Hi, OWN family.
My name is Monique Samuels from "Love and Marriage, DC."
And you're watching "OWN's 20 Questions."
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I do have a nickname.
It is Monie.
Some people call me Boney Monie.
Some people call me Monie in da Middle.
Monie in da Middle because of back in the day,
you know, the rapper Monie in da Middle.
And I am the middle child in my family.
And Boney Monie because I have always been like so small.
So all my friends used to call me Boney Monie.
And when I used to rap, I'm now retired, every now
and then I come out of retirement, though,
but my stage name is Hazel.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Something that you would probably never know about me
from watching "That Other Show," or even
watching "Love and Marriage, DC,"
is that I am such a tree hugger.
I'm so earthy, like I literally talk
to my plants and my garden.
I just I love everything that God has created.
And I feel that some people, they'll look at the grass
and just think that's nothing, but it's something.
It has the ability to grow.
In the winter, it dies, and then it comes back.
And there's something that's just so miraculous about that
to me, because God did not miss on any details,
even for the grass that grows.
So since leaving "That Other Show,"
I have been up to a lot, as there is never a dull moment
in the Samuels household.
So I launched Mila Eve, which is an essential oils line--
100% pure therapeutic essential oils.
I still have my Not for Lazy Moms platform.
We do a lot of pop-ups and meet and greets.
I am homeschooling my three children.
I am an on-air radio personality for WPGC 95.5, the Good Morning
Show, from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
Yes, I'm quite busy.
[LAUGHING]
I have some new pets, I have a garden.
It's always a moment living with the Samuels.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
So when it comes to "That Other Show,"
the only ladies that are relevant and matter
are Karen and Ashley, and those are the two
that I stay in contact with.
Those are my sisters.
And I'm very grateful for the bond
that we were able to create and still continue on.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
One thing that I have learned from my time
on "That Other Show" is that you can't put me in a box.
Eventually, I'm going to pop out.
And you'll get the whole picture,
whether you like it or not.
And I also learned that you just have
to continue to push and make sure that you remove yourself
from any toxic situation.
I will never again allow my peace to be jeopardized.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I was most proud of myself actually lately.
I went through a very tough situation
when I was on That Other Show."
I got into a physical altercation.
And I allowed myself to go through the process
on my own terms.
I didn't allow anyone to bully me,
to be, or show remorse faster than what I actually felt it.
And I was able to take accountability for my actions
in my own way, and then do my part in the end when, you know,
I accepted full ownership for what I have done.
And I was able to apologize for my part.
So I'm very proud of myself for that, because it
took a lot of courage.
It took a lot of soul searching.
And I now realize that it was a part of my growth process.
And I'm grateful for every experience
that I've had up until this point,
because it's allowed me to become
the Monique that I am today.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
One thing that "Love and Marriage, DC"
will reveal about me, my marriage, and my family
is that we're just like everybody else.
We have ups, we have downs.
We have issues that we go through.
And we do our best to navigate those things
the best way that we.
We continue to push ourselves to be better.
And it's all about growth.
So for me, you're still going to get the comical Monique.
You're still going to get the fun shade.
I'm still me.
But at the end of the day, I do have vulnerable moments.
You're going to see that in my marriage with my husband.
You're going to hear his side.
And you'll hear his voice.
And then you'll see my kids and how much
they've grown since the last time they were on TV.
My oldest is almost my height.
My youngest, he's three now, like he's grown up.
And my little mini me in the middle, Miss Melanie,
she is a doll.
She's so quick with it.
And she's just-- she's just hilarious.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
The biggest piece of advice for married couples
who are at their 10-year mark--
be adamant about what you need, simple as that.
If your tank is on E and you need to be full,
it's only right that you both are on full.
Can't be one person doing majority
of the work or most of the work, however
you going to look at it.
So you have to voice what you need.
And hopefully, the person on the other end
will be open to accept what it is you need,
even if they are doing all that they think
that they should be doing.
It's all about what the other person needs
when you're in a relationship.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
My favorite part of filming "Love and Marriage, DC"
is being able to do it unfiltered
and not having anybody like try to point me in a direction--
like, go do that or be like this or be like that
or say this or say that.
It just felt very free.
And I did not feel like I had to walk in to any scene feeling
like I got to be on guard because somebody's
about to come for me.
Or, I'm about to be attacked.
It was just a natural relationship,
but still entertaining.
We had some moments that were really fun.
We had some moments that were really deep.
And we were able to really express ourselves, regardless
of the cameras being there.
It didn't even feel like we were filming a show.
It's just living life.
And that's how reality TV should be.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
This first season, you can expect after every episode,
it's never going to be enough.
You're going to be coming back, begging for more,
begging in for more, wanting more "Love and Marriage, DC."
We have a level of realness where
we're so vulnerable and so open and so transparent
with each other.
And you see that it's a gradual journey.
We're not acting like we're coming up in here as BFFs
and we've been together for 30 years.
We're being very transparent about the fact
that we have known each other from the social scene.
And we identify the fact that it's important to be
around other married couples.
And it's nice when you can be around other married couples
who are on the same page who can offer you advice, who can build
you up rather than judge you and try to tear you down,
along with a little fun shade.
[LAUGHING]
So it's going to be fun, it's going to be funny.
When I tell you this cast is hilarious, all of us
I feel like are probably comedians in another life
because we truly bring it.
We have fun, and it's relatable drama.
It's nothing that is contrived.
It is stuff that will happen that you'll be like, yeah,
I can see myself doing that.
You'll be able to see yourself in each
and every different situation, whether you have children
as young as mine, or whether you have
children like Erana and Jamie, whose children are grown.
You know, you can see so many different periods of life
that just evolve and just happen as you're watching the show.
So for Chris and I, we're the babies as far as marriage goes.
And we're trying to learn.
We're trying to keep up.
But then we can still share, hey, here's our experience,
here's some tips and advice that we have.
So it's just going to be a jam-packed fun-filled season.
And you are going to be on the edge of your seat
clutching your non-existent pearls, popping your popcorn,
sipping on your tea, all season long.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I'm so excited about the cast of ladies that have come together
for "Love and Marriage, DC."
The reason I brought them together is because they are
real, they are fiery, they are loud, they are funny,
they are classy.
They are everything that you need to be entertained.
[LAUGHING]
And it's truly a sisterhood.
And I really admire them for being able to open up
and to not be so judgmental at times when you really need
that boost.
It's a circle of women who are very dynamic.
And I'm just excited and ready for everybody to meet them.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Well, I did tell you that my nickname
was Monie in da Middle.
[LAUGHING]
So I'm kind of like in the middle of it all,
trying to be a peacemaker.
But at times, I kind of fail to do my job a little bit.
So yeah, we have a lot of moments, a lot of growing,
but it's all good.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Oh my goodness.
I visited the motherland while we were filming.
I had this trip planned six months prior.
And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.
We went to Kenya.
We also went to Tanzania.
And it was the most amazing experience ever.
It wasn't a vacation.
It wasn't a trip.
It was an experience.
I really felt like-- and I still feel like
a piece of me is still there--
it was just incredible.
For me, I'm such an animal lover,
so to be able to be like face to face with animals that I see
on Discovery Channel, and animals that I-- you know,
that you typically would see in a zoo but to see them
in their own home, in their own environment
just doing what they do--
it was incredible.
Like, I was just--
oh, I'm thinking about it right now.
I'm like, take me back.
[LAUGHING]
But it was truly an experience.
And to be able to share that with my children
and my husband, it was just a nice family bonding moment.
And we will never forget it.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Listen, if I'm going to be singing this song,
it won't be singing to be more so rapid.
Anything Busta Rhymes.
"Gimme Some More," that is--
like, all of his all of his music,
like I am a huge Busta Rhymes fan.
So it's either going to be Busta Rhymes rapping.
Singing, it's going to be Lauryn Hill.
Anything off of the "Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,"
I'm going to be singing that, because that album still
goes hard.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
If I was stranded on an island with only one album
to listen to, it would definitely be the "Miseducation
of Lauryn Hill," promise.
It would get me through those lonely moments.
And it would give me something to be happy about,
something I could bop to, something I could feel.
Yeah, so that's what we're going to have.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
One thing I cannot live without are my essential oils.
Mainly essentials, I use them every day.
Like, I cannot live without them, guaranteed.
I have an oil for everything.
The advice I would give to my teenage self
is, just keep pushing, trust your intuition.
Let that inner voice guide you.
And don't doubt yourself when you know better.
Trust your gut, always.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
If I were a superhero, my superpower
would be the power to heal.
I would be touching everybody, you know.
[LAUGHING]
Heal you there, heal you there.
That's it.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
If I could be anything else in the world, what would I be?
I would be a falcon, because I just feel like they
are the most amazing birds.
They just seem so wise to me.
They're true hunters.
They are the true superior bird.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Oh my goodness.
One area of my life where I am completely
trying to become the best version of myself
is my spiritual journey.
It's all about my inner peace.
It's all about me constantly recognizing that I'm evolving.
And I'm trying to get better.
I'm not trying to put myself in a situation
where I go backward.
And I do realize that my children are watching me.
So every step is a step in the right direction.
I try to really take it in and just be mindful
and to be present in every moment.
And that's it.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Thanks for watching OWN family.
Be sure to subscribe to OWN's YouTube channel
for more "Love and Marriage, DC."
And be sure to tune in every Saturday for new episodes
at 9/8 Central.
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