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Ebony
This is an iHeart podcast.
DJ Envy
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Ebony
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Nina Parker
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DJ Envy
Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, the host of the number one health and wellness podcast in the world, On Purpose. On On Purpose, I sit down with some of the most fascinating minds from from world class athletes to wellness experts and thought leaders to uncover their secrets to living a happier, more meaningful life. If you're looking for inspiration, tools for growth and real conversations that challenge you to think differently, listen to on purpose on the iHeartRadio app, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Ebony
Welcome to Pretty Private with ebony, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebony and every Tuesday I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that would challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect Podcast Network. Tune in on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
DJ Envy
Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club Morning everybody.
Nina Parker
Is DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne the guy. We are the breakfast. Lauren LaRosa is here with us and.
DJ Envy
We got some special guests in the building this morning. The host of the new show Friday Night Vibes on tbs. Well, the new host of Friday Night Vibes on tbs, Denon Parker And Kevin on stage. What up, y' all? How you feeling? Feel good. I brought that up. Cause, you know, Kev didn't talk about that last time he was here. And I saw Nina and cans, and Nina was like. N was like, I don't know why he was up there and did not mention that we in a new host of Friday Night Vibes.
Nina Parker
Men be having tunnel vision. So you got all these other projects. He was. I watched the interview, and I was so excited. I was like, I can't wait till he mentions Friday Night Vibes. Because we were in the middle of filming Friday Night Vibes.
DJ Envy
As soon as I got home, I said, man, what did Nothing about it, man. Friday Night Vibes. Friday Night Vibes.
Nina Parker
And I had just did Taryn hall. And I was like, kev, I mentioned you and shouted you out. They showed your picture on the back.
DJ Envy
Wow. I'm being gaslit. First of all, I feel the time I'm being gaslit. I said it first, so it means it's true.
Nina Parker
Maybe that's just who you are, because.
DJ Envy
One of your best friends was up here, right?
Nina Parker
Like, just right here.
DJ Envy
And when we told him that you.
Nina Parker
Were coming, he was like, he didn't even tell me he was here in New York.
DJ Envy
Tony, are y' all gonna be best friends? He was like, we were playing pool. What is friendship?
Nina Parker
And he never said, what is friendship?
DJ Envy
We saw him and we saw Tony.
Nina Parker
Just in the green room. I was like, what are you doing here?
DJ Envy
Tony didn't tell me he was doing the Breakfast Club.
Nina Parker
But men don't share details like that. Like, if it would have been me and my homegirl, we would have been, like, at the hotel having breakfast before we came over. I feel like y' all just see each other when you see each other.
DJ Envy
But, you know, Tony had a show in New York. I, I, I did know that.
Nina Parker
Yeah.
DJ Envy
I got tickets to his show. Oh, you was gonna surprise him? Yeah, I was gonna pull up on him. Come on.
Ebony
You bought the tickets or he gave you the tickets?
DJ Envy
Cause he's afraid I always buy my tickets. I don't even play that. I'm not trying to hear it. Don't hit me, cuz. People, you ain't even cool with, like, what's up on the ticket? KevonStage.com is what's up with them? My parents buy tickets to my show. Why?
Nina Parker
I want to support. But then they want you to give up the tickets.
DJ Envy
No, that ain't support.
Nina Parker
Your parents buy tickets to your show.
DJ Envy
My parents refuse to get free tickets they're like, I believe in you and what you're doing. I'll go get tickets.
Nina Parker
They know you made it, though, right?
DJ Envy
They're a struggle.
Ebony
Make sure. They want to make sure they don't got loan you no money ever again.
DJ Envy
No. Well, yes, exactly. They're like, you keep doing good. So you know what I'm saying? I need you to make it. How you know they're not just testing you just to see if you gonna say, no, no, no, Y' all have done enough. I got you. Nah, they. I'm gonna fail that test. No, man. Failed that test. They buy them. They support me.
Nina Parker
Now I know for the next show I got.
DJ Envy
But I'm on my own. Tickets. Yeah. I'm on my own. My friends, I don't mind. It's people I don't know. We ain't got no relationship. You trying to get the free tickets, man? Nah.
Nina Parker
Oh, okay.
DJ Envy
It's like a hookup. When I work in Popeyes, I give my friends a hookup. Not everybody like, hey, Ken, what's up with the biscuits? You see the price? That's true. How did this come together?
Nina Parker
You know what's crazy? We actually chem tested together. Kev and I knew each other only on social media. Like, I was a fan of his work, but we had never met, so we would, you know, exchange on social media. And then, you know, the show used to be hosted by Tiffany Haddish and Dion Cole. They were revamping it, and so it. They did, like, a big casting call. So when we got called, and sometimes when you get to a certain level, you're like, oh, I still got a chem test. I was like, so we did the chem test, and it was. It was actually like a family reunion. It was about 20. About what, 15 women? 15 men?
DJ Envy
Yeah. Yeah.
Nina Parker
And we were chem testing with our friends. So it was like a big.
DJ Envy
We actually were too loud.
Nina Parker
We got in trouble.
DJ Envy
It took all day long.
Nina Parker
Yeah.
DJ Envy
It was like, you. You spend five minutes with this person, and, okay, y' all done? And this person. And when Nina and I went, it was like, this sounds cliche, but I was like. I forgot we were even auditioning. We were just chopping it up, and they stopped us. We were like, okay, cool.
Nina Parker
I was like, this. We got this. Like, there's. Sometimes I feel like you get that little voice, you know, when you're in this industry, you just know when something is magic.
DJ Envy
Absolutely.
Nina Parker
And we were sitting next to each other, and it was so easy with him. And I've had a lot of co hosts over the years, and Kev is by far, like, the easiest person I've ever worked with.
DJ Envy
Oh, thank you. That's the ultimate compliment, by the way.
Nina Parker
It's not to him. It's to his wife, Melissa, because his wife is. He knows how to. There is a. There's a dance, as you guys know. And then when you have, like, a co host who. It knows how to communicate in a healthy way with a woman, it's just like. Even, like, he'll be like, do you need to sit? I'm like, what? Because I'm used to people being like, get out the way. And it's just. He's very kind. So it just makes it so easy.
DJ Envy
To work with also. Nina, go ahead. No, I was gonna say, I tell people that all the time. When somebody says you're easy to work with, that's beautiful. And when somebody says you're a pleasure to work with.
Nina Parker
Yeah.
DJ Envy
You always work. Yeah. Because it's a long. The work is hard.
Nina Parker
Yeah.
DJ Envy
So talent is evenly distributed, you know, in la, New York, but. But good people to work with is not so much. And then it's already stressful. You got early call times and all that stuff. If you're also a jerk on top of that, it's like, bro, I don't even want to do it.
Nina Parker
Because life be life. And as you know. So it's like, it's hard to get on and have to, like, turn all of that off, you know, when filming. So when you have somebody that's like, Kev is really, like my real life brother, you know, I really love him. I love his wife. Like, we have dinners. Like, it's so. It's just. It doesn't. It truly doesn't feel like work. So we just be cutting up and, you know, this show really allowed me to, like, be funny and, like, really tap into. Because I feel like I've done so much formal journalism. This was like a different. This was more vulnerable. And Kev is more my coach sometimes where he's like, just say it. Like, no. You know, because I'm so trained that sometimes it's a little bit more stiff. So he's like, just say it. They ain't gonna care.
DJ Envy
Yeah. And need to help me, too, because I. I had never done official tv, never worked off a prompter before. So the first day, I was like, dang, man. This is like. There's a lot of pressure, and you can't really mess up. It's time for you to do your job. Right, right. And he was like, oh, it's all good. This is how you do it. Let's run through it once. And Nina, man, let me tell you what, she big sis for real. Cause I don't be wanting to do stuff. She be like, ah, we ain't doing that, y' all. We are doing this. Like, you can tell she's been in the game for a long time. Never rude or anything like that, but she. She knows how to assert herself, and people respect her for that. And I'm more of like, I ain't never done this, so whatever y' all say is cool.
Nina Parker
But also, when you've done it a long time, you know when people are padding time, like, you're like, we don't need. We got this. We can just roll through this. Like, y' all ain't gotta baby us. Like, we gonna come in, we gonna knock this out, and we gonna go home. Everybody gonna get home on time. Y' all ain't gotta pay overtime. Let's go.
DJ Envy
Is it hard for you, Kev, being on a production that you don't control? No low key? Actually, it's freeing because, oh, my God. There's a certain amount of stress when you control it. The talent is just one aspect. Then you gotta worry about the budget and the control and the edit and the delivery. Friday night vibes, brother. When it's over. All right, y' all see y' all tomorrow. And it is a welcome reprieve from having a duo. I don't wanna have to worry about posts, edit, deliveries, timecode, you know, S.
Nina Parker
And P. Leaving at the door.
DJ Envy
Leaving at the door. Coffee? Yes. What time is lunch? Okay, perfect. See y' all tomorrow. I just come on time, do my job, chop it up. With Nina, I knew we was cool. Nina let me in her. She was getting braided down. She was like, come on, dress up.
Nina Parker
I said, oh, y' all real friends now.
DJ Envy
I said, as a black man, you let me see the braid down. That's real. The braid down is intimate. She's like, tell me real quick, close the door. I'm getting braided down.
Nina Parker
Close that door now.
DJ Envy
No. That's why I think that camaraderie and chemistry from the audition through the show, it just carries on throughout. And then that's why the show feels so natural. Our guests come on, they feel really natural with us. You know what I'm saying?
Nina Parker
And it doubled the rating. So we did the first season, we only had, like, 12 episodes, so it was just the first Friday of every month, which, right now, you know, TV is very difficult. They actually doubled our episode order because they were saying that our interviews with each other and with our guests were spiking over the movies. Yeah. So, I mean, listen, to get a double order during this time, we feel very blessed.
Ebony
I was gonna ask you, Nina. Cause for us in the journalism world, you talked about broken and hard journalism. I know you come from tmz, your career and how you've been able to diversify your resume. We all watch it.
Nina Parker
Like, how.
Ebony
Because it is hard when you're such a journalist to do things where they allow you to show your personality. What was your first lesson in, like, I even wanna try to diversify.
Nina Parker
Well, my first lesson was I got fired. And you know, as you know, it's like.
DJ Envy
You got fired from tmz.
Nina Parker
Well, I got fired my first week from tmz.
DJ Envy
I didn't know that.
Nina Parker
So my first watch.
DJ Envy
You feel the pain.
Ebony
I'm gonna let her talk her story and then we'll trauma run.
Nina Parker
So the first time I got fired was my first week in tmz. I had just moved to la, and I was not even a PA yet. I was a run. I didn't know anybody in la. I literally got the job by emailing contacts. They used to have like a contact tmz. And I just emailed and was like, I got a degree. Can I like, you know, and they were like, you've been out the game for a little bit. Because I had stopped working in journalism. And so they were like, we'll make you a runner. You can get the lunches. But this was before gps, so I had like a Thomas guy.
DJ Envy
Oh, wow.
Nina Parker
I'm aging myself. But I was. I got lost. LA is very difficult to navigate. You like, why is there two San Vicente?
DJ Envy
I don't know where to go.
Nina Parker
And so I got lost. So Paris Hilton got arrested and I had to go get the tape from the paparazzi of her coming out of CNN for her first interview with Larry King.
Ebony
My heart just dropped for you. You got lost with that tape.
Nina Parker
And I got lost. And if, you know, CNN was on Sunset and I took Highland to get back to the Valley. And Harvey was like, why would you take Highland and not Cawanga? What's wrong with you? You're fired in front of everybody taking.
DJ Envy
Highland and not Kywanga.
Nina Parker
Yeah, baby. What a street choice.
Ebony
Do you understand how that.
Nina Parker
And it's very different if. And you know, like, this is. Before you could transfer digitally, you had to have the tape. So I cost them, like, 15, 20 minutes. And they wanted it up first. So he fired me in front of the whole newsroom. And I went to the bathroom. I had only been in LA, like three months. I went to the bathroom and I was crying. My ego kicked in. It was like, f this place, go somewhere else. You don't need this place. And there was this really quiet voice that was like, just go apologize.
DJ Envy
No, no.
Nina Parker
And I went to my managing editor and Harvey was in his office. I went to the managing editor, and I had been staying late every day, and I would just ask her if she needed anything. So if she needed her trash taken out, whatever, I would just stay late for hours just helping her, not getting paid. And I said, hey, you know, I'm really sorry if I can work with you in the future. She was like, what are you talking about? And I said, oh, Harvey just fired me. And she goes, girl, sit down.
Ebony
You do that every week.
Nina Parker
And she went in his office and yelled at him. And he. I heard him say, will you take her? And she came back out and offered me a year contract and was like, do you want to be my writing pa?
DJ Envy
Oh, wow.
Nina Parker
And then that was in June of 2007. The show started in September of 2007. And by then he had heard me just talking. I would do my stories and talk out loud. And he thought I was funny. And he was like, I want you to pitch for the show. And I was like, no, I just want to write. He was like, I'm not asking you. You gonna get on the show? And that's really how it started. That was the first time I got fired. And I was just like, I'm gonna just go for it. And I just was like, I'm not gonna allow, like one person to have the kids keys to like, drive my car. Like, I gotta have these options open. And I have to, like, eat my ego a little bit. And I think our ego gets us in a lot of trouble in this industry. There's a lot of misunderstandings that happen that you. You take it the wrong way. And I just learned to like, drop that. And it's helped me.
DJ Envy
What got you fired for real?
Nina Parker
I didn't. I was fired from cbs.
DJ Envy
Cbs, okay.
Nina Parker
They. They didn't renew my contract. Well, it was kind of firing, you know, like, it's like, we don't. We not having you back. I had like a two year contract and I had. It was the most money I had ever made. Because now I'm an official correspond. I'm doing the red carpets and I Made all this money and I blew it. I was buying bags. I remember I went on my first check and bought a Gucci and Louis Vuitton bag. Both, Just both. Because I have been. I was making 450 a week at TMZ before taxes, so I wasn't making any money. So when I was getting the CBS money, I lost my damn mind. And I had no. I had bad credit. I had no financial literacy at all.
DJ Envy
So you hate H and M too, then? That's what I mean. You just had to be at Bloomingdale.
Nina Parker
I had to be. And so when I lost the job, I was broke because I had. I was. You know, Even though I had money, I was spending every check. I was, you know, I was at the. At the brunches spending money like a drug dealer. I was just like, come on this. Let's get the bottles. You know, and just ridiculous. And what I realized was I thought to myself, I had to downsize everything. I got in a car accident. I lost my car. So I had to get a used car with the red light always on. And I had to get into a smaller apartment that was like, a little bit more, you know, in a bad neighborhood. And I told myself, I was like, when I get my next thing? Because I knew it was going to come. I educated myself on how to get good credit. I fixed my credit. I figured out how what I needed to save. I was like, I need multiple income. I was talking to Kevin Frazier, who was at cbs, and he was kind of telling me, like, you acting crazy. You know, I talk call him my toxic mentor, because he would give me advice, but it was always, like, really harsh. And I was like, the next time I get it. And I got love and hip hop reunions, and I just started saving everything. I started living under my means. So I was like, let me build this so that, like, I can have two years of income so that the next time I'm not going to let this network decide, like, whether I eat or not.
Ebony
Do you. When you left to go back a little bit, when you left tmz, were you senior news producer? Where were you?
Nina Parker
I. When I left tmz, I did not have a job. I quit because they did not want to pay me.
Ebony
Okay. Because there's always been a conversation. I don't know. I was told this before I went there.
Nina Parker
Okay?
Ebony
So not even just internally, but just in the journalism world that, you know, you had been offered news director or something like that, but they didn't want to. Like, they didn't you thought you should have news director, but they didn't want to give it to you.
Nina Parker
It wasn't news director. But what actually happened? I've never told anybody this. I accidentally got my co workers check, and we were sitting next to, you know, TMZ would have the desk where there wasn't a divider. And they set his check next to me, and I was just opening it blindly. And he was making six figures. I was not. I was making well under that. And I had been there, and I was contributing. I was breaking stories. I was a part of Michael Jackson's death being broken. I was a part of major stories. Bernie macdon. I was the managing editor on weekends. So it was just me and Harvey in that office and a pa. I was in there working. I only had Wednesdays off. I gave up my weekends for three years. And I was like. I put in the work. I was. It was my life. I didn't have a boyfriend. I didn't have friends. Friends. I wasn't going to the club. And I felt like I was owed this money.
DJ Envy
All right.
Nina Parker
I think I was maybe making like 50k.
DJ Envy
Jesus.
Nina Parker
And I just wanted what he was making. He's a white male. Yes, he was. And they were like, no. And I was on every show, and I was just like, y' all not gonna pay me? And we went into a little negotiation, and I think maybe they offered me like, 10 more percent. I did not have another job. I did not have an agent. And I was like, I quit.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Nina Parker
I didn't have nothing, but I knew people liked me. And I reached out to a woman who used to be at Telepictures, and she had just got an SVP job at cbs. And I was like. She was like, hey, we have the. The Insider. Why don't you come test for the Insider? And so I went and tested for that, and I got the Insider.
DJ Envy
Wow.
Nina Parker
But I didn't have anything when I left tmz, I didn't know what I was going to do. And the good thing about being young is because I was still in my 20s at the time. You a little crazy. Yeah. So, you know, had I been this age, I might have been like, let me just figure something out. But now, you know, because I got bills, big bills. But then I was like, it ain't nothing for me to pack up this studio apartment. I get on the couch.
DJ Envy
That Bay Area came out. That Bay Area was like, you ain't gonna trap me.
Nina Parker
And it was the best decision I could have made. I mean, I left really at the pinnacle Van had just started. Like it was really a good time to be there. And everybody told me not to quit. Everybody. Like, socially, TMZ was really hot. And like, because this is the Paris Hilton, Britney Spears era. So people were like, you're crazy to leave. But I was just like, this is not serving me. And they. Not only that, like this was before pay disparity was really a thing. So it was just accepted that the women take less. And I was like, I work harder than all these people up in here and I'm a black woman. And I mean, when you guys started the Breakfast Club, we. That's how we met. We started emailing. Like it was like, I got this new show. I was like, we're gonna put you on this show. And I made a lot of contacts because I would reach out to black media and be like, get on our blog roll. Let me send you the breaking news. Like I really cultivated. I still have all those relationships. Cuz I really was like, I can't prevent them from putting this story out about black people, but I can at least give our side. And if you call me, I'm going to give your side out there. Because they didn't care. Yeah, they would just put it up. And so that was really for me, like my time. So I was like, you're not going to pay me.
DJ Envy
Yeah, when you think about it, there wasn't. There hasn't been too many faces of tmz. Right. Like, of course, Harvey. But then when I think about it, maybe, I don't know, maybe because I'm black, I think of you, I think of me. I think. And that's historically. Was it toxic though?
Nina Parker
Was it toxic working there? Envy.
Ebony
What?
Nina Parker
I mean, listen, this is. I've heard it's not like that anymore. I don't know, I. And this is, this is one of the reasons you and I haven't talked. Because I checked out of all things tmz. I never watched the show again. When I stopped, like I didn't. I stopped Community. I didn't even. I'm not communicating with people I knew, but anything. Like, I just kind of shut that part of my brain off because I had a lot of ptsd and it was. You have to think about it. This was like the birth of new age media. There were no rules. So we would work like 14 hours a day. You would get in trouble for taking a lunch. You couldn't leave like your desk. You had to answer your phone at 4 in the morning. It was. You would, hey, what up y' all? It's DJ Envy.
DJ Envy
The first few months of 2025 have.
Nina Parker
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Ebony
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Nina Parker
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Ebony
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Nina Parker
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Ebony
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Nina Parker
And certain restrictions may apply. So what happened at Chappaquiddick? Well, it really depends on who you talk to.
DJ Envy
There are many versions of what happened in 1940 when a young Ted Kennedy drove a car into a pond and.
Nina Parker
Left a woman behind to drown. There's a famous headline I think in.
Ebony
The New York Daily News It's Teddy escapes, blonde drowns.
Nina Parker
And in a strange way, right, that.
Ebony
Sort of tells you the story really.
Nina Parker
Became about ted's political future, Ted's political hopes.
DJ Envy
Will Ted become president? Kappaquiddick is a story of a tragic death and how the Kennedy machine took control.
Nina Parker
And he's not the only Kennedy to survive a scandal. The Kennedys have lived through disgrace, affairs.
DJ Envy
Violence, you name it. So is there a curse? Every week we go behind the headlines and beyond the drama of America's royal family.
Ebony
Listen to United States of Kennedy on.
Nina Parker
The iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Show me how good it can get today, God, and show the rest of the world what we already know it can't get. No better than being hella black, hella queer, and hella Christian. My name is Joseph Reeves. I am the creator and host of Hella Black, Hella Queer, Hella Christian, a fully black, fully queer, fully human, fully divine podcast that explores society, culture, and the intersections of faith and identity. Listen to Hella Black, Hella Queer, Hella Christian to hear conversations about what it means to sound the way you look.
DJ Envy
I think what I've had to make.
Nina Parker
Peace with is that every iteration of.
DJ Envy
My voice is given to me by God and I love it.
Nina Parker
Books that validated our identity. The library now for me is a safe space as someone who is writing books that they're trying to take off of shelves. And how we as black queer folks relate to our Christianity. Listen to Hella Black, Hella Queer, Hella Christian on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Work weekends and you couldn't say no. We would rock. People would walk around with their laptop. We would go to a concert. You have to have your laptop in your bag because if you got a call at 4 and you didn't answer, you would get fired.
Ebony
It was over for you.
Nina Parker
It was over for you. So. And I made the decision to participate in that because I didn't have anybody. I didn't have anything else. I didn't have a team. We were kind of deterred from getting a team. Like, you know, so the things I.
Ebony
Know now, this is pre HR there. This is because HR was new when I got.
Nina Parker
There was no hr.
DJ Envy
No HR was very new.
Ebony
And there was no the union. Things that come in when you have a union protection.
Nina Parker
They got written that didn't exist back then. Like they had telepictures. That was the parent company that technically you could go, but you didn't know Anybody there, Because they weren't. You only knew who was in the. The building. So it was. It was really the Wild West. And I probably. I mean, when Michael Jackson died, I didn't leave the office for three days.
DJ Envy
Damn.
Nina Parker
Like, we slept there. And that was your salary of $50,000 or less.
DJ Envy
Whatever.
Nina Parker
I mean, I think I was still making like the PA salary there, which was. I think I had got boosted to like 650 a week.
DJ Envy
Crazy thing is, when Lauren started working.
Nina Parker
Here, you ever see that dog that they. And I'm not comparing you to a.
DJ Envy
Dog, but that dog that when you.
Nina Parker
Get out the shelter, right, and you put your hand up to pet it.
DJ Envy
In the dog to ski. That's how Lauren was working.
Nina Parker
That's how I was for years. Lauren was like, wait a minute, you guys just said, good job. Like, it was. I'm like, what? I thought she was joking. Then I realized, no, she was traumatized. Like, it was crazy.
DJ Envy
I still won't tell her that.
Ebony
No.
DJ Envy
How long were you there?
Ebony
I was at TMZ for eight years. And when you come in, you hear well from the black people there. You hear so much about you. Van was always really big about, you know, talking to me about you. He was there when I was. When I was there, so was Raquel. And then they left. And when they left, it was me. And I was like, what?
Nina Parker
At least you had the camaraderie.
Ebony
But then they left, right? And then George, Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery happened. It was like, oh, and you're fighting.
Nina Parker
By yourself because there's a lot of microaggressions. There's macro, too. And one of the things that was hard for me was, like, at the time, and this was before Van even got there, I was the only black person on camera. And so, ooh, you are soul sisters.
DJ Envy
Yes. No, the story she tell me.
Nina Parker
I sound. And you feel an obligation, but sometimes you're tired, right? And you don't know what the fuck you supposed to be saying half the time. But the thing is, with black talent especially, you don't have the. The luxury of being silent when it's a black issue. Because they're going to look at you in this room full of white people and wonder why you didn't say anything. They're not going to think about, like, I've been doing this every single day. I got a migraine. I'm tired. Like, I'm tired of arguing. I know they're race baiting me. They're. They bait you on purpose. But at the same time, I'm like, I got to think about the people who are watching that look like me, that are like, nina, why didn't you speak up? But you know, you know, as you age, fighting every day gets exhausting. And also when you getting baited, because it's like, I don't mind having a healthy discussion, but you purposely trying to bait me to have conversation so you can have content. And I'm not really with that. And so you get tired of being used. You get tired of, like, women being talked about. You know, you feel like, I'm in this space. When I was there, it was very toxic. Like, we would get. They had a relationship with Vivid, because you know of Kim Kardashian sex tape. And they. Vivid was sin. Like sex tapes in. And they. Sometimes people would just watch them in the office, you know, and it was like, you'd be like, where? Where. What am I? What's going on? But then also you're like, well, what are my other options? And that's when you start to build these relationships. So you're like, I got to make an exit plan.
Ebony
I had a. I just wanna say this real quick. And we can move away from tmz. Cause you have moved away. But I met you.
DJ Envy
I'm finding out so much about you.
Nina Parker
I know you too. We've been in the trenches.
DJ Envy
You ain't never said nothing about this.
Ebony
I met you a long time ago in la. And our interaction, you weren't rude, but it just wasn't the best. And when I was about to leave, Van was like, you should call Nina. And I was like, I don't think she cares for me that much. And he was like, why? And I was like, well. And I told him. But now hearing your. I don't know if you even knew who I was, but if so, I'm thinking, like, maybe I had nothing to do with that. But I'd never thought about this, because when you're in that environment, you think it's regular. You think it's okay.
Nina Parker
Right?
Ebony
I never thought about, like, what your post life felt like, mentally having to go through and deal with all of that.
Nina Parker
I think that got to do with.
DJ Envy
You telling the world that Nina was rude to you.
Ebony
No, I said she had nothing to do with.
DJ Envy
Why would you do that?
Ebony
The reason why I'm saying that you.
DJ Envy
Could have said that off the head.
Ebony
No, the reason why I want to say that is because now I'm sitting here and I felt your emotion just now. We were talking about your experience and I identify with it so much, and it made me think about if I were to run into someone right in that same predicament, unknowingly, I might not. Like, you know, do you know what I'm trying to say?
Nina Parker
Well, you're reacting to the place, not the person.
Ebony
Yes.
Nina Parker
And so you, you know, it's like if someone brings up a relationship that hurts you, you're kind of like. Especially if you're not in the space to like, say you're not thinking about it and it jars you for a second where you're just like. And also, I'm very media trained. Right. So sometimes I don't want to speak bad on a place, and I don't know if my experience will be your experience. So there's a lot I can't say to you without saying it right where I can. It's like, how do I tell this person they're in the. In the trenches and, like, get out quickly?
Ebony
Yes.
Nina Parker
Because that may not be your journey. So how do I say that to you? Because it's so nuanced. So it's just such a layered thing. So sometimes if, like, people come up, be like, I met tmz.
Ebony
I'm kind of like, exactly how I was, and I'm like, yeah, I don't.
Nina Parker
I don't know what to tell you because this is. It's only something you understand if you've been there. It's like being in a sorority.
Ebony
Yes.
Nina Parker
But at the same time, and I think I've just healed from being there probably within the last, like four years. Four or five years. You. I have this thing now where I'm. My friends say I'm the fastest responder because you had to be this thing. Right. I always. Even now I'm not really in news anymore. Like, I'm a host for shows. And even now I feel like I gotta look at these headlines. I'm like, what am I doing? I ain't posting about no news. I'm the first to post a tweet about it. Like, what am I? So you have these things. So I don't remember the interaction, but I'll say that it was so traumatizing that sometimes it was hard to react positively about it. And also, you know, as you grow, you learn how to temper that a little bit better. But I think probably when we met, I hadn't really quite learned how to do it.
Ebony
It wasn't nothing crazy, but I just. I felt like your shock, I just didn't. I didn't understand. Yeah, I didn't understand what I felt until this moment. And I was like, gang, gang.
Nina Parker
She wasn't messing with that clip.
Ebony
You never know what people are dealing with. But I didn't know because when. When we hear about your journey there, we just hear, well, I've never talked about.
Nina Parker
This is the first time. I think we always said things positively because ultimately it was a positive experience. Because I have never learned. You learn kind of when you're in that. Because it's like the army. Right.
Ebony
But I tell people it was the best boot camp I've ever been to.
Nina Parker
The best boot camp you'll never. And one thing I will say about Harvey is he. I, to this day, probably the. The hardest work ethic of anyone I have ever known in the industry. But you, you get a lot of trauma from it, and it's very difficult to express if you haven't been there. And then also it's like, I don't want to make that my story. So, you know, when I meet somebody and we're in a social setting, it's like, it's. It's still. Now some people say, oh, I know you from tmz and I'm. I cringe a little bit. Not because I'm ashamed of it, but I've done so much.
Ebony
Yes.
Nina Parker
But it's still something that's always associated and will always be, as you will know it will always be. And there's going to be a time where you just don't want to hear about it because you've accomplished so much more. And so it's a little triggering when someone comes up to you, wants to talk about it, and you just like. It's like bringing up an ex that you don't fuck with me, deal with anymore.
DJ Envy
Because what you really wanted to say to her probably was good luck, or.
Nina Parker
Yeah.
DJ Envy
But you know, and you don't want to be negative.
Nina Parker
Cause like, what am I supposed to.
DJ Envy
Say if you're in it, you know.
Nina Parker
Like, what am I supposed to do?
Ebony
Yeah, I mean, I needed the money, but I forget what was going on at the time, but I think this was one of the times where I been wanting to quit and I just didn't. And people think you're crazy when you say that. And I was like, oh, Nina Parker, I could talk to her.
Nina Parker
Yeah.
Ebony
And then I was.
Nina Parker
And I wish we would have been introduced through van, because there. I would have loved to have talked to you one on one, like, privately and just really give you a good download, because I know that you did reach out and dm and I never even saw him because we weren't. I wasn't following you. And I didn't even see him until I followed you. And I was like, dang, there's DMs in here. And I didn't even see this girl.
Ebony
I was crying out for help, please. You were.
Nina Parker
You were. And I didn't.
DJ Envy
I think y' all went through two different boot camps. Cause Lauren ain't come here with nothing. I said lie.
Nina Parker
Stop it. This morning.
Ebony
Let me tell you what happened this morning. We literally have to move on from this morning, and you'll understand it. So I.
DJ Envy
No, she won't.
Ebony
Listen, listen.
Nina Parker
We're live doing a show.
DJ Envy
We're about to tease her segment. So she's supposed to come in.
Nina Parker
Sure.
DJ Envy
And tease what she got. Coming up, the latest with Lauren, but she couldn't do it this morning. Had some pressing news. I mean, some pressing news that she just had to confirm. She sneaks in the door and whispers in my ear with somebody else. I'm thinking something. Something crazy going. Her and Sid walk in together.
Ebony
I said, okay. I was like, so one of the founding members of the Whispers died. And I know, like, all these outlets are saying it. I kind of tried.
DJ Envy
They said it 12 hours ago.
Ebony
No, it was seven. And overnight. And I was like, but I want to get the statement myself before I say rip. So can you just, like, tell them that I'm going to come with the latest? I came back here. They was like, you did that? All of that for that? And I was like, y' all. And they was like, but the statements right here. I'm like, no, but if you don't receive it yourself, sometimes you just don't know.
DJ Envy
A statement that went out all the urban ACs across America and said, be nice to. Did a mix. Cut it out, Lord. Lauren, listen, we gonna do some meditation exercises.
Nina Parker
Cause if you have never been there.
Ebony
When someone was accidentally killed, you don't understand.
DJ Envy
Yeah, she was trying to call the phone to make sure he was really dead.
Nina Parker
I'm like, what's wrong? And you know what's going on.
DJ Envy
Daisy chain. You don't want a daisy chain.
Nina Parker
This is gonna be my last thing about the ptsd. What I found is a lot of people who leave only find their worth in posting news because they. That's how you were rewarded then you were only. You were. You could have been fired for not producing enough. So you find, like, your worth in. In producing stuff. That's why, like, when I left, I would be posting breaking news And I didn't even have an outlet to attribute it to. And what is. What it allowed me to do when I took a step back was start to put more worth in, like, me, what I'm saying. And the other things, because I was like, I don't even know if I really like news anymore. Like, I don't know if this is something I even enjoy anymore. Like, I enjoy talking to people. I enjoy xyz. Like, what else can I dive into? And for you, what I would like to say is. And I think you're very good at it, but, you know, and I know you have other things that you like to, you know, get into. And I just don't want you to get caught up in this thing of, like, I have to produce to. To be value. Because it's like, what. Who you are that brings the value, not being first. Because we kind of are taught to, like, we got to be.
DJ Envy
Be first. What you say? I heard you repeat that just one last. Repeat that one more time.
Nina Parker
I'm just saying the value is not in being first anymore, because this is what I. I have learned. It's what you're going to talk about that is valuable because you're not technically in a news place that has to be first.
Ebony
It just sometimes it you.
DJ Envy
When did you hear that? Did you hear that that week? Two days ago?
Nina Parker
Sense of urgent is what makes you special because you care, and that's important. But I think people care. Just they want to know that these days, everybody can get it anywhere they want your take on it.
DJ Envy
That's right.
Nina Parker
So.
DJ Envy
And you were correct and everybody else was wrong.
Ebony
Yeah, I know I was correct, but.
DJ Envy
You had to be correct. She wasn't correct.
Ebony
I was correct.
DJ Envy
She was correct.
Ebony
I said that there were no charges dropped against you.
Nina Parker
She was correct.
Ebony
You told me I was not correct.
DJ Envy
Because you said there was no charges dropped. I'm not even gonna get back to that. I'm not even going back to what you were.
Ebony
Okay, let's.
Nina Parker
I know this was a side quest, but it was a healing side quest. So I'm glad we were able to talk. Talk about it. Yes.
DJ Envy
I wanted to rub your shoulder, but I didn't know. I was like, no, I. Camera's like, gosh, I ain't know none of this. I was. We done been for two years and sh. This shit. I never said them.
Nina Parker
Who talked about their abuse like that.
DJ Envy
No, you right. You know, like, it was all good. I said, girl, you supposed to be talking about movies.
Ebony
In this new life that you Have.
DJ Envy
I was concerned.
Ebony
She let you see the braid. She let you see the braid. Now, I just thought about that. You ain't even getting none of that.
DJ Envy
But see that braid that was underneath? That was even underneath the braid. She showed you to. All my life, I had to fight on the style. But you didn't know she was really fighting. I said, girl, you've been through some style.
Nina Parker
It's been weak.
DJ Envy
Listen, Nina, I'm going over there, and I'm talking to who did it. Tanita Parker, come here. Now, Harvey. You fired Harvey. Get your own tape and your own sandwich. But if you go in there for Nina, go live for Lauren, too, by the way.
Ebony
No, don't enter me in it.
DJ Envy
Don't. Don't. Now, Lauren sent me in for the whispers. She said y' all had a whisper. We got one less whisper in the world and y' all.
Nina Parker
One less. Please.
DJ Envy
Oh, my goodness. Oh, God. Goodness. Friday night vibes on tbs, man. Definitely. Check it out. We appreciate you guys for coming up. And don't be strangers. You could come.
Nina Parker
Sorry, Kev.
DJ Envy
I feel like you didn't get a girl. I was watching, too. I was like, oh, my God, this is really happening. They gonna put this on tmz. Please come up. More come up if y' all in town. Please come up. We had to wait seven years to get Kev, so. Yes.
Nina Parker
Well, y' all just had him, so.
DJ Envy
You know, Nina, this was fine. I was fully. I was in the. I was tweeting. He was in the comments. But n. Your line is still in stores?
Nina Parker
Yes, yes, I have a. I have a clothing line for. Plus women, sizes 12 to 30. Is. Yes, it's in stores. It's at Macy's. It's doing very well. And so this is one of the designs. So, yeah, it's still. You know, the multiple streams.
DJ Envy
I always need that Nina Parker. Not the little. She. Keep a check. All right, It's Nina Parker. Kevin on stage.
Nina Parker
Friday night vibes on tbs.
DJ Envy
I feel like that was a good family moment every Friday. Hey, but we gotta leave on a prayer. A prayer, Father God, in the name of Jesus. Wait, wait, wait, wait. What's wrong with the prayer? I'm like, who? The reverend? What? A pastor? Let me tell you about my pastor. He fired me. My pastor was. No, I'm joking.
Nina Parker
He prayed last time.
DJ Envy
He played last time. I do want to say one thing just to bring things around full circle before the prayer. Yes. When Kev was here last time, he didn't shout out his show with Nina Parker. Right? Right. Tony Baker was up here. Tony Baker was talking about the tour that him and Kev going on. Kev ain't saying nothing about the tour or Tony. Announced the day after today with us. That's not a protoc. It ain't supposed to be announced yet. Okay, I'm gonna give you the press release right now. I'm gonna tell you talking. That ain't supposed to come out until July. Okay, okay. Well, he shouted out. It's fine.
Nina Parker
The show is premiering tonight on Friday.
DJ Envy
Tonight on Friday night Vibe. Every Friday, all summer long.
Nina Parker
Celebrity guests, all the games, all the things.
DJ Envy
But come for me and Nina, man, at the end of the day, we.
Nina Parker
Family, we your cousins with the show.
DJ Envy
You really not gonna do a prayer? I'm praying. Father God, in the name of Jesus, we come against TMZ right now, Father God, for everything they've done to black people, from Nina to Van to Lauren. God, crush them in your mind, God. Break them down. You'll be the breaking news, Father God.
Ebony
Allegedly.
DJ Envy
Allegedly. Break it from the inside, God. And then give Lauren and Mina the breaking news of the broken news. Amen. You hear me, God? Amen. Do it in your name, Jesus name. And bless Friday night vibes too.
Nina Parker
God.
DJ Envy
Let it come on every day.
Nina Parker
And it is a positive environment.
DJ Envy
They give us.
Nina Parker
And we get breaks.
DJ Envy
I ain't never been in the middle of a prayer like why I got my head bowed in my eyes. No reason ignoring it. We love y' all. It's the Breakfast Club. Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, the host of the number one health and wellness podcast in the world. On Purpose. On On Purpose, I sit down with some of the most fascinating minds, from world class athletes to wellness experts and thought leaders to uncover their secrets to living a happier, more meaningful life. If you're looking for inspiration, tools for growth, and real conversations that challenge you to think differently, listen to on purpose on the iHeartRadio app, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Ebony
Welcome to Pretty Private with ebony, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebony, and every Tuesday, I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that would challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect podcast network. Tune in on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
DJ Envy
I'm Jeff Perelman. And I'm Rick Jervis. We're journalists and hosts of the podcast Finding Sexy Sweat.
Nina Parker
At an internship in 1993, we roomed.
DJ Envy
With Reggie Payne, aspiring reporter and rapper who went by Sexy Sweat a couple years ago. We set out to find him, but in 2020, Reggie fell into a coma after police pinned him down and he never woke up.
Nina Parker
But then I see my son's not moving.
DJ Envy
So we started digging and uncovered city officials bent on protecting their own. Listen to Finding Sexy Sweat on the.
Nina Parker
Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Over the years of making my true.
Ebony
Crime podcast, Helen Gone, I've learned no.
Nina Parker
Town is too small for murder.
Ebony
I'm Katherine Townsend. I've heard from hundreds of people across the country with an unsolved murder in their community.
Nina Parker
I was calling about the murder of my husband.
DJ Envy
The murderer is still out there.
Nina Parker
Each week I investigate a new case.
DJ Envy
If there is a case we should.
Nina Parker
Hear about, call 678-744-6145.
Ebony
Listen to Helen Gone Murderline on the.
Nina Parker
Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Ebony
This is an iheart pod.
Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club – Interview with Nina Parker & KevOnStage
Episode Title: INTERVIEW: Nina Parker & KevOnStage Talk 'Friday Night Vibes', TMZ Toxicity + More
Release Date: July 2, 2025
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Guests: Nina Parker & KevOnStage
The episode begins with DJ Envy enthusiastically welcoming the audience to "The Breakfast Club Morning." He introduces the special guests, Nina Parker and KevOnStage, who are the new hosts of the TBS show 'Friday Night Vibes'.
DJ Envy:
"We got some special guests in the building this morning... the new host of Friday Night Vibes on TBS, Nina Parker and Kevin on stage. What up, y'all?"
[02:31 – 02:55]
Nina Parker expresses excitement about the new show and shares her anticipation about discussing 'Friday Night Vibes' during her previous interviews. She highlights the chemistry between her and Kev, emphasizing their seamless collaboration.
Nina Parker:
"Sometimes I feel like you get that little voice when you're in this industry, you just know when something is magic. And we were sitting next to each other, and it was so easy with him."
[05:55 – 06:13]
DJ Envy compliments Kev, noting his supportive and communicative nature, which makes working together effortless.
DJ Envy:
"When somebody says you're easy to work with, that's beautiful... our guests come on, they feel really natural with us."
[06:40 – 09:32]
Nina Parker delves into her challenging tenure at TMZ, recounting her initial firing due to a navigation mistake while covering Paris Hilton's arrest.
Nina Parker:
"I got fired in front of the whole newsroom... And I went to the bathroom and I was crying... There was this really quiet voice that was like, just go apologize."
[11:07 – 12:03]
She discusses financial struggles following her departure from TMZ, highlighting poor financial literacy and overspending during her peak earnings.
Nina Parker:
"I had bad credit. I had no financial literacy at all... I started living under my means."
[13:17 – 15:13]
The conversation shifts to the toxic culture at TMZ, characterized by long hours, lack of respect for personal time, and systemic pay disparities, especially for Black women.
Nina Parker:
"When someone brings up a relationship that hurts you... but you're tired of arguing and being used."
[25:13 – 26:42]
DJ Envy adds his perspective, sharing similar experiences and the lack of support for Black employees within the organization.
Nina Parker emphasizes the importance of diversifying income sources to ensure financial stability outside of controlling networks. She shares her journey of launching a clothing line, available at Macy's, catering to plus-sized women.
Nina Parker:
"I have a clothing line for plus women, sizes 12 to 30. It's doing very well as one of the multiple streams."
[36:32 – 36:43]
DJ Envy appreciates the initiative, acknowledging the necessity of maintaining multiple income streams in the volatile entertainment industry.
The conversation takes a deeply personal turn as Nina Parker opens up about the emotional trauma endured during her time at TMZ. She discusses the lack of HR support and the pervasive microaggressions faced as the only Black person on camera.
Nina Parker:
"Sometimes you're tired of arguing... I'm tired of being used. Women being talked about. I have to think about the people who are watching that look like me."
[25:27 – 25:48]
Nina shares her struggle to balance professionalism with personal well-being, highlighting the exhausting demand to constantly defend her identity and perspective in a predominantly white workspace.
Nina Parker:
"I have to put more worth in me, what I'm saying. It’s not about being first anymore, but about the value of what you’re saying."
[33:37 – 34:19]
DJ Envy and Ebony engage empathetically, recognizing the shared experiences and the importance of mental health and self-worth beyond job performance.
The discussion circles back to the excitement surrounding 'Friday Night Vibes', detailing its unique approach compared to traditional shows and the positive environment it fosters.
Nina Parker:
"This show is premiering tonight on Friday. It’s a positive environment, and we get breaks. It truly doesn't feel like work."
[37:43 – 38:35]
DJ Envy concludes by highlighting the show's familial vibe and the mutual support between hosts, ensuring listeners of the authentic and heartfelt content they can expect.
DJ Envy:
"We appreciate you guys for coming up. It's a good family moment every Friday."
[38:23 – 38:35]
The episode wraps up with fun interactions and light-hearted moments, reinforcing the strong bond and camaraderie between the hosts and guests. They briefly tease upcoming segments and emphasize the supportive nature of their new ventures.
Nina Parker on Magic Chemistry:
"Sometimes I feel like you get that little voice when you're in this industry, you just know when something is magic."
[05:55 – 06:13]
DJ Envy on Being Easy to Work With:
"When somebody says you're easy to work with, that's beautiful... our guests come on, they feel really natural with us."
[06:40 – 09:32]
Nina Parker on Financial Struggles:
"I had bad credit. I had no financial literacy at all... I started living under my means."
[13:17 – 15:13]
Nina Parker on Self-Worth:
"I have to put more worth in me, what I'm saying. It’s not about being first anymore, but about the value of what you’re saying."
[33:37 – 34:19]
This episode of "The Breakfast Club" offers an in-depth and heartfelt discussion between Nina Parker and KevOnStage, shedding light on their professional journey, the toxic environment at TMZ, and the birth of their uplifting new venture, 'Friday Night Vibes'. Their candid conversations reveal resilience, the importance of self-worth, and the power of authentic collaboration, providing valuable insights for listeners navigating similar challenges in the media industry.