Singer
Toni Braxton went on a recent episode of Red Table Talk to make a lot
of revelations about her divorce. But a lot of what she said rubbed her
ex-husband Keri Lewis the wrong way and he has reacted.During the show
with Jada Pinkett Smith, Toni Braxton, who is now engaged to Birdman,
revealed that there was a time she was angry about having to pay her ex
alimony.She said:“I went through this phase of, ‘oooh, men are the new
b*tches!’ That’s how I felt. That’s what I was so angry about."
She
also said that she believes their breakup was over money and her lupus
diagnosis.She explained:"I felt shallow because my ex-husband and I
broke up for money issues…I found out I had lupus at the time, I
couldn’t make money because I had lupus, I had to cancel the show. That
was my personal contribution to the marriage failing, because who wants
to take care of a person who’s sick all the time? I remember a few times
being in the hospital ill and he would come later in the day and I
would think, he’s not coming because I’m sick."I never talked to my ex
husband about it, I probably should have, but if I’m going to be
completely honest, money was just the decoration on the tree. The tree
itself was I felt because I was sick, he left.” Keri Lewis felt the
interview didn't represent the truth and took to Instagram to tell his
side of the story.He wrote:“In light of my ex-wife’s @ToniBraxton
comments on @RedTableTalk regarding our ‘divorce; men receiving alimony
from women’…I feel the need to address and shed light on the matter, as
the impression is being made that I came for her finances and/or wasn’t
there for Toni. Let me start by saying I really loved Toni!…Anyone who
was around during that time of our marriage would attest to that. In
addition, when she became ill, I did everything I could to take care of
her, and we tried for a long time to put things back together, but in
the end, we could not. To give insight on the alimony payments, Toni’s
attorneys suggested she have a prenuptial agreement put in place prior
to our wedding, and they drafted one as they saw fit. Because of my love
for her and being optimistic of marriage lasting forever, I didn’t feel
the need to have an attorney, as I wasn’t going to contest anything in
the prenup. Fast-forward to 2012 after separating, I moved out and at
some point later, Toni mentioned to me that the payments set in the
prenup would start being deposited into my account. I received alimony
for around 3 years between 2012 and 2014."Now, intentionally or not,
Toni’s comments have left people with the feeling that we had some sort
of legal battle that resulted in her having to pay alimony and therefore
share the likes of @Hallebarry, @therealmaryjblige, and @britneyspears.
With all due respect, I do not see our situation in the same light. I
didn’t even use an attorney in our divorce (I also don’t recommend that
to anyone). In addition, while I often did not agree with the creative
liberties that were taken in representing our relationship (Toni’s Book,
Lifetime movie, Braxton Family Values, RedTableTalk), we are raising
two sons and it can NEVER be to the degree of her referencing ME as a
bitch.. that’s a problem! I’m definitely open for the conversation of
women paying alimony to men, and vice versa, as I do have mixed feelings
about it, and at the end of the day, every situation is different."
