The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Brandee Evans On 'Reasonable Doubt', Caregiver Appreciation Month + More

Episode Date: November 25, 2025

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You're all finished or y'all's done? Good. Good. Good. Morning, everybody. It's DJ NV. Just hilarious. Sholomey and the guy. We are the breakfast club. We got a special guest in the building. Yes, indeed. She's in season three. reasonable doubt which starts right on September 18 so it's out right now Brandy Evans welcome thank y'all thank y'all for having me hey friend how are you feeling morning i'm amazing i'm in new york girl i love new york yeah you do yes i do like literally now i'm trying to figure out how i can be like on in the l.a coast and in the yeah in the east coast so you're from

memphis i am born it raised yes okay cool and so you you like new york i do i feel like you know new york people keep it real and i feel like sometimes i love you l a little bit sometimes I'll be a little sensitive. So I think that's what I like about New York. That's what's up. I think New York kind of keep it fake real. Fake real. Yeah, because they lie to each other.

Really? Yeah, they do, they do. They lie to each other. Yeah, they do, they do, they do. He's from New York. Okay. He from South Carolina. Oh, you're from Southern like me.

You already know. So what does that mean? And you're just, you're trying to figure out folks out here? No, I've been figuring them up. And they're lying. And they lie. He said, and they lie. They're lying.

Yeah, I've been thinking about a long time ago. That's not true. Long time ago. What part of New York grew from? I'm from Queens. Okay, okay, we were just talking about going to Queens. Okay. Ask me if you've ever been to a ditty party.

What? Just ask him. And he's going to lie and say no. Ask him. I have not been to no damn. But he was in a rock ball. He was looking for her to ask too. You know, I've not been to no ditty party.

And if I have, it was way early. You see what I'm saying? Well, you're not. You see what I? No judgment. I used to dance for ditty. So I told you know she was a dancer. I assisted.

I assisted Lori Ann Gill. and all that. So I never saw the things that people saw. But see, you missed the lie because the lie was so good. First he said, I ain't never been to no ditty party. And if I did, it was way, way, way back in the day. I was joking. I was joking.

I never been no damn ditty party. You ever seen at a ditty party? I ain't never been the one. Oh. She didn't say. She didn't say she meant. I was in the background. I went home to get my mama.

Got off the stage. There you go. How are you feeling? First and foremost. I feel good. I feel amazing. It's caregiver appreciation months. Weeking up, take care of my mama.

So this is my respite break, too. Just being out here in New York, doing what I want to do, seeing some art, enjoying some cold weather, because I feel like we don't really get that in L.A. So, yeah. So it's all the caregivers out there, man. Break down what exactly do caregivers do? Because it's such an unappreciated service that they provide.

That's a good question. Everything. Care. Like for me, my mom, Diana Harrington. She has multiple sclerosis. She has Alzheimer's, and she's paraplegic. So basically, it's like having my name. newborn with me at all times and it just depends on what you're dealing with it

could be from feedings the doctor's appointments emotional support just sitting with them taking them out you just never know but caregivers need love and check on us too because we ain't all the time and you know people I'm sure I don't know if you're through the system but you know people can get paid for that not everywhere that's a that's I'm glad you mentioned that New York is a blessing LA is a blessing I think I heard Florida has a little bit but everywhere else has been frustrating that's why I had to move mama from Memphis So, and then I moved it to Atlanta, season one, when I was filming P Valley,

and had to move up back because I lost all my benefits. So it is, that's, we just did Care Fest out here, and that's what we were talking about, getting the care, because people aren't doing that. And all of us are either going to be caregivers for somebody or somebody's going to care for us at one time in our lives. So I don't know, what's up with the government with that. So who does care for you then?

Because you've been doing this for a long, so you take care of your mother friend. No, I don't want you to cry, but I watched your journey just over the years, even before I met you. And you are, like, your mom is your baby. That's how baby. Okay? In between roles and I even shot a project with you and on a break, you on the phone. Mama, making sure everybody is in place while you're doing the things that you have to do

to keep making the money. Right. And then as soon as you finish shooting, you go, you with your mom, you wake up, you go back on set. That's right, because during pretty stoned, I had mom in the hospital. So I was on the phone with doctors and they were like cut and I was like, hold, and the doctor stayed while I did a scene on the phone and came back. So yeah. Rehearsing lines and remembering a script and everything like that. I write my friends and family.

I will say more so my friends, no not to my family, but my friends are the ones that are out there with me. People like Yvari, who's with me here, when I was filming season one of P Valley, had a caregiver walk out. And I checked the live camera stream. I'm like, what's going on? What's going on in the mama's room? He had connected all of my friends together, and they took turns taking care of my mother while I filmed because the caregiver walked out. So my friends are my rider dies. Sasha, you know my bestie Sasha.

Sasha's at the house of Mama now. Like they, I just have a good village, a good chosen family, which is a blessing. Would you ever put your, you know, a lot of people talk about putting their moms or parents in a home? Would you do that? I'm so glad you said that. Actually, I promised my mom I never would, and she did go in one. So that's my story. On her birthday, in 2014, she had a fall.

I was dancing background for Lettucey at the time. My little brother called me. He was like, Mama fell. She has to be in a rehabilitation center. and I'm like the one promise I made to Mama which was never put in a nurse home she had to be in it but never again so that's when I fought for my life

started teaching dance classes all over the country and asking every celebrity like I don't need your money but just a repost is a blessing and we raised $14,000 in four days and I got my mama out of that nursing home and that was December 21st it would be nine years I've had her since that day the reason I ask is you know sometimes parents

will say you know what I don't want to to you know be a problem with your family Like, I don't want to, you know, mess up what you have. So put me in a home. So that way there is help. And then there's some people that say, you know what? I'll never put my mom in a home.

But having that care 24-7, I mean, I'm sure you know, it's almost impossible, right? And it's $9,000 a month, to be exact. So my wife's mother had dementia in all times. And we had a full day. And if we didn't have a nanny helping, it would be almost impossible. Because, you know, there's been times when she didn't walk out the house and just kept walking. There was times where, you know, she didn't know where the toilet was. So, you know, it's like having a newborn at times.

There's been times when, you know, it's so much going on. So how do you deal with that 24-7 and still work and still take care of yourself? God, because at this point, it's just got to be all God. Because I'm so exhausted in New York that's the first time I don't have the baby monitor by my ear. And so when you hear that cough, you don't know, just like with your baby. Are you choking or are you coughing? So then you're getting up running to the room, trying to. have that rest. It is exhausting. It is very exhausting. But I also don't knock people that have

to do that because everybody's situation is different. I think that if you have to put them there, you got to stay on top of them. I was stalking the home. Like I was showing up. I was popping up at one point. They was like, we feel like you watching us. I am. I am. Because it's my mom. And that with where she was, my mom probably wouldn't be alive right now. If I wouldn't have gotten her. One time I popped up and mama was like laid over with a fever and I had to break her fever. By the way, you can break her fever with alcohol, just rub it on the baby's back. Mama taught me that when I was a little girl rubbing alcohol on the back. But, yeah, I honestly don't know.

I'm still trying to, I'm working through it with therapy and just trying to find my peace and taking more vacations and things for myself too. And that's hard too because now mama had a meltdown about me coming to New York. Because she's like, why are you leaving me? And I can, you know, with kids, I know y'all overstand, you don't want to lead the babies, but we got to work. We got to have some time for us because I can't pour from the empty cup. I love this conversation so much because years, years, years, years ago,

God bless the dad, Andre Harrell, called me and had a whole conversation about this exactly and introduced me to the world of caregivers and introduced me to a woman named Gina Lisa Monticero and she's the founder of the Medicaid Advisory Group and they're a consulting company who assists elders and family caregivers. And so, you know, she helped my family with some stuff and she's helped a lot of my friends. I think it's just something that people don't know about. Yeah, and we don't think about it until we have to be in that situation. Because I never thought about it.

And then I realized, oh, this Medicare, Medicaid, all the different things. Like, it's hard. And if you don't have it, you can't get your supplies. You can't pay. And paying for these supplies at the house is very expensive if you don't have that help. And that's what Gina Lisa does. She helps you just navigate the health care system because it's complex. Yes.

And they don't want us to know about it. At all. They definitely don't want us to know about it. So, yeah. And so you said therapy. So you are currently. Yes, I got to find new therapists, though. The last one I had, I'm like, it's been a minute

and she ain't really answered that phone, so I need to find me. But then it's finding the right people, and they're trusting people too. Because I'm like, it's like, I don't really want you to talk about what I do. I just want to be Brandy. I don't want to be the actor.

I just want to be Brandy, the caregiver, and just talk about things. What about y'all? Is that hard for y'all to do when you go to therapy? Y'all go to therapy? I'm on my third, second therapy. See what I mean? We got to find that right fit.

It's like dating. Yeah. I haven't, I hear that it's like, I haven't started therapy yet. I would like to, but I just, I haven't started yet. But I hear that a lot in people, like my son's father, he's like, yo, I just can't find the right person. You know what I mean? And then he also battles with trusting, like, yo, how can this person tell me anything?

How can he fix me if he never been through what I've been through if they don't look like me? Or, you know, so he's battling, like, trying to find a black man to talk to you. Oh, I got a good one for him. Oh, we need to share. We need to talk about that. My first therapist, I wanted somebody that was completely opposite. I actually was looking for like an Asian woman. But I ended up with a white woman.

And she was cool, but it is something about having a black male therapist who's culturally competent. You don't got to explain too much to him. A lot of things he already understands. Yeah. Now. But yours is going to be kind of hard because he had to deal with you. So I need to.

You know what? Excuse me. I need somebody that's, never mind. I didn't mess Rome up. Rome mess me up. Wow. Like how I'm doing. I'm doing good.

Wow. I'm very better now. Anyway. So definitely Barrett in bookstores next year, pre-order now. Anyway, season three of Reasonable Doubt, I'm so proud of you. Thank you. What drew you to the character Monica? Well, first of us, I wasn't drawn at all to the character Monica because she's a mess.

But I was drawn to the show, total opposite. So I've always wanted to be on Reasonable Doubt. I've been watching the show. It was on my vision board. and I wanted to do something different than P Valley. But then when Ramallah called about the director session, I was like, oh, my Lord, Monica. And I didn't find out after I auditioned what was happening. They gave me the storyline and the arc of this.

And I was like, oh, this is going to be good. And they're going to drag me in these Internet streets. But that's when I knew it was going to be worth it. And it's a great story, not a great, but an important story to tell. Because have y'all seen it yet? It's okay if you have it. No. Okay.

All right. So I'm playing an agent, and there's this child star named Ozzie Edwards. And just like most child stars, they growing up with, you know, they got the money, the fame. But the gag is, I'm his agent who's been molesting him since he was 13 years old, which is terrible. But a lot of times people let that pass with boys because they think, you know, it's dope that there's an older woman trying to turn him on. But it's not cool. So he kept it hidden. The secret comes out, and it's a gag.

Wow. And I have six nephews. you're trying to be funny you're a piece of shit that's why you can't share nothing with people you know what I'm saying? I'm asking yes I'm fine he's in therapy are you? No

no but I didn't want to make sure he wasn't triggered because that's what happened to him he was molested by an older woman but the reason he wanted it to stop that's why it happened but the reason he wanted to stop was because she had a jury curve I didn't like to smell of her Jericho.

That's what I phoned myself. But I actually didn't like what she was doing to me. Okay. But I told myself it was the smell of her Jerry Crow when I was eight. Okay. Yes. And you know what? Different things to cope.

This young man on episode nine, the younger version of me says to him, oh, I'm sorry to know you were gay, which is terrible. And that's what I feel like some women will do to young boys too to try to push them off and make them feel like, you know, that's why you won't be attracted to me. She started calling me ugly. Yeah. all types of stuff and it and she was wrong not you so well you was talking about our

journey girl so then when he got old men just talk to your therapist okay it's never a safe space but then when he got old it happened again he was sitting on labs it was just it never happened to be occurring in the cycle you know how much work it was to get a good drag girl back in day and you're gonna say you like it you would have been ugly to me too boy why and i'm doing all this work well the finale drop last week okay okay and at the end Because his attorney, Jacks, who is emiazzi, she plays the star in the show. Well, she finds out what happens. She puts Monica on a stand and it comes out to the family, everybody.

And then at the end, Monica decides to go in and shoot the place up. And we don't know who she shot. So what's the hardest emotional place you've ever had to go to for a role? Was it that? Probably that. Absolutely. I got six nephews. And so just to think about my baby boys, like, I'd be in jail or hell.

Did you think about not doing that part, though, because of it? Absolutely not, because I think it's my job as an actor to tell the stories, even the ones that are difficult. And I've had fans that are like, I can't believe you would do it after Mercedes. We love Mercedes. Why would you come do this? Maybe it'll make you pay attention to your baby boy when they come home. Maybe to make you ask different questions or if you see him shifting.

So that's why I always want to take on roles that tell important stories. Yeah. Do you have some press afterwards? We work out. I love working out. Going hiking. But honestly, I'd be with Mama so much that I just have to just. tap away from it.

But yeah, just staying in touch with who I am. And step 12 of the actor, the actor handbook for me is let it go. So it's not real. I was going to ask, so how are you with your nephews? Do you have different conversations with them now? Like, hey, let me talk to you for a second. Oh, always, because I know DJ, because I know you're listening. Yes, my nephews are cute too.

So I've already had that situation with them, with older women. And I pick up the phone and call. I told one girl, I was like, I will find you and you will go to jail. And I'm just going to leave it at that. So an older woman did try to holl out one of your nephews. Absolutely. Jesus Christ. Absolutely.

They do it all the time. I mean, so I'm not crazy. So seeing this, I also did my research on it, but I've also seen it. I'm the only girl. So I've seen how the women act. You know, your brother, fine. He's married and he's younger, you know, so yeah. Do you look at people, I'm sorry, do you look at people differently when you see, like,

so not a big thing in our community is you'll see like a 30-year-old dating an 18-year-old. or a 40-year-old dating a 20-year-old. Do you look at people differently now because of that? Because of the role you play? No, I don't think so. Long as they are of age, I need them to be of age. Because, I mean, as long as they grown, that's their business. I stay out of it.

But underage, I'm absolutely against that. I'm snitching. I think it's very important that you did bring up the fact that when it's like a double standard, it's like when it's a woman who is older going after a guy, I mean, you know, a young guy, people, tend to like leave that. Yeah, it's okay. Oh, you did that.

You pulled her. It's not okay. And the whole time you don't even know how the young person is thinking these young men, their minds are not even like develop. They try to be cool. Exactly. And the day and the whole time, it's like, damn, I was really molested. I was, that's inappropriate. You wouldn't even make jokes about it if it was a woman. No, that's a very good point.

That is a huge point. No one's making a joke about it when it's a one. Why are we joking about it when it's men, though? That's a wonderful question. No, for sure. Don't try to act fake it deep now. Yo, don't, no, no, chill. You make fun of it yourself.

So, you know, it's how you cope. It's how you cope. I'm really hurting on the inside. You want to hug? No, I'm just joking. Brandy, when you think about your evolution from dance to the actress, what part of your past shows up the most in your acting today? I think as a dancer, we learn how to take direction,

and we learn how to take direction quick because you ain't got time for that. If you were Lori Ann Gibson and she said, I need you to point that toe and get to the end of the stage by the next eight count, you're going to figure it out. So I feel like I took that especially with on P Valley, because we had to do dancing and things of that sort. I was able to take that direction. So I think directors enjoy that.

And I've always heard that dancers are the best actors because they can take direction easily. And we have thick skins. So you literally could yell at me and be like, that sucks. I'm like, for real though, what you need on the next take to make it not suck? Like, I just, it's real hard for me to get in my feelings about that. How was your auditions for PVA?

Child. Evari over there, my friend. He helped me choreographed. So I was already teaching dance classes. But I did a slow routine because I felt like everybody, the first routine, I did a chair routine. And it's actually on the internet. If y'all Google, Brandy Evans, Valentine's Day, Neo, Hip Hopin Hills. And I did the slow routine. And they were like, where you come from? Because I couldn't get an audition. They told me that I didn't fit any of the roles that they were currently casting for pre-galli. I couldn't see nobody else playing. They said we don't fit any.

And I found out on Valentine's Day, 2018. So my agent was like, I was like, yeah, this is this show. My friend just called me about. Have you heard about it? She's like, yeah, we already tried. They said no. So then a couple months went past. My home girl sends me the script.

She was like, my sister's auditioning for this, and I really think it should be you. So I was like, oh, that little strip of show, that's how I had an attitude at that point. I was like, they don't want me. And so she was like, just read the script. and so then I took pictures I'm a PK, preacher's kid took pictures of me being a PK Mercedes is a PK

took pictures of me teaching Miss Tina how to dance at the hip BET experience took pictures of me and my daddy at church like whatever you needed then I got the audition did the chair routine there was no one even in the room to see me

when I tell you they could care less that I came in that audition at first I just had the reader in there and I remember her looking from the side she was like where you from I was like Memphis she was like where you been I said wait on y'all to call me in And so then I got the call back

And I called Ivarie. I was like, listen, we got it up to Andy now. And so I read the script that said that it was 6 inch heels was in the pilot script. So I said, I'm going to do the routine in 6 inch heels. And so by the time we finished that routine,

I was doing front hand springs in 6th inch heels. I worked with my acting coach, Raquel Gardner to make sure I was locked in and the rest is history. This is great for me being a dad, right? I have four daughters, two sons. My two girls dance, right? and it's a lot of money

and it's a lot of money and they dance I mean they get out of school at 3 o'clock they dance from 4 to 8 6 days a week competitions we fly all over the place but I always just like well what's the end goal you know what I mean

because you spend so much money and I like it because it keeps them away from boys it keeps them out off the phone off the internet or out the malls but I always like well what is the end well I pay a school was paid for so I got a full scholarship at the University of Memphis

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It's not only about what we can do to improve our health. But also what our health says about us and the way we're living. Like our episode where we look at diabetes. In the United States, I mean, 50% of Americans are pre-divis. diabetic. How preventable is type 2? Extremely. Or our in-depth analysis of how incredible mangoes are. Oh, it's hard to explain to the rest of the world that, like, your mangoes are fine because mangoes are incredible, but like, you don't even know. You don't know. You don't know.

It's going to be a fun ride. So tune in. Listen to health stuff on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Robert Smith, and this is Jacob Goldstein, and we used to host a show called Planet Money. And now we're back making this new podcast called Business History about the best ideas and people and businesses in history. And some of the worst people, horrible ideas and destructive companies in the history of business. Having a genius idea without a need for it is nothing. It's like not having it at all.

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That's part of the My Cultura podcast network available on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And they can get the scholarship there. They can get scholarships if they don't want to go to college. They just want to go and train, you know, Alvin A Lee, you know, different things. So there is an end goal. Katie Perry, I toured the world with her. So then I became a choreographer. So all of that is very important.

They're going to need that on their resume. So there is an end goal. It paid Mama's medical bills. might be paying yours one day, you never know. How did you feel, because when they do dance and they just don't do hip hop, they do ballet, they do everything, acro, you name it, they really into it. But how does it feel because there's not too many

of us out there? Like, when we go to these competitions and we go to these things, oh yeah, I was the only black girl. They're the only black girls. It's good because they're recognizable. As soon as they see me, they'd be like, oh, that's your kids. But how did that affect you mentally? I think because I went to perform in our school where we were very diverse, but like on Memphis Elite, I was many times

I was one or two black girls when I was the only black girl on scholarship my freshman year at the University of Memphis and back then it was just known that it was going to only be one and I remember I was fighting for that one scholarship I was like how many black girls won but I really didn't think anything of it

I think because my dad kept me in such diverse schooling are they at a diverse school I think that that's the world though I feel like a lot of times we may be the only one so for me I felt like it's been a blessing for me because some of my friends are actually unable to navigate that diversity and like, you know, it's only one of us? And I'm like,

I ain't paid no attention to that because I've been around that my whole life. So I think that it's cool they know how to navigate in those different worlds right now. You know, people talk about the physicality of Pete Valley all the time, but what's something mental about that role of Mercedes that people don't realize takes a time? Oh, that's a really good question. My back

is still in the work, Ms. Comp, though. Right now. But I think mentally, for me, me just say, because I taught high school English. So then I jumped into that accent so hard back home that a lot of times my friend be like, you, can you get out of Chuck Alisa? Because what happened to your, like, what happened to your dialect? So I feel like it's shifted that. But mentally, we were filming so late at night. You almost like, you almost felt like you were part of that world so much. You go, you're going to bed when the, when the sun is up. And then

you're going to work. And we're literally on set at two, three, in the morning. and then going to bed at 7 a.m. like you were really immersed in that world. So I think that this season you're going to see some things and you'll understand when you see it that it took a lot for me to get some of those things out of my head. Season two was tough because of my daughter and the abortion scene and all of that information. But I also, my daughter passed away, so I had a stillbirth. And so she would have been the same age, Lyric would have been the same age is Azaria or Terrica on Pea Valley

so that part mentally for me was tough because I felt like Azaria was like my daughter in real life so things like that detaching from that at times So those scenes were emotional those were the most emotional but they were the most beautiful to me because it felt

like I got my baby in a sense it's like God gave me a Zaria who played Terica in that same age so it was like I was able to have my baby girl and season two of Pea Valley Now that you say that, yeah, you were more. Mercedes definitely was more emotional. And it was a lot more scenes where the-

viewers were crying too. All the stakes at hand of trying to save her baby. And that was the whole thing, just trying to make life better for herself and her child. And then her mother, Mercedes-Mam, that relationship was very tumultuous. And that was my real life a little bit, and I liked that.

Now, she wasn't Patrice Woodbine. But me and my mom had a tumultuous relationship. So I was able to. Or dancing? And what was that? I was saying over your, because I know the shows, you're not just in life. No, not now. Just in life.

I think it was just that mother daughter dynamic sometimes that could just be like that. But when I start caring for her, you know, that had to shift because you got to forgive. But I was able to use Pea Valley season one to get out everything I'd never say to my mama. In real life. Oh, I get to say what now? Okay. So just healing, healing through Pea Valley. I feel like that was a very healing.

That is a great. Segway, because I was going to have to playing that dynamic change, how you see generational trauma. Absolutely. Absolutely. I was just talking to someone about that. Certain things, isn't necessary. Isn't necessary to get that whoop it? Isn't necessary to beat them?

Can you actually talk to them and tell them what's going on? You know, can we communicate better? So I do think playing those different roles, you don't have to yell and scream and belittle, you know, because the whole, the same person that you're belittling is the same person you want to come to you and trust. that they can tell you their deep secrets come to me, come to me, we don't want to, we're scared. So that to me made me pay attention to, you know what, if I'm blessed to be able to be a parent,

I would parent so differently. But I also, the older I get, I also know we all do the best we can because I feel like all of us, you know, our kids could probably say the same thing, like, well, you did this, you did that, you're doing the best you can. And the older you get, you start realizing,

you know what? Mama really did the best she could. But I do realize as a parent, every child challenges you different. Absolutely. Like, you think you're going to parent all of them the same. You can't? No. No.

I mean, there's a core foundation of love, right? You know you love them, but no, they all will challenge you in a different way. Yeah, absolutely. Did you challenge your mother? I don't know. Mama would swing on me so quick. I don't know that I got that challenge. I might have tried to challenge one time and never again.

Yeah. Mm-mm. I still to this day, but I also love that healthy respect. Because to this day, I don't care if she in that wheelchair. I'm not going to go talking crazy to her at all. That's my mama. And I feel like you only give one. You respect your parents.

How does she feel about your success? Have you ever just sat down and just talk to her about it? I'm not going to cry. I don't know that she knows. The Alzheimer's of it all. Yeah, I don't know that she knows. Almost every day I'm reminding her of who I am. Does she remember you?

I was going to ask that. Days, yes. Sometimes she doesn't and I go and hide in the closet and that's the biggest acting job I've ever done. I'll go put myself on speakerphone and I'll call her daughter Brandy. And then I'll hide in the room and talk to her and I'll come back and it's almost like the notebook sometimes.

Like she remembers sometimes, sometimes she doesn't. I'll say, you know, where do we live? She'll say Memphis because she remembers Memphis. But then I'll point to myself on the screen and like she saw a reasonable doubt and had attitude. She was so upset. I was like, Mama, it's not real. I really did not tell you.

touch that boy um but then then i'll come back and then she'll be like i'd be like that's me and she's like really you know so it's just i've learned to not not make them confused more by and just be like yeah you know what it's okay it's okay that was one of the toughest things i ever seen my wife deal with we were actually on a plane we were coming back from um overseas Dubai and we were in first class and she got up and she was trying to go downstairs because she said she had to go to work and they're like go to work there's no work so she woke up was like no mom this that and And she did not know who her daughter was. And my wife started crying.

Because she was like, how does my mom not know who she was? But then when I got up, she knew who I was. And it was the weirdest thing. Like she knew me. Hey, Rashon, I'm just trying to go to work. And I'm like, no, mama, this is we're in a plane. But she didn't know who her mom was. And but when we landed, she did.

But it was just, it hurt so much. Because it's like, this is my mother. I'm, like, I'm her caregiver. I'm the one that makes her take a medicine and washes her. And we're in public growing a plane. Yes. It's very well. My mom asked me for her car keys the other day.

I just went and laid them on her lap. Like, you just got to, at this point, we just smile and play the game. I said, where are you going? She's about to drive to Turrell. She's from Turrell, Arkansas. I was like, okay, then. I was like, well, this is a late right now, but I'm put the keys right here. I'm going to go to bed.

You know, like, I've learned to play with it, but then I go back in that room and cry. You know, I try not to cry in front of her, but it is the hardest thing ever. It's like, Mama don't remember me? When she asked me that time, like, what's your mama name you? And I was like, Brandy, she's like, oh, me too. And I was like, oh my God, she doesn't know it's me. That's the question. What if you didn't want to sleep and heard that car crank up?

Oh, my gosh. Listen, I'll probably have been happy. I would have been happy. I'd be like, girl, get in the pasture seat, though. Yes. And I dream about that. Does your wife dream about that? Does she dream about her walking?

You know, well, she walked and she did, you know, there was a couple times. Like, I remember one time she walked out the house and my daughter was watching her. My daughter was young at the time, 16. and she said grandma and you know she walked out my daughter grandma where you going so you know grandma said get off me yeah she was like no so grandma slapped her yeah right and she's like where are you going she was like I'm going home like grandma you can't go home there's bears out there she was like well pray for the bears I ain't worried about no damn girl oh baby they don't like for you to correct them now that was one and another thing that we still

have to watch what she well watch what she watches on television yeah because her favorite show was just Judy and more he loved that but what happened at night you know the way we like feed the dogs and feed that, she would cry every day because she would see that and think she had to give to the dying dogs and dying kids in Africa with the flies, like that would affect her. Like, she would be bawling. I'm so glad you sat there because I tell my caregivers that I said, we keep it light in here. We don't watch the news in the house. We don't turn on. I was like, if there's a movie and you see something sad, if you about to cry, turn it. Like, because I don't want her crying. So we are very clear. We're watching Martin. We're watching girlfriends.

You know what I mean? Like, we're watching joyous things and things. that make you smile for sure that's so important I love that and you actually document a lot of that too that's a girl you talk about you cry you'd be having the viewers crying you get fans and followers they love my mama more than they love me I'm like I'll post something I'd be like yeah watch my new show they don't be saying nothing I look up I posted mama two million followers I'm like too many likes I'm like god dog mama but yeah thank y'all for loving my mama how does the experience of being a caregiver for your mother

sharpen your emotional strength as a performer I think um That's a good question, emotional strength. I just feel like if I can make it through caregiving, I can make it through anything. Because most times I will jump on the carpet and you don't know if I've just left the emergency room or I'm trying to manage a UTI or trying to set up scheduling, you know, just yesterday

walking down the street in New York. And I'm like, what? I'm like, Lord, I just want one day where I don't have to manage it but then I have to check myself because I'm like, there's going to be one day where you wake up and wish that you could be stressed out. But I just tell myself, if I can handle it, myself if I can handle all this like I don't know what it's like to study lines and not have

mama in the other room so the blessing is okay so you've done this well caregiving what what will happen later on in life I don't know because my whole career has been while caregiving for mama season one I had her with me so when we were wrapped the show I know my castmates were probably like dang she don't ever want to go nowhere with us I was with mama and I was embarrassed to tell them what was going on with mama but if I already knows that all my furniture got broken when I came to Atlanta and I was hiding that I was sleeping on the floor the whole first half season of Pea Valley.

Only my best friends knew that. Wow. Because I didn't want the network to find out and think that I couldn't handle it. So a lot of times I do hide what's really going on. You know. Jesus. I mean, it's got to be like,

you make you think, like, what is your purpose, right? Because that's an act of service in a way. But then it could also feel like your purpose because I feel like what you're doing, documenting it and telling people who's going to help so many other people. people, but then you're also an actress. So it's like, what is Brandy Evans purpose?

I think I'm still trying to figure that out. That's what I'm still trying to figure out. I know that I love acting, but I love my mother more. And so she's going to always say I'm a caregiver first and then I'm an actor. But then I was crying to my friend, Sasha, the other day, I was like, so if mama passes, what do I have? Like, that's just authentic, being authentic right now. Like, what do I have?

I keep saying I'm hustling for mama. hustling for mama what about me yeah so i don't even know what that is right now because all i all i can see is where is this next job because i got to feed my mama and i got to take care of i mean when we when i audition for p valley mama was on a camera in my phone because i couldn't afford a caregiver so i woke up early i fed her and i put the phone in my purse rushed to wilshire to audition was like mom i'm on the way back rush back like i don't know what it's like to just live and be in the career so what does what makes brandy happy like what do you do do you ever like just go out to dinner yes i'm by myself a lot um like like you know yeah i love a good

dinner yeah i'll find the time because the caregiver is like i'm like y'all please can y'all just stay and some nights i'm like they're like well you back home i'm like can you spend a night so i can just sleep through the night because i'm not going to sleep um but i love to watch movies i love to go a movie. I love to go to Runyon Canyon and just hike. I love to sit at the beach and just hear the water. And ride my bike. But just moments that I can just hear myself because I feel

like I'm always listening for my mother. Wow. In every way. Yeah. Yeah. How did Faith guide you during moments when acting roles weren't coming in? Maybe as fast as you hope? Everything, because I didn't get my first acting role until

I got mama. But that was my prayer. God, please bless me to be able to take care of my mother. and have the job now I need to be a little bit more specific Lord please let it be able to be smoother so I'm able to have the jobs to take care of her now but it's so stressful like sometimes it's not fun because it's like everybody's like look what you're doing I'm like but you don't know that by the time I go back like when I get off of this I got to go FaceTime make sure do y'all have all the groceries y'all need in LA do you have this so I I'm praying for a moment of peace to truly know that I can go

away and mama will be okay and that I don't have to micromanage everybody but god is everything to me everything of course now I know P Valley's coming back but why do they take so damn long I don't know I have no idea it's coming back and baby is so good I'm we we wrapped up on it last season yes we or last year rather we shot last season we finished in was it November maybe of October of last year of 2024 and it's been sitting on it when it's coming out

you know what I won't say they're sitting on it I think they're just perfecting it even more you know our show runner

Cotori Hall is very specific and that's the reason y'all love it so much is because she pays attention to those details she makes sure

that everything's perfect I mean even our closed caption we want to make sure it's right so y'all know what we're saying so she just posted

a couple months ago that post production is done so I think we're just waiting to get the word but I'm waiting like y'all because it's a good one it's a good one so you're happy with with the next chapter of Mercedes oh I'm so happy with the next chapter of Mercedes like it's beyond my wildest imagination it's gonna be crazy and y'all y'all gonna lose it too and the show

couldn't have been cast it any better like everybody everybody so good right so great yes I know I tried out but I couldn't speak the you all this shit girl yeah fool uh what y'all one them down there no one of them down there girl yeah um I think that I audition for oh my god is she played on the girl who got the role that I auditioned for she played she kills it too she was she played the crackhead on snowfall she was great oh gal gal roulette oh I love gal yes I auditioned for roulette and girl I couldn't get the chukal Lisa accent down I couldn't delete the bottom on yeah it was too much bottom on I was like damn for real I couldn't and then they wanted me to like you know do some dances and I wasn't flexible like you bring you y'all killed it though i love you but yeah that was gail job no i love i love her she's phenomenal actress as well but yeah it was it's perfectly cast and i can't wait but i even more i can't wait to see your role in a reasonable doubt yes thank you yes because i want you see different yeah it's crazy like i knew it was crazy i went in a store yesterday and somebody i was like don't just

be walking up in here after you shot somebody i was like wow crazy like i i will post a picture my mom and they like does she know you like to shoot people I was like oh my goodness yeah they're going hard for Monica they ain't expect Brandy to be playing at all at all and you know the finale I took the wig off

and I came out with the set it off braids and all the thing they was like yo yeah but yeah don't break it down I just got two more questions it's about Mercedes but what's a lesson from real life brandy that Mercedes desperately need oh oh that's a good question

a lesson from Mercedes is pretty dope. Maybe that even when things look like they aren't going to go the way you want them to keep going, don't let it break you.

Because I feel like at times you saw Mercedes break a little, but she always pick herself back up. But I think I've gotten better with, as of late, just being like, all right, it's going to have to work out. Because a lot of times we freak out first and then we circle back. I'm getting better. I ain't there yet, but

I'm getting better with just being like, it just says what it is it's going to work out so let's flip it what's a lesson from Mercedes that real life Brandy needs that hustle

oh that's good you know what don't be afraid because I think about you know Mercedes going after her gym and I want to write my book so as you call me out on this

in this moment what you're so scared of Brandi write your book don't write that write your story yes Brandi yeah okay all right Yeah, because she went after it anyway

When things And I always keep saying Yeah, I know, well I got time to write I got mama, I got this and that Mercedes figured it out That's right I love that. Thank you, that was a good question

I'm glad I had to get my girl up here Thank you so much Thank you for joining us for having me That's right, it's Brandy Evans Thank you for joining us again It's in love with everything Thank you, thank you And y'all make sure y'all get y'all some caregiver merch

I have a caregiver strong merch Shop.com And I have one that says the shirt that says, I don't have a capacity, because it's okay to not have a capacity sometimes, and one it says caregiver strong because it's a different type of strength when you're a caregiver. All right. It's Brandy Evans. It's the Breakfast Club.

Good morning. Oh, no. Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club. Are you all finished or y'all done? On this week's episode of next chapter, I, TD, sit down with Denzel Washington, a two-time Academy Award-winning actor and cultural icon.

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