The Braxton sisters are back on TV with one member of their squad sadly missing.
In this exclusive first look at the multi-talented family’s new WeTV series, The Braxtons, Toni Braxton breaks down as she prepares to face the cameras for the first time without her sister Traci.
Traci, the third Braxton sister, lost her battle with esophageal cancer in 2022.
Sat in the makeup chair getting glam, Toni calls her younger sister, Towanda, about entering grief counseling.
“I’m getting made-up for it, but emotionally we’ll see,” Toni says when asked if she’s ready to speak with the counselor.
“I’m in a good space. I’m eager to listen. I’m eager to learn. I’m eager to grow,” Towanda replies.
“I haven’t walked to anyone about the Traci stuff,” the “He Wasn’t Man Enough” singer admits. “I’ve been dealing with it on my own, so I’m optimistic that this will help me.”
And while the pair are hopeful the there is healing yet to come, there’s still a lot of trauma surrounding Traci’s passing.
“I’m optimistic that this grief management will work,” Toni says in a confessional before getting emotional. “But I just miss her. I just miss her everyday. I try to make myself think of something positive, like the butterfly doesn’t know it used to be a caterpillar and the caterpillar doesn’t know it’s gonna be a butterfly. So, Traci’s a butterfly. You just try to live with a broken heart, and it’s really difficult trying to make yourself live with a broken heart.”
Referencing her famous song, Toni attempts to bring a moment of levity to the conversation with Towanda, as she tells her sister she’s hopeful the grief counselor can “Un-break” their hearts.
“This is gonna sound real corny, it’s hard to try and live with a broken heart, but maybe she can try and un-break our hearts,” Toni says.
“Toni Braxton,” Towanda shoots back. “You had to put your song in there, ‘Un-Break My Heart?'”
“I wasn’t even thinking about — I’m talking about [the] Johnny Mathis version. I’m singing Johnny Mathis’ version,” Toni maintains.
“No, uh uh. No,” Towanda replies, continuing to call her sister out. “That is amazing. Well, at least we can smile and laugh, you know?”
The Braxtons comes three years after the end of the iconic series, Braxton Family Values, which aired for seven seasons, and saw the ups and downs of their familial bond and superstar careers.
In this new series, the fierce Braxton women reunite for the first time since the loss of their beloved sister, Traci, offering viewers a raw look at a new set of highs and lows for the family as Toni, Towanda, Trina, Tamara and Ms. E navigate their careers, health challenges and their even busier personal lives as they continue to strive to keep the family close.
The series will span across eight episodes, airing weekly on WeTV.
Catch the ladies back on your screens when The Braxtons premieres Friday, August 9 at 9:30pm ET on WeTV.
