- Levenia is desperate for her son Tai
to get his life together.
He has no job and no goals.
Levenia, what was Tai like as a child?
- I'm a single parent.
I had to work.
This kid would pick up his two little sisters.
Make sure that they eat.
Make sure that their homework was done.
If I had to stay late, he would make sure they took a bath
and put them to sleep.
And then he changed.
- Tai, you're getting really emotional right now
and so am I because--
- Yup.
I did change
and I'm still that kid. - I don't know what to do.
- I'm still that kid.
I told her that. - I haven't seen him
in 10 years.
I'm still that kid.
I'm still that kid, I'm just, I'm tired.
I'm depressed, I'm tired.
- Okay. - I'm tired.
I'm just tired, I'm hurt.
I've been through stuff in my life.
- Because you're supposed to. - That's personal,
no it don't even matter about none of that.
- It does matter.
- No listen, it does, it does.
But I'm tired.
Like I said I'm depressed.
I have personal things going on.
Sometimes that can stop somebody--
- Tell us what those personal things are.
- [Tai] That can stop people, me being depressed.
- What are those personal things you're going through?
Stop yelling about them and tell us about it.
- Alright, like my personal stuff.
Like I've never really had friends.
And then when I got around friends,
I basically always did, exactly,
I always had to, it's like I feel like
yeah you gave me everything but
you kind of gave me too much
because you gave me too much,
my friends was always jealous of me.
I always had fake friends around me.
See that's what I'm saying, it's cool that you did that.
But you also got to understand what that brings.
What that attracts, Ma.
You got to feel me on that.
- Tai. - Tai Tai.
- That's what I'm saying.
- You got some twisted logic going on here
that's some twisted logic.
- [Tai] Nah man like I'm just saying,
I'm just saying-- - You're telling us that--
- There's mental things that can mess with that.
There's mental things that bothers me in the physical world.
- [Woman] You're telling us you're depressed?
- I don't have motivation, how can I have motivation?
Yes, how can I have my motivation
when everything is handed to me?
- Right, so you're telling us that you're depressed.
- Yeah I'm depressed, I'm always depressed.
I'm in a dark spot, I know I'm in a dark spot.
And I've been there for a long time.
- But Tai, that's still no reason
that if you feel that you're in a dark place
to take that out on your mother.
- That's my best friend, yo.
That's my best friend.
I can't even talk to my mom, you know?
- Okay, hold up.
So has he had a problem with alcohol?
- He has a problem with alcohol.
He's an alcoholic.
- Tai, when did you start drinking?
How old were you?
- Probably 13.
- [Woman] 13, okay.
- Probably 13.
- [Woman] That's very early.
- She be drinking with me.
She put me on. - I put you on at 13?
- [Tai] She put me on, yeah. - You a liar.
- Levenia, how much is he drinking?
- He drinks five to six bottles.
And the bottles is like this.
Like the 40 ounce-- - That was years ago.
- [Vivica] Oh he chugging some 40 ounces?
- The 40 ounces.
- Years ago, I was like 17, 18.
- That's a lie.
Five and six, I promise you Vivica.
Five to six a day.
- I would throw up now.
I would throw up.
If I tried that now, I would throw up now.
If I tried that now, I'm telling you.
- [Woman] That's binge drinking.
- Let me tell you something.
Y'alls bill that y'all have
he's only been here a day and a half.
- So, tell us.
You stayed at a hotel
that the show put you up in, and you
ran up almost a $200 bar bill.
- [Mary] Here, let's talk about it.
One bottle of whiskey, $60.
One bottle of premium tequila, 71.18.
One bottle of regular tequila, 17.52.
We got some beer, a couple soft drinks and an orange juice.
- [Woman] Tai, I have a question for you.
- [Tai] Yes, ma'am?
- You did this yesterday.
- [Tai] Yes, ma'am.
- Why would you think that's okay?
- [Tai] I didn't, I wasn't thinking.
- [Woman] You just did it?
- I wasn't thinking, I saw it--
- [Areva] Did you drink all of that by yourself?
- No, I had friends with me.
- [Woman] On our tab.
- You know, Vivica I wanna say.
I don't feel anything.
This is all something that
as an alcoholic I'm very familiar with.
It's the woe is me story.
The oh I'm so sorry.
Well feel sorry for me
because I was deprived of this that and the other thing.
And I was raised really well, just like this kid was.
This is all, I don't feel any emotion toward him right now.
- Why?
- Because it's all a game.
It's all his M.O.
- [Woman] For him to get his way?
- His M.O.
His manipulation of us.
I would cry, "I'm sorry, Mom. I'm never gonna drink again."
"I'm never gonna drive drunk."
Next day, same old stuff.
This is all your ploy.
And I get it.
'Cause I'm an alcoholic
and I've been there and I've done it.
- Do you have a drinking problem?
- I would say I do.
Because as soon as I smell that cup.
If I see that cup, I'ma want it.