As you watch former Real Housewife of Atlanta Kandi Burruss, her mom, “Mama Joyce” Jones, and her daughter Next Gen NYC star Riley Burruss yapping together on the set of their People shoot in Manhattan, it’s no surprise Kandi credits “good communication” for Riley’s relatively drama-free teenage years and her tight bond with her own mother.
“I’m one of those moms where Riley could tell me anything,” Kandi, 49, says in this week’s issue, on newsstands Friday. She says she got that from her mama, who was supportive of Kandi’s goals but also had no problem telling her when something was amiss.
“I’m a straight shooter,” says Joyce of her blunt talk. “I don’t sugarcoat anything! If you don’t want the truth, don’t ask me.” Riley, 23, laughs and agrees: “My grandma is a bit of a shade assassin.”
The three women, who have each in turn become Bravo stars, also say that their support for one another has all but ensured their success in whatever endeavor they choose. Kandi is especially grateful for Mama Joyce letting her be in a girl band in her teens.
“If I didn’t have the mama I had, I don’t know if my life would have turned out the same,” says Kandi, who became a pop star with the girl group Xscape in the early 1990s and went on to be a prolific songwriter years before joining Housewives.
“She was so supportive. She said as long as I kept my grades up, I could travel the world with the group,” she adds. “It’s different when you have a parent who allows you to try new things and encourages you.”
Mama Joyce says that yes, she supported Kandi, but she was also sensible about it.
“I was always saving her money, because my thought was if the group didn’t work out, she would go to school,” Joyce says. “Because she was so smart. As a child, all she wanted to do was read. It was hard to discipline her, because if I said, ‘Go to your room,’ she’d just be in there happily reading.”
Continue reading on People.com
