Our favorite TV family is back on our screens!

After a four-year hiatus, Tamar, Towanda, Trina, Toni, and Evelyn Braxton — along with their catchy songs and instant harmonies — are returning to WEtv for an eighth season. This time, the show is under a new name, “The Braxtons” (formerly “Braxton Family Values”), and features a fresh production team.

From 2011 to 2020, the Braxton family took audiences on their journeys as mothers, performers, and entrepreneurs, all while vulnerably showcasing the highs and lows of family dynamics. Now, the famous family is back to update fans on what they were up to during the break.

The comeback is bittersweet, following the passing of their beloved sister Traci in 2022. In this new season, the Braxton family shares their healing journey and the challenges of grief with viewers.

In an exclusive conversation with REVOLT, Towanda and Trina Braxton chatted about the revamped series, new production, grief, special moments with their late sister, Traci, and more.

How have you evolved since filming the first season in 2011, and now returning for the eighth season after taking a break?

Towanda: We're grown. We're grown a** women right now, which is grown. We grew up. We've emerged, we've elevated emotionally and spiritually. Especially with the loss of Traci, that grew us up really, really fast. Not to say that we weren't grown before, but it was a real-life situation. I know for Trina, it was even more of a real-life situation for her because she lost her ex-husband and then we lost our niece, and then we lost our amazing sister, Traci. So, T, we weren't there just to entertain, we were there to help somebody else and we've stayed consistent [with] that throughout all these years, and if there ever becomes a time where people don't see us in that light, then that's when we don't need to do “Braxton Family Values” anymore.

There are a few changes in production, and we can see some behind-the-scenes moments in the production process. Did you have a hand in that and why did you want it to be different this time around in terms of production?

Towanda: We got a new production company, we are no longer with Magical Elves. They saw a different vision for us, and we were like, “That's the bomb, that's what we really need to do.” That's emerging the Braxtons and it's taking us to another level because it went from “Braxton Family Values” to now “The Braxtons.” We went from having all five of the sisters here with the “Braxton Family Values” to just having the four with the legacy of Traci. So, it was important for us to have a new season with newness.

Trina: We are also in partnership. We are also producers on this new series, and it was amazing, and we absolutely loved being a part of this new creative. And even though we changed production companies, there were still certain members that we were already familiar with because they were previous showrunners and things of that nature. So, it was still part of that WEtv family that we loved and were accustomed to, and we just had a larger hand in the creative part of the series, and it felt like home.

The Braxton family had previous issues with WEtv, one being around compensation. How were you able to get over this hump? Did the involvement of a new production company help improve your relationship with WEtv?

Towanda: Well, we overcame that a long time ago. I know when all that was happening was in the middle of us filming before with “Braxton Family Values” and we were able to come together and move forward and have other seasons after that situation happened. But, you know, WEtv is our home, [it’s] our network home, and this is like family.

So, it’s a family place for us. It feels like home. Even Brett, who's the president at WEtv was like, “Listen, when you guys were no longer WEtv, it was like a void that was missing.” And we absolutely understand that feeling because we have a void that's missing in our family. So, it made sense for us to make sure that we went back to family and that's with WEtv.

Trina: And just like all families, we disagreed and reached resolve. [It’s] that simple and that complicated.

This is a very vulnerable and raw season, what gave you the courage to share some of the last moments you had with Traci?

Towanda: It was important. It was important because even though Traci is our sister, we shared it with the world and she shared her life with the world and it was important for the fans and the viewers to see that part of her, respectfully, and she wanted to tell her story – and that's a part of Traci's story.

How we were entertaining each other and being there with each other, and being there for her and with her, and beside her, holding her hand as she’s holding our hand. That's just that, that has just been the basis and the roots of our relationship as sisters. It doesn't matter how many times we argue, it doesn't matter how many times we disagree. What really matters is the fact that we love each other and when it comes down to it, we're gonna be there for each other, period.

Trina: Yeah, and the thing for me is that there are a lot of people, unfortunately, who are living with or have lived with a loss of someone, especially to this debilitating disease called cancer. But, especially with her decline happening so quickly, especially because of the aggressiveness of the type of cancer that she had – it wasn't just important for us. It wasn't just important for our viewers, but Traci's son and Traci's grandson, who didn't have as much time with her. They get to see those more lively moments of her even as she was transitioning, and I feel absolutely blessed that we were able to have those documented moments that we will always have forever.

I love witnessing your bond as sisters but also as an aunt, especially to Traci’s son, Kevin, or “Little Kevin.” I consider my aunts my bonus moms as well. Was it challenging to step into that position for him?

Towanda: No, no, not at all. Even when the cameras aren't up, we're still aunties, you know what I mean? So, it's just that that's just one side of it that the audience has never seen. So, it's refreshing to know and to see and to experience that. Now, the audience and the fans are able to see how it doesn't matter, that we're always going to step in for the people that we love. Our nieces, our nephews, our sisters, our cousins, whoever it is, whoever needs us at that moment, because absolutely Kevin needs us right now. He's lost his best friend. He lost his mom and unfortunately, we will never ever be able to fill that void of being Traci to him. At least he knows that he has a second and third and fourth and fifth Mom in Trina, Me, Toni, and Tamar.

And that that's just important for the world to see because everybody goes through death and the trauma in a traumatic way, or somebody has passed on and in everybody's family. So, we're teaching everybody “Hey, even though you may have some differences ... you still should be there for each other.”

There are a lot of raw emotional moments in this season, and I thank you both for sharing that, can you tell me about a moment that made you happy while filming this season?

Trina: One thing for me is when Towanda and I walked in with the same outfit. Like, great minds think alike.

Towanda: Knowing and feeling Traci’s presence, like seeing hummingbirds and just knowing that she's there, saying “Okay guys, this is really what I want y'all to do. Good, good. You're doing good.” That's how I felt when we saw the hummingbird, like “Oh, that’s right, okay yeah, we’re doing good. We’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”