Sophia Michaels
Toya Johnson-Rushing and Reginae Carter are taking control of the narrative with their new reality TV series. With so much being speculated about them in the blogs and on social media, the ex-wife and daughter of Lil Wayne are setting the record straight by giving viewers a deeper look into their lives in WE TV’s “Toya & Reginae,” premiering Aug. 24.
“This a family show based on family drama, business ventures, relationships, love, friends, and all of that good stuff,” Johnson-Rushing tells POPSUGAR. The 39-year-old mom of two — who also shares daughter Reign with her husband, Robert Rushing — promises to pull back the curtain and show fans what their real, everyday lives are like as she and Carter navigate relationships and their busy careers. “I’m sure there’s lots of people that can relate to it, and my family didn’t mind opening up about it, because we’re actually going through it and it’s therapy for us as well,” Johnson-Rushing says.
As Carter’s mother, Johnson-Rushing notes how beautiful it was to watch her daughter evolve in both her relationships and career through filming the series. “I honestly love seeing Reginae show her growth this season,” Johnson-Rushing says proudly. “It was cool working with her, because Reginae is always going to keep it real and she’s going to let you know what’s up. I love that about her.”
“Growing up, a lot of people have seen me on social media and have made their own comments about me.”
Of course, Johnson-Rushing and Carter are no strangers to reality TV. The mother-daughter duo previously appeared on series like “Growing Up Hip-Hop: Atlanta,” “Toya: A Family Affair,” and “Tiny & Toya,” and Carter is steadily building her acting résumé, starring in projects like “Terror Lake Drive,” “Boxed In,” and “Boxed In 2.” So sharing the screen together is within their “comfort zone,” Carter says. “I feel like we can talk to each other and motivate each other. If one [of us] needs a tip or whatever, we are always on top of it. She’s the perfect partner, always has my back.”
But despite being the daughter of famous parents, 24-year-old Carter wants to use the show as an opportunity to show the world that she’s gotten this far in her career by her own merit. “Growing up, a lot of people have seen me on social media and have made their own comments about me,” she explains. “[Now] people are going to see me go for what I want.”
She continues: “As far as acting, people think that I get a lot of stuff because of who I am, [but] they’re going to see that I am working for what I want, and I want them to know I do get ‘nos.’ It’s not perfect over here, and I’m human. I want people to know that just because my parents are who they are, I have nothing to do with that.”
By opening up their lives to the world, Johnson-Rushing and Carter hope that viewers get a real sense of who they are beyond the headlines and social media. As of now, “Toya & Reginae” has yet to be confirmed for a second season, but both Johnson-Rushing and Carter are hopeful.
Ahead of the WE TV premiere of “Toya & Reginae,” check out an exclusive clip from Thursday’s episode below.
New episodes of “Toya & Reginae” air every Thursday on WE TV and will be available to stream on ALLBLK the following Monday.
