A leopard can’t change its spots, but do you believe a basketball wife can’t change her feathers? That’s what Tami Roman would have you believe.

In an interview with CocoaFab, Tami said that this season of “Basketball Wives” would “surprise” viewers since there’s less drama and is more family oriented.

“People are really going to be surprised at the approach we’re going to take this season because it’s more family oriented, not as much drama,” Roman tells CocoaFab exclusively.

After months of mounting pressure to improve the quality of the show and to stop instigating physical altercations, executive producer Shaunie O’Neal has decided to listen to the critics.

“What you’ve seen in past seasons was real, but that’s not how our lives are 98% of the time. We’re excited to show you more than just the drama,” says Roman, who is also working on a scripted show for TVOne entitled “Belle’s” alongside Elise Neal about a well-to-do black family that runs a restaurant named Belle’s.

“I’m a busy mom and I have a new show coming out and I’m focused on that,” she insists. “I’m really a loving person and you’ll see that on season five.”

With Royce Reed, Jennifer Williams and Kesha Nichols getting the boot, coupled with this softer side of the wolf pack, it sounds like BBW is headed for a ratings cliff. But hey, we’ll have to wait and see.

SIDENOTE: If Tami is really turning over a new leaf, why is she hanging out with ratchet and rowdy people like “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” star Karlie Redd?

The two met up at the VH1 Divas event and followed up their encounter with warm and friendly tweets.

@karlieredd it was nice meeting U my dear-real down 2 earth person! Wishing U all the success U desire-Be blessed!

— Tami Roman (@TamiRoman) December 19, 2012

Maybe Tami’s trying to jump ship to join the LHHA crew?

Big bad bully Tami Roman from “Basketball Wives” recently sat down for an interview with Wendy Williams … and as the two talked about Tami’s controversial role on the hit VH1 reality series, Tami revealed that her antics on the show leave her daughters embarrassed and disappointed.

After her incident with co-star Kesha Nichols, Tami says she realizes that she now has to be responsible and own up to her mistakes for the sake of her daughters.

I have my gully moments, but I think that everybody does. I think if you turn the camera around on anybody’s life for one day, everybody’s had a moment that they aren’t too proud of.

But I think for me, I am raising my two daughters and this particular incident really taught me a valuable lesson.

I really wasn’t acknowledging the platform that VH1 and Shed [Media] had offered me, and I wasn’t really being responsible.

And for the first time, I looked at my daughters and they weren’t really proud of their mom. They were embarrassed of me.

They take a lot between the social media outlets and everything. And I said, “You know what? It’s ridiculous that I’m on TV and I have a huge platform. I should be responsible. I should be accountable,” and I haven’t really been honoring that.

Tami also revealed that she has landed a role on a scripted series, but she didn’t say the name of the show. She also talked about her recent health scare, the upcoming 5th season of “Basketball Wives” and how she’s going to be a better person.

Watch the full interview below:

“Basketball Wives” is a VH1 show that features eight women, not one of which is actually in a successful marriage to a basketball player. (However, to be fair, a few of them are in the middle of divorcing players, or former players).

The show features an episodic formula that, if narrated, always include something like this:

“Soo… we’re getting all the girls back together tonight because the last time we all had dinner, it got kind of out of hand.”

Cut to a scene of women, predominantly black women, yelling at each other, getting out of their seats, and eventually getting violent with one another.

“I don’t know what happened, but one second we were all eating dinner and someone said something about Tami, and before I could figure out what was going on, Tami was getting carried out by security.”

Tami. Tami Roman.

I generally don’t make a habit of singling out a person and putting the weight of the world’s issues squarely on their shoulders. Well, with the exception of Sarah Palin, but that’s a different story for a different person who shouldn’t be allowed in front of a camera.

But Tami, I’m putting the weight of what’s wrong with reality television on you. And Shaunie O’Neal. And VH1. (What can I say? I’m feeling generous.)

WATCH: Basketball Wives Season 4 Episode 13

For those of you that don’t know, Tami Roman is a former MTV Real World-er from back when the show mattered.

According to her bio on VH1.com, “Roman left The Real World and started living in it.”

They refer to her has “an impact player,” which is a slight of hand way of referencing last season’s cat fight where Roman’s wrath was unleashed on cast member, Meeka Claxton.

Meeka is no longer on the show, probably because she was uncomfortable returning to a show that allowed her to be violently assaulted on camera, by none other than Banshee Tami (her new name).

While Roman is credited with having an acting career, heading a foundation for girls, and being a financial executive, the most interesting of her credits is probably her biggest responsibility… Roman is a parent.

In the most recent installment of the program, Banjee Tami is upset with fellow “basketball wife” (BBW) Kesha Nichols.

Nichols said something about Banshee Tami to someone else in the circle. Banshee Tami didn’t like that and decided to confront Kesha.

When she didn’t get the same level of angry response from Kesha, Tami escalates the situation by taking Kesha’s belongings, telling her that if she wanted them back she’d have to come get them from her.

Like a high school child, Roman goes on to rifle through the purse, read through the enclosed cell phone, and the like. She continues bullying Kesha until she eventually returns her things, only after having been reported to the authorities.

It baffles me… no, enrages… no, no… it bafflerages me that VH1 and Shaunie O’Neal can put this on television with a clear conscience.

Maybe they don’t have a clear conscience, but they definitely put this on TV. But I’m more extra-super curious how Tami watches her own show with her two daughters and discusses with them about their her behavior and decisions.

What does she say to them that would make them not want to go bully the other school kids, and treat them the way she’s treated other women on the show?

Here’s my problem: Women like Roman continue to perpetuate the image of black women as angry, violent, and altogether mean.

Even removing the black factor, Roman is the perfect example of a woman who, unfortunately, is a role model to young women, NOT by the virtue of her celebrity status on a television show, but because of the work she does in her private life with young girls.

Roman is the portrait of someone who needs professional help, much more than we’re aware that she’d received at the time of this episode’s airing. She has a voice and a platform that reaches millions every week and every week somehow displays like Monday night’s are the way she decides to use it.

I stopped watching the show before the premiere of the current season when I saw the promos for the return of the show for season four. It featured women yelling, arguing, climbing over tables and physically fighting with each other and I said I just wouldn’t watch.

I wasn’t alone, public figures and peers alike also had a similar response. Even reality television junkie, and friend in our heads, Wendy Williams said “no more.”

Tonight, at a friend’s house, the show happened to be on and before we could get 20 minutes in I had to get up leave the room because I was so irritated with what I was seeing and hearing. I couldn’t believe it was really playing out in front of me in high definition (and really well saturated color).

When will we stop allowing people like Tami and shows like Basketball Wives to depict the images and tell the stories of hate, anger, and violence as somehow being “real?” What is it going to take for us to say “enough is enough?”

VH1: shame. Shaunie O’Neal: shame. Tami Roman: double scoop of shame.

If you’re watching the show, stop. If you haven’t, don’t. If you’d never heard of it before, count your blessings.

But then again, what do I know?

PS: After the airing of the above mentioned episode Tami Roman posted an apology (below), Additionally, the victim of Roman’s wrath, Kesha Nichols decided to post a blog on bullying (also below, with a link to read the full thing).

Roman’s Apology: “I don’t apologize for it 2b accepted — that is ultimately the other person’s right to accept or deny it. My only responsibility is to acknowledge a mistake was made and own up to it. I apologize to my family, my REAL friends, my business colleagues, and my Project Girl ladies 4my recent behavior on BBW. I am NOT a bully as depicted on the show, but I did make poor decisions in handling my differences with my cast mate. I sincerely apologize to all of us, as well as to my castmate who was on the receiving end of my wrath.”

Nichols’ Post: “As a person who prides myself on turning lemons in lemonade, I had no idea how to turn the negative display of human behavior seen in Episode 12 into something positive, until now. Instead of knit picking, pointing fingers and calling names, I decided to educate myself on the issue at hand. I would like to share some of this information with you now, because when we know better, we do better.” To read Nichols’ complete comments click here.

Written By: Jarrett Hill
Contributing Editor for Gossip On This
Follow Jarrett on Twitter: @JarrettHill

For some time now, “Basketball Wives” has been the subject of major scrutiny, and various online petitions are calling for its removal from airwaves.

But at least one of the show’s cast members seems to think that if the show were yanked off the air, it would be detrimental to society and will cause “millions of people” to suffer.

Tami Roman — one of the stars of the hit VH1 reality show — is being sued by Creme de la Creme hair products on claims that she went against a contractual agreement, and failed to promote their hair products on the show, instead choosing to promote her own hair line.

The company has asked the Texas judge to put in a court order to stop VH1 from showing any segments where Tami promotes her hair line, instead of theirs.

However, according to court documents obtained by TMZ, Tami claims that the company didn’t pay her on time, thereby breaking any contract previously agreed upon.

Furthermore, Tami said that preventing the show from airing would affect “millions of people,” and the harm Creme de la Creme claims to be suffering “pales in comparison.”

She’s also asking the court to let the show air as is, and wants her name and likeness to be removed from the brand’s products, and she also wants the company to pay her court costs.

Hopefully, the judge will allow VH1 to air to show on regular schedule so that “millions” won’t have to suffer.

“Basketball Wives” star Tami Roman is recovering at home after being released from the hospital this week following a recent health scare.

According to her publicist, the outspoken reality star suffered a “mild medication condition,” which was later confirmed by Roman herself to be a “mild heart attack.”

Roman’s publicist released the following statement earlier this week:

Last night (Mon. Mar 26), Tami Roman was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for a medical emergency.

She has since been released and would like to let her fans and supporters know she is doing fine and looks forward to resuming her scheduled engagements. She will also be back on Twitter communicating with her followers shortly.

The next day, Tami tweeted, “Thx 2every1 for the get well wishes. Never thought I’d have a mild heart attack at 41. God has a way of bringing things into perspective. Finally going home 2my kids-heart meds and all.”

Here’s to a speedy recovery for Tami! “Basketball Wives” just wouldn’t be the same without her.

The ladies of VH1′s original “Basketball Wives” are returning to TV for an all-new fourth season, and here is a first look at the new and returning cast members!

In addition to the regulars (Evelyn Lozada, Shaunie O’Neal, Royce Reed, Jennifer Williams, Tami Roman and Suzie Ketcham)…Season 4 of “Basketball Wives” welcomes two new cast members, Kenya Bell and Kesha Nichols, who both know that being in a relationship with an NBA player isn’t as glamorous as one might think.

According to VH1′s press release:

Newcomer Kesha Nichols survived every girl’s worst nightmare, having her engagement broken off by her ball-playing fiance via email shortly before their wedding.

Kenya Bell is in the process of finalizing a divorce from a basketball star and is one of the most notorious and controversial wives in the league, whose infamous reputation is well-known by the other wives.

Shaunie O’Neal is on the path to establishing herself as a business mogul. Evelyn Lozada and Jennifer Williams’ 12-year friendship is in a precarious position. Will it recover from last season’s fracture?

Strong-willed Tami Roman continues to be a force to be reckoned with both socially and now in business. Royce Reed and Suzie Ketcham attempt to navigate uncharted waters as new chapters open in their lives.

These powerful women aren’t going to let ex-husbands, challenged friendships or public scrutiny get them down. Having a relationship with a pro basketball player isn’t always easy but we’ve watched as these women have shown viewers time and time again how they persevere through difficult times.

The all-new season of VH1′s “Basketball Wives” is set to premiere on the network on February 20th at 8pm EST!

Will you be watching?

Just weeks after being sued by her ex-manager for being “ungrateful”…..“Basketball Wives” star Tami Roman is now being sued by a woman claiming the VH1 star stole from her line of hair extensions.

According to TMZ, Constance Corleone, who owns a hair extension line called “Bella Dream Hair,” was contacted by a rep for Tami who asked her if she could be sent some hair samples.

But after Constance sent Tami a sample, she found out that the reality star had started her own line of extensions and was even using a photo of herself wearing Constance’s extensions in an advertisement for her “Curls by Roman” line under her self-named hair collection.

Thus began a serious of very funny tweets, including one from Tami which read, “Fraudulent people trying to take credit NOT. People trying to take credit for this hair. WTF they crazy.”

After some back and forth, with Constance demanding that Tami send her extensions back to her, Tami tweeted, “Mad that I already mailed that S**T back2u cuz I got they address-would took it to Constance myself lying bitch.”

[TMZ]

That “lying bitch” is now suing Tami for over $500,000.

We had no idea weave — aka FAKE HAIR — was (or even could be) worth THAT much money! You learn something new everyday…

“Basketball Wives” star Tami Roman is an unappreciative brat who forgot all about the people who helped her get to where she is today. At least that’s what her ex-manager is claiming!

Jerry Silverhardt — Roman’s former manager — filed a lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court on Monday, claiming he was instrumental in helping Tami land her spot on “BBW’ but has been left hanging ever since she fired him.

Jerry claims Tami paid him for Season Two, but after ending their relationship in February, she has refused to pay him for work she did on the recently completed Season 3.

According to Jerry, Tami had previously assured him in an oral contract that she would owe him 10% no matter what on all “Wives” paychecks for seasons 3 through 6, and he wants his money … now!

Damn Tami … you didn’t leave a brother out to dry like that did you???

[TMZ]

The 2011 Soul Train Awards were held in Atlanta at the Fox Theater last Thursday night (Nov 17).

Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, this year’s Soul Train Awards saw appearances from a variety of celebrities, including R&B singer Keri Hilson, model Amber Rose, actor Lance Gross, NeNe Leakes and Cynthia Bailey from the Real Housewives of Atlanta, Tamar Braxton, our blogger friend Necole Bitchie (who won the award for Best Soul Site — CONGRATS!!), and many more.

The show also featured performances from Mindless Behavior, Common, Cee-Lo, Melanie Fiona, Robin Thicke, Eric Benet, Mary Mary, Gladys Knight, Lloyd, Miguel and a few others.

The Soul Train Awards also paid tribute to the late Heavy D midway through the ceremony with a touching video of the rapper accepting a Soul Train award for 1990′s “Big Time,” and performances from Big Daddy Kane, Naughty By Nature, Kurtis Blow and Goodie Mob.

The 2011 Soul Train Awards will air next Sunday (Nov 27) at 9 pm on BET and Centric. Until then, check out over 30+ photos from the show and red carpet below!

Everybody’s favorite (or not-so-favorite, depending on who you ask) “Basketball Wives” star Tami Roman graces the cover of the latest edition of Rolling Out Magazine.

See what she had to share with the Atlanta-based mag below:

On why she joined “Basketball Wives?”
Well, I watched the first season of “Basketball Wives” and just felt like the things that I was going through weren’t really represented on the show. I had been a basketball wife, and now that I was divorced, things weren’t as golden as they portrayed on the show. I wasn’t eating out and getting manicures every day … and I wasn’t drinking all night, every night. That wasn’t my world, so for me, I felt like my individual story would be valuable.

You’re a television veteran, but were you prepared for the real-time responses and criticisms that celebrities now experience with social media?
When I did the “Real World,” we didn’t have Facebook, Twitter, or blogs, so I didn’t really know how people felt about the things that I did, [unless] they took the time to write a fan letter. So social media is very new to me, and it’s something I had to get used to because people will criticize you, judge you and lash out at you. People will feel like that can say anything to you and you’re just supposed to take it. I haven’t always done that because I’m a human being with feelings. So if you hurt me or my loved ones, I’m going to address it accordingly. I realize now that I can’t do that though, I can’t curse out every person who doesn’t like me on Twitter.

Do you feel like the producers have done a good job portraying you?
I think that the producers have done a fantastic job of blowing out of proportion one aspect of my personality. Now I’m not going to say that it’s the editing, and I’m not going to try and blame it on anything else, because Tami will go off on you [laughs] … that is a part of my personality. Whether you like it or not, I’m going to tell you the truth because I feel like everybody should be able to deal with the truth. That way, you can know what you’re dealing with. I’ve always been a big fan of that, of honesty and loyalty. So while what you see on TV is a part of my personality, it’s not all of who I am. I think that the audience who watches “Basketball Wives” is only seeing that aspect of my personality 100 percent magnified. They don’t see me working with my charity, and they didn’t see me when I was a part of corporate America going to work in a business suit every day. And they don’t see me with my mother, or me with my dude. There’s so much about me that you don’t see because that’s not what “Basketball Wives” wants to show.

You said that you are a fan of the truth. Do you ever have problems receiving the truth if it’s not what you want to hear?
I prefer the truth, and anybody that watches “Basketball Wives” knows that is all I asked … just be truthful with me, and if you have an opinion directly about my life, say it to me. Don’t talk behind my back. So whatever you have said, I think that everybody should be woman enough to bring those opinions or concerns to the person directly. When that’s not done, that’s when I really have a problem with you.

The word on the street is that you’re about to become an author. Is that true?
Yes! I’m working on my book, and I will say that several ladies on the show have books coming out … well, all of us except Suzie [laughs]. I know with my situation in particular, everybody knows me from the “Real World” and from “Basketball Wives.” I think that there is so much more to my life that they don’t know about and that they don’t get a chance to see. So I want to really open up myself to people to give a lot of backstory to me, my family, how I was raised, and the things I’m going through or have gone through. Hopefully, someone can read my book, understand my situation, and learn how to get through something similar that they may be going through. You have always come across as a very strong woman.

Do you ever have moments where you feel weak or vulnerable?
Yes, I do all the time. There was a point in my life where we fell on hardships. After years of spending money and living through people, I woke up one day and all of that money was gone. I was at an all-time low … I had to get on food stamps, I had to go get on medical assistance, and I cried a lot. But I realized that I did it to myself by trying to live up to images, and trying to live up to public perception rather than being true to myself. I vowed from that moment on that I didn’t want my daughters to see me this way, and that I was going to do whatever it took to bring us back to the top.

So how would you use your rediscovered platform to reach, influence and positively impact the world?
Well honestly, I’d love to be doing panels, expos, and things of that nature so I can speak directly to younger girls. I feel like wisdom is the best teacher, and I have been through a lot. That’s why I’m so hopeful that my book will actually come out, because I think people will be like “well damn, you’re still here, and you’re still standing and still fighting.” So I want to be able to use “Basketball Wives” and dilute the imagery that is seen on that show by doing panels, and doing expos so people can see the other side of me. Because I’m not always yelling, and I’m not always fighting … I’m just not always that person, so I would love to be able to mentor youth and give back. That’s the impact that I want to make on society.

[Rolling Out]

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There is definitely some bad blood between cast members of VH1′s hit drama-filled reality show “Basketball Wives” … so much so that Tami Roman and Meeka Claxton got into a fist fight at a nightclub in Rome, Italy this week!

Sources close to the show tell TMZ that the pair have been on “frigid terms” for a few months now, because Tami feels as though Meeka is an instigator and creates animosity between the other women on the show.

Meeka denies Tami’s accusations, of course, but during a recent taping at an Italian nightclub (where the girls were filming several scenes abroad) Tami decided it was a good time to confront Meeka about the situation. And we all know how things go down whenever Tami is involved!

According to TMZ’s report, once Tami confronted Meeka … fists (mainly Tami’s) started flying and a full-on brawl broke out, ending with Tami punching Meeka right in the face!

After the scuffle, the ladies were escorted out of the club by security and no one was seriously injured.

Who else (besides us) can’t wait to see this on TV?