Tami Roman decided to publicly reveal her past sexual assault to let others know they aren’t alone.
“What I wanted to do was accomplished. I wanted to let others out there know, ‘You’re not the only one.’ I want to use my life as a testimony. I’ve been homeless, on food stamps; I’ve always been very open. I’ve dealt with bulimia, weight issues…I’ve been through a lot and this is just one more thing,” she told NecoleBitchie.com.
Tami, who is still seeking therapy, said that watching herself verbally and physically attack co-stars on the VH1 reality series, prompted her to get help and share her experiences.
“I looked at season 2 and realized I had that altercation with Meeka [Claxton] because I have issues with someone violating my personal space. And that comes from the violence in my past. It makes me overly defensive. Literally I wake up every single day with somebody saying something hateful to me. That’s a hard burden to have to deal with. I’m just walking around like ‘don’t f-ck with me’. And in certain situations that’s not the proper attitude to have. So I knew I needed to get help to learn how to recover and move on.”
Although it was a personal decision, Tami said she did discuss it with her family before letting cameras into the four-hour therapy session.
“They’re very supportive,” she said of her family. “They want me to heal. We try to talk about anything and love on each other as much as possible.”
Her family members aren’t the only ones cheering Tami on.
“I love Tami; we are close and to find out this information hurts, but also makes me angry,” wrote “BBW” co-star Royce Reed. “I am here for you Tami; you know that and you know me.”
Evelyn Lozada wrote on her blog: “I never knew [Tami] was raped. Listening to her confront her own issues with the anger management specialists makes me really realize that our struggles are just a preview of the blessings to come.”
Although she believes she’s made progress, Tami doesn’t suggest that all her anger management problems are solved.
“With time I’m learning how to deal with these girls on the show. People will see me handle things in upcoming episodes,” she said.
—Tracy L. Scott
Here’s more:
Tami Roman ‘not surprised’ by BFF beef
Tami Roman controls her temper
‘Basketball Wives’ avoid tussle in Tahiti
Tami Roman: ‘I was so tortured’
