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Jamie:How did you all stay strong? How did you feel when you saw Destiny's Child becoming more and more popular, selling more and more records everywhere?
LeToya: Honestly, me and LaTavia, we know what out strength is and we know that God is our strength. I went straight to church every day by myself, three times a week, getting in the Word and finding strength. I had family, we have friends behind our backs saying this is now over. The devil is trying to take things from ya'll and ya'll cannot let that happen. And honestly, me and LaTavia shold be hurting worse than we do, but I will say this right now, I love Beyonce and Kelly. I will never stop loving them. I will not let the devil come in between our friendship. I do think that one day, after all these lawsuits and all this back and forth pettiness is over that we can one day become friends again. I mean, I'm looking for a reunion album. Actually my friend called me yesterday talking about, "Man, I'm trying to get together a reunion album and now I gotta push it back till next week because ya'll keep filling lawsuits"(laughing). But I really think that we can one day become friends again, once we all sit down and realize that this is where it started, with us four, and that we are all genuinely nice people. Jamie:But don't you, at the same time, admire what Matthew and Tina have been able to do? I mean the success that they've had. Even though there was a problem between you all, they were able to orchestrate this group to become a pop sensation.
LeToya: Jamie, everybody has their time to shine and whatever is done wrong in the dark will surely come to the light. B and Kelly are blessed. That's all I'm gonna say. Beyonce is a good person. She has a good heart and so does Kelly. So do I and so does LaTavia.
Jamie: Because Beyonce has suffered a lot, I think, behind this.
LeToya: I think we all have suffered a lot.
Jamie: Yeah, but people don't think that she has suffered because she's been successful. But I think, based on what you just told me, that she has a good heart.
LeToya:They might be at a higher level than us right now but honestly, I didn't have to go see no psychiatrist or feel bad. We all did that, but we all found our strength in God. So no, I wasn't having to suffer like that. I think you sufferm as much as you allow yourself to suffer. Me and LaTavia had things taken always from us. Nothing was taken away from them, but me and LaTavia and they got over that real quick. That's all I'm saying. Their dreams were not taken away, yanked from under them. So all the "Oh, feel so sorry, look at how the media's talking about me," this and this and this ... Me and Tavia are going to one day have that again. I believe that and I will put that on my life. I think we will have that stardom again within this new group or whatever path God leads us down. But honestly, I don't think any of us are suffering right now. None of us, I mean like I'm not going to sit here and feel sorry for B. I'm not.
Jamie: LaTavia, how have you dealt with it?
LaTavia:I basically deal with my own feelings and I let myself know that everything is okay and I speak to God. I've just been very prayerful. It's making it a lot easier to know that people really do care about LeToya and myself and it's making me want to try more to be able to put something out there for the public to hear. Also by doing that, I can put my spirit to rest to where I wanted to do. So I just deal with it in saying that it's gonna be a brand new day, a brand new life, a brand new everything for me. LeToya and Anjel and I can see some positive things going in. It doesn't matter what else happens, we're gonna be big.
Jamie: Have you all received any of the awards that Destiny's Child has been given?
LaTavia: No, we haven't. I know that awards have been received for us that we should have gotten already, but we haven't received them yet.
Jamie: Now you all don't reach out to Kelly and Beyonce and they don't reach out to you?
LeToya: I wrote Beyonce a letter and I gave it to her little sister.
Jamie: When did you write the letter?
LeToya: In our deposition I wrote it. I wasn't going to give it to her, but then I know God wanted me to give it to her. So when I saw her little sister in the mall, I gave it to her. Her b-day had just passed and I said Happy Belated Birthday, Merry X-mas and Happy New Year because I know I won't be there to tell you that. And I love you for real from the bottom of my heart and congrats on all your success.
Jamie: And how long ago was that?
LeToya: After her deposition. It was right after Sept. It was in November or October.
Jamie: I want to make sure the readers understand what's going on here. When did you all go up against them again in deposition about them slandering you and disparaging you in the "Survivor" song? Take me from the settlement. The settlement was done what month, what year?
Warren: The settlement was done in December 2000. And in that settlement, consideration was exchanged and it was agreed that neither party would make disparaging comments, nor make any public or press statements or comments concerning the underlined claims in the settlement agreements. And they both went their own way. Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle were now Destiny's Child. And LaTavia and LeToya were considered only former members, so it had no further interest in Destiny's Child. We filed a lawsuit in February 2002 and if you get a copy of the complaint, the first cause of action is for a breech of contract, alleging breech of the settlement agreement by Beyonce, Kelly, and Michelle.
Jamie: After they had been on "E!"?
Warren:No, for a number of reasons. In May 2001, Beyonce and Kelly filed a cross claim against LeToya and LaTavia. A little background: Matthew Knowles's former partner, Ann Tillman, her estate filed a lawsuit against Matthew. That intervention was filed in May 15, 2001. They sued Matthew for Ann's portion of whatever management commissions.
Jamie: Should she be getting part of that?
Warren: That's the claim of her estate- that she's entitled to part of the management commissions that Matthew has collected. As a result of that lawsuit, she also joined Beyonce and Kelly in that lawsuit.
Jamie: Who did?
Warren: The estate of Ann Tillman, individually and members of Destiny's Child. And the estate of Ann Tillman had not sued LeToya or LaTavia.
Jamie: And why hadn't they sued them?
Warren: That's not for me to say. They had not been joined in that suit, I surmised because they were no longer members of Destiny's Child.
LaTavia: And it made sense for them not to sue us. We gave up all of our rights, everything we owned that had anything to do with Destiny's Child.
Jamie: But why would they turn around and sue LeToya and LaTavia?
Warren: Exactly. That is part of our lawsuit, that they breached the settlement agreement by first suing LeToya and LaTavia without a reasonable basis.
Jamie: Then was there something else that happened?
Warren: We've also sued over the song "Survivor", which we feel violates the terms of the settlement agreement again. We believe, and we believe that we can prove, that a large segment of the public perceived that that song is directed towards and about LeToya and LaTavia.
Jamie: Did Beyonce and Kelly write the song?
Warren: Beyonce did.
LaTavia: Also Matthew Knowles is a writer on that song, also.
Warren: If you look on the cover of the album, it says written by Beyonce and Matthew Knowles. And we believe that song contains disparaging statements and implications and creates a negative impression in the mind of the public.
Jamie: What words did you think were disparaging?
Warren: Most of them: "Now that you're out of my life, I'm so much better. You thought I wouldn't sell without you, I sold nine million. I'm not gonna lie on you and your family..." So there are implications that LeToya and LaTavia have lied, have entertained negative space of mind and perceptions about Beyonce, Kelly and the group, which are not true.
LaTavia: It's even almost a down credit on our mothers: "I wouldn't do that because my momma taught me better than that." You know, that kind of stuff:"You thought I would be weak without you but I'm stronger, you thought I couldn't live without you but I'm living."
Jamie: How did you all feel when you heard that?
LeToya: Honestly, before I even heard the song, people that had heard that song that was in the business came and was like, "Yo, they done made a song about y'all!" They were like, "Man, B talking about 'Now that you're outta my life, and I'm better without you, I'm richer without you, I'm smiling now that I'm without you, and I'm laughing harder without you and I sold nine million without you." And that's how we heard it and then it got on the internet and my mom's a freaking' computer whiz and she found the words on the Internet and was like "Oh my god!" Before we even heard the song, people were coming to tell us that they wrote a song about us. So that's why I was like, I wanna hear this song about us.
Jamie: So the public felt that.
LeToya: Yeah, the public felt that.
LaTavia: And we've also gotten several emails from around the country saying that they don't think it's fair, that it's wrong that they wrote that song about us. Regardless of what they say that song is supposed to mean, the public is not receiving it like that, and I really don't care what they say.
Jamie: Why do you think that they would do that, Warren, and this was not long after you all signed the agreement?
Warren: I cannot comment on why. It does not make sense to me and I think it's clearly a violation of the agreement they entered into. However, as you know, controversy does sell and just the title "Survivor" and the content of the song created controversy and it was financially very successful.
Jamie: Are you all financially well off now, Tavia and Toya?
LeToya: God is my provider. I ain't hurting.
LaTavia: If it wasn't for Him, I wouldn't be living.
Jamie: Did you all buy new houses? What about cars and things like that?
LeToya: Yes, we bought houses and cars.
Jamie: So you're not living at home with your mom?
LeToya: No. I live with my two doggies, myself and Tiffany.
Jamie: Are Beyonce and Kelly still living in Texas?
LaTavia: As far as I know.
Jamie: You all don't go to the same church anymore?
LeToya: I'm a proud member of the World Changes International Church. My pastor is Creflo Dollar.
Warren: Both LeToya and LaTavia have made their home in Atlanta.
Jamie: So Toya, you got to Creflo Dollar's church. Where do you go Tavia?
LaTavia: I'm not a member of anybody's church. I do Bible studies at home and if I feel like going to church, I will. But I have my relationship and it's understood between me and the Lord.
Jamie: Will any of you all be doing any writing or producing on your project?
Naty: Yeah, we all are doing that.
Jamie: So when do you all think you'll be signed?
LeToya: I'm gonna say in about a month we'll make our decision.
Jamie: Oh, you all are trying to make a decision on who you wantg to sign with?
LeToya: Yeah.
Jamie: You all were going to sign with SoSo Def a long time ago. What happened with that?
LeToya: Well the SoSo Def thing- I'm really not clear on details but that is a branch off of ColumbiaRecords, so politically, you put it together. Destiny's Child is signed to Columbia Records. Columbia, in turn, belongs to Sony Music.
LaTavia:Isn't Sony in our lawsuit (talking to Warren)?
Warren: Yes. The new one that was just filed in February 2002. It's filed in Federal Court. We're in the process of getting service on all the defendants.
Jamie: What does that mean, getting service?
Warren: You have to be personally served with a copy of the lawsuit.
Jamie: And have Beyonce and Kelly been served?
Warren: As we speak, they may have been.
Jamie: Okay, so you all have not talked to Farrah?
LeToya: No. We have like mutal friends and they're like, Farrah wanna talk to y'all.
Jamie: What do y'all think of her being on the cover of that book, How to Be a Pimp?
LaTavia: When I first heard, I was shocked.
Jamie: Wasn't she in the group when she did that?
LaTavia: Well, I know it came out while she was in the group and they made that part of the "E!" story. But I couldn't believe it. My cousins- the first place that they saw it was in Dallas and they sent the book to my aunt's house in Houston. I saw it and I was like, that's unbelievable. I can't believe that she's on the cover of that book.
Jamie: Did it surprise you that she left the group?
LaTavia: No, not at all.
Jamie: Well does it surprise you that Michelle is still with the group?
LeToya: I don't know Michelle personally. I've seen her in the mall a couple of times and we spoke to each other. She was nice to me and I was nice too her, but honestly, I see that she does have God as her source. She's doing the whole gospel thing and I think that she is just being strong. She's going through what she's going through. We were strong as well, but I think she is trying to get somewhere as well.
Jamie: Whart about sunbathing? Did you read the interview we did with Farrah? I think she said that Matthew and Tina made her sunbathe so that she could be darker than Beyonce. Did any of that ever happen with you guys?
LeToya: Nah, I suntan because I want to suntan. But Jamie, honestly, all of this, me and L, after all the settlement, everything, like for real we were done with it. We were ready to forgive and forget and then this came along. That's my point in everything.
Jamie: What? With them bringing you into the lawsuit?
LeToya: Right, the bickering and everything was over, done with. I was back to buying Destiny's Child records. Cool, fine.
Jamie: You bought Destiny's Child record? That's wonderful.
LaTavia: I have Survivor. I have purchased another Writing's on the Wall album and I have the first album.
LeToya: Because, Jamie, we were done with it. We are not petty girls sitting around twiddling our thumbs watching TV to see what we can do to hurt Destiny's Child.
LaTavia: "Dangerously in Love" is one of my favorite songs.
Jamie: Did y'all cry a lot?
LeToya: I cried because it hurt.
LaTavia: I cried, too. It took me a while. It really didn't get me until last summer. And I really didn't start dealing with it and feeling like, "God, I really don't have a career." It really is hard for us to do an interview. It really is hard for us to get on TV. It's hard for our side of the story to get heard. LeToya and I had been shut totally out. They had all the time to say what they needed to saw. And LeToya and I just sat back and took it.
LeToya: So it almost allowed the world to believe nothing but the one side that they're hearing.
Warren: I want to interject, the lawsuit it still pending concerning LeToya, LaTavia and Matthew. All that was settled was the suit pertaining to Beyonce and Kelly.
Jamie: Oh, there's a separate lawsuit?
LeToya: Yeah.
Warren: That suit is still pending. It's set for trial June 17, 2002, and the court has ordered a full accounting to be rendered by Matthew.
Jamie: A full acounting to the girls?
Warren: Yes.
Jamie: This is why I think that you all are gonna love each other when you see eachother. I saw the girls at Clive Davis's pre- Grammy party. I was by the stage with the O'Jays when Kelly came up and gave me sugar and hugs. And then Beyonce came up and it was like a love fest. I did see Tina the next night and she said hello. Now do you have anything to say to Kelly and Beyonce?I just think that you all are so brave. A lot of people would be just disheartened. People who are successful get on drugs and alcohol and stuff and here you all are, you're stronger that ever.
LeToya: Thank you.
Naty: That's something I noticed when I would speak to Tavia and Toya on a regular basis like when I asked what have you been through ... I was curious too. I didn't want to keep asking them about it because they get it from all corners, but they were open and they told me. I know that that's their strength and that drove me to put so much of my trust and so much of my life into their hands.
Jamie: Have you all gotten letters from your fans?
LeToya: Yes ma'm, we had a website for a minute and we're setting up another one for Anjel.
Naty: Personally I have received fan mail from fan members who have started their own Anjel sites for me and other members individually and one as an Anjel site altogether. They write asking us to send them stuff. We have a cartoon. It is so cute. Somebody did a website. The cover of it is a cartoon. We almost look like the Powerpuff girls.
Jamie: Now let me ask you something. One of you broke up with your boyfriend, but you all were still able to work together and everything.
LeToya: Who, me and Brian (from Jagged Edge)? Me and Brian have a weird situation because yes, we do work together and we were like in love for three year straight. So it's kinda hard and the feeling hasn't totally gone away because when you have to see somebody that you were constantly with every day for three years, I mean, that ain't going away no time soon. So, I still love him, he still loves me.
Jamie: Are you dating?
LeToya: Yeah, we're dating. It's almost like we're trying to start anew, but at the same time we're not together.
Jamie: You all fell in love when you all were on that tour?
LeToya: Yeah.
Jamie: And you all were babies then.
LeToya: I was not a baby. I was 18 years old.
Jamie: They said that you all were 16.
LeToya: Okay, they said! I was 18 when me and Brian got together.
Jamie: Tavia? How old were you?
LaTavia: I don't know how old I was. We dated for a long time. I'm in it to win it. That's my heart. I don't care what nobody says, that is my heart.
Jamie: On, Brandon? Yeah, they love you all very much.
LeToya: We love them, too.
Jamie: Aren't you all proud of them? They've done so well.
LeToya: Yes.
LaTavia: I was about to say, Jamie, they have been the people that have extended themselves to us.
LeToya: They almost felt responsible, I guess, from the media and how they were trying to pressure them and say that they did things. I mean you should've seen these guys. Man, after the breakup happened they were broken. They were like, "We wanted ya'll to talk." When I was sick at home Brian and Brandon had a meeting with Beyonce, Kelly and LaTavia and sat down and talked and tried to get problems settled and everything. I was getting calls in Houston like, "Okay baby, for real, did you do this? 'Cause they're saying you did this... like for real, we gotta get this settled. Y'all gotta get this straight 'cause ya'll gotta be a group. Y'all can't be breaking up like these other groups." I mean they were doing it like that.
LaTavia: That's just the type of people that Brandon and Brian are.
Jamie: Let me just say that Yvette(Schure, Destiny's Child's publicist at Columbia Records) was very hurt about this group being broken up.
LeToya: She did cry when she saw me for the first time.
LaTavia: Tell her we said hey.
Jamie: Yvette was so upset. She said, "Jamie, do you understand how close these girls were? They've been together since they were little girls. This is major,." She was really upset.
LeToya: When I was at the Grammys for the first year after the breakup, she saw me on the red carpet. The girls hadn't arrived yet. I think they were right behind me. I was trying hard to not mess up my makeup. She hugged me and she said, "I am so sorry." I was like, "Yvette, it is okay." I'm like holding back my tears with my hands.
Jamie: Well, how did you all do that? You all went to the Grammys?
LeToya: Oh, we don't want to get into the Grammy situation! We would be talking for four hours, Jamie. The last Grammys, I went by myself the first time, but this second time, oh, it went down. We need a separate article ---
Jamie:Wait a minute. You all were at the Grammys?
LeToya: Yes, Grammys 2001. We need a separate article. Not Grammys 2002, but the one before that. We got our Grrammys in the mail and we were told to sit in our seats. First they came to tell us which way to go up the stage. Second time they came back, "Okay, one of you guys can go up." Then they came back, "You know, nobody's going up. Y'all just stay seated."
Warren: Let me say also that certain things pertaining to the Grammys that took place after their settlement agreement, certain things were in the settlement agreement that affected that Grammys. So that was controlled by the terms of the settlement.
Jamie: Oh okay, so they couldn't go up there anyway.
Warren: Correct.
LeToya: We were told we could.
LaTavia: That was the only reason we went.
LeToya: Thank you. The first Grammys, Jamie, for the record, I didn't steal nobody's ticket. I sat in the balcony, I didn't sit next to Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, nobody on the floor. I sat in the nosebleed section in the back. When I went to get my tickets, you know you have to show ID to get your tickets, Jamie. You've been to the Grammys. I showed my ID and they gave me my four passes that I paid $450 for. And that's it.
LaTavia: And Toya, remember when we had gotten there last year to get our tickets and the people even said to us, "Don't worry about it. You didn't steal their tickets. They were trying to say you stole their tickets."
LeToya: Yes. Thank you. The man who gave me my tickets at the Grammys before gave me and LaTavia our tickets. He said, " I gave you your tickets and I know I gave you the right tickets." Now they came expecting Farrah and Michelle's four tickets to be there. I don't know what happened with that situation, but me and LaTavia's tickets were free and me and LaTavia purchased two separate tickets for our mothers. And that's the four tickets I got that I paid for and I sat in the balcony. So all of that, "Oh, our tickets were stolen..." You have to show ID. I showed my ID and I got my four tickets in my envelope. I don't know who stole y'all's tickets, but I sat in the nosebleed section. And I know they ain't trying to sit no Destiny's Child in no nosebleed section.
Jamie: I'm glad that you all are doing so well. I do want Kelly and Beyonce and Michelle to do well, too- and Naty and Tiffany.
LaTavia: You asked us if there was anything that me and Toya wanted to say to Kelly and Beyonce. I'm not gonna say that one is more than the other, but just let them know that we do miss them and that we love them. And I would especially like to say that I've been thinking about Beyonce a lot. We were best friends for 10 years. I just want you to let them know that we love them. We're not hating on them at all. And I want to thank you because you have been the only person that has hear me and LeToya's side of the story. I just want to say thank you for extending yourself to us and for helping us be heard.
Warren: Let me add one more thing. Jamie, as their attorney I want to make it clear that the lawsuit was not filed for any vinddictive or retaliatory reasons, but as their attorney I'm charged with protecting their rights and their interestes. And at some point you have to resort to the legal process when contracts and agreements are violated and if things are not done properly.
LeToya: I just want to say that even though I didn't write Kelly a letter, because I didn't see her that day, I do feel the same for Kelly. Happy belated birthday to her. She's a month older than me. I thought about her on her birthday and I think about them on their birthdays and on the holidays and everything like that 'cause I do miss them. Good luck to Solange and I just wish them well. And the same with Michelle. I did get a chance to see Michelle on the Stellar Awards with Shirley Caesar and she did very well. I was watching you, girl, and you did your thing. That's all I'mma say. I'm glad she got a chance to shine and do her thing. That was dope. Now I can look at Michelle as an individual and not just a part of the group.