Evelyn Lozada has survived three seasons of Basketball Wives,
which, by the way, is VH1's highest-rated show. And though she might have
once been engaged to an NBA-er, she is now set to marry NFL/social media
king Chad Ochocinco. The woman is beloved. She has almost 500,000 Twitter followers, while fellow Wives cast member Tami Roman has just under 300,000.
And
lucky for us, we got the chance to chat with the future Mrs. Ochocinco about
everything from her love for the Magic City, her beau, and the sure-to-be-infamous war between castmates Tami Roman and Meeka Claxton.
New Times: We see you back and forth between New York and Miami. But you are one of the only wives who lives permanently in the 305, correct?
Evelyn Lozada: I am. Honestly, I am on a plane a lot these days. My home base is in Miami.
Your shoe store, Dulce, is located in Coral Gables. Can we expect an expansion of any kind, to maybe Miami Beach?
We have been open for about two years. We would love to expand to maybe New York or L.A. But we are still pretty new, so we aren't exactly where we want to be just yet.
So will you be calling Boston home now that your fiancé, Chad Ochocino, is playing for the New England Patriots?
He's very happy there and he likes Boston. He's really excited for football season. But, yes, I will be there a lot.
On Monday night, we got to see Chad's sensitive side. Is he romantic?
He's very spontaneous. He's like that all the time; it wasn't just for TV. We were driving and we honestly usually don't go past Bal Harbour. So as we were driving, I was like, "Where are we going exactly?" But I now understand we had to go that far up the beach because it was so secluded. There was no one around; it was just perfect. Well, it was a little muggy.
We have seen you two from your first date to being engaged. What is it like to have the world watch your relationship?
It was a little awkward at first. But the crew becomes family, so now it's not awkward at all. Some couples on TV keep everything about them very general, but Chad and I aren't like that. We don't think twice about saying exactly how we feel. We are very honest people. You either hate or love us.
Was Chad ever hesitant to be on the show?
Last season, he was kind of like, "Well..." Now, he has a big personality, as you know, so I think he is fine with being on TV. He watches the show with me, and sometimes he will question some of the scenes with me and the girls, but he knows people like drama.
We have heard a rumor that you two might get a Newlyweds-like spinoff. Is that true?
There were talks when we first got engaged, but nothing is set in stone. Would I be opposed? No, but it would have to work out for both of us. He's working and we are supposed to start filming in the next few months, so if it worked for both of our schedules, we wouldn't be opposed.
Can you give us any wedding details?
I can't say! But definitely next summer.
We know you have wrapped season three, but there has been a rumor that Tami Roman wouldn't return for season four if Meeka Claxton came back. Have you spoken to Tami about this?
I have, and she is very adamant about that. She just feels like, "Why am I going to film with somebody who has a lawsuit against me?" There are major issues there. We had our little rift, but we are on a show together. Things like that are going to happen.
What are your thoughts on the lawsuit of Meeka v. Tami?
My honest opinion is that it is ridiculous. I think she is doing it for attention. I have said that on Twitter, and I'll stand by that. When you sign up for a show, you have to know that everything isn't going to be peaches and cream. Not everyone is going to be BFFs. It's a reality show. Fights are going to happen. It's a little much to me, honestly.
Would you say this has officially separated Meeka from the entire group?
After Tami and I got over our drama, we genuinely like each other. Our loyalty is with her. One thing that did it for me was that she [Meeka] was trying to get an order of protection against Tami, but wanted to be onstage with us at the reunion. So if it was that serious, don't come onstage with us, don't do the show, and go ahead with your lawsuit against Tami. It's crazy to me. Like Tami says, she's thirsty.
You and Jennifer Williams had a problem this season. Are you guys back to normal again?
We are. We have been friends for a decade. If we wouldn't have gotten over that bump in the road, it just wouldn't have made sense. We have been in our lives for a long time. I had to voice my opinion and let her know that if she thinks he [Chad] is a media whore or not, there are just things she shouldn't say anymore.
So, do Chad and Jennifer get along now?
It is awkward for me. We run into each other on South Beach and they don't speak. Chad doesn't comment, but the fact we bumped into her one day at the movies on Mother's Day and he didn't speak says a lot without saying anything.
Is there a reason Eric Williams is still on the show even though Jennifer Williams has filed for divorce?
If you see his Twitter feed, especially Monday night's, you will see there is so much negativity from him. Yet he is still a part of the show. He likes the attention. None of us know where this new movie director career came from.
Next week he throws a drink in Jennifer's face. We have to hear about that.
We got to see that clip at the reunion, and my mouth was on the floor. I couldn't believe he did that. It's awful to see. I have seen their relationship from the beginning. I was actually in their wedding. People were going nuts on Twitter the other night just from that clip, so when they see a full episode, he just looks like a b-i-t-c-h. Who does that?
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