kingston recently appeared on The Breakfast Club to discuss a few topics. One in particular was dating Evelyn's daughter, Shaneice. He says that he needed her after watching her on "Basketball Wives" when she decided which college she wanted to go to.

"Now her, a similar thing. I seen her on the show. She was looking for a school or an apartment. I was like I need her."

He also discussed about the rumors that he dated Rihanna. He explained that his relationship with her is more like a brother and sister type. He also expplained what really happened when he had that jet ski accident two years ago that almost ended his life. 

"Basically, the tide got high. I was new to the high land. I really didn’t know the water. This time I went out like five or five-thirty. It was crazy, I was knocked unconscious. He said my eyes was rolling back. It just really made me just appreciate the small things. Before I was ‘turnt’. It may me slow down and just appreciate–everything can be gone tomorrow."