Tamar Estine Braxton (born March 17, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. She began her music career as a founding member of the R&B group The Braxtons, formed with her four sisters. The group released its debut studio album, So Many Ways, in 1996. After pursuing a solo career, Braxton released her debut album, Tamar, through DreamWorks Records in 2000. Following a hiatus from solo recording, she returned with Love and War (2013), which reached number two on the Billboard 200 and topped the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
As a television personality, Braxton starred alongside her mother and sisters in the We TV reality series Braxton Family Values (2011–2020) and appeared in the spin-off Tamar & Vince. She co-hosted the syndicated daytime talk show The Real from 2013 to 2016, receiving two Daytime Emmy Award nominations for her work on the program. In 2019, she won the second season of the American reality competition series Celebrity Big Brother, becoming the first Black winner of the US version of Big Brother. Her subsequent television work has included hosting To Catch a Beautician, competing on Queens Court in 2023, and co-starring in the reality series The Braxtons.
Tamar Estine Braxton was born on March 17, 1977, in Severn, Maryland, to Michael and Evelyn Braxton. She is the youngest of six children, which includes her sisters and her brother Michael Braxton Jr.. Her father, Michael Braxton Sr., was a pastor, and both of her parents served as pastors at different points in their lives. Braxton and her siblings grew up in a Christian household, where they learned to sing from their mother and regularly performed in church. Braxton recalled that she and her sisters frequently harmonized together at home, contributing to their early interest in music.
Tamar and her sisters Toni, Traci, Towanda, and Trina, signed their first record deal with Arista Records in 1989. In 1990, they released their first single, "Good Life" with little success. In 1991, during a showcase with L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who were in the process of forming LaFace Records, Toni Braxton, minus her four sisters, was chosen and signed as the label's first female solo artist. At the time, the remaining members were told that LaFace was not looking for another girl group since it had just signed TLC. After Toni's departure from the group, the remaining Braxtons members became backup singers for Toni's first tour, and featured in her music videos including the single, "Seven Whole Days".[citation needed]
In 1993, LaFace Records A&R Vice President, Bryant Reid, signed The Braxtons to LaFace. However, the group never released an album or single for the label. When Reid moved on to work for Atlantic Records, he convinced executives at LaFace to allow him to take the group to Atlantic also. It was reported in Vibe magazine that in 1995, Traci Braxton had left the group to pursue a career as a youth counselor. However, it was not confirmed until a 2011 promotional appearance on The Mo'Nique Show, that Traci was not allowed to sign with Atlantic because of her pregnancy at the time.
In 1996, Tamar, Trina, and Towanda returned with a new album, So Many Ways, which peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. At the time of its release, Reid told Billboard magazine, "I had a vision for them then that was about young sophistication with sex appeal." The trio also performed a remixed version of "So Many Ways" with rapper Jay-Z on September 9, 1996, at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. "So Many Ways" peaked at No. 83 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 32 on the UK Singles Chart. The group then served as the opening act for Toni Braxton on the European Leg of her Secrets Tour in 1997. The Braxtons decided to part ways as a group after Tamar left to pursue a solo career with DreamWorks Records in 1998.
1999–2009: Tamar and label troubles
In 1999, Braxton met Christopher "Tricky" Stewart. She recorded her solo debut album, Ridiculous, so-named for the many different musical styles on the album. The album spawned two buzz singles ("Let Him Go" and "Just Cuz") in hopes of garnering attention from the public eye; however, when the songs failed to gain impact on urban radio outlets, the album was pushed back and canceled. That same year, Braxton was featured on Sole's, "4 The Love of You." Instead of shelving the album, DreamWorks Records abandoned 3 old tracks, added new ones, and renamed it Tamar. The lead single "Get None" was produced by Jermaine "J.D." Dupri and also featured rap verses from him as well as former Jay-Z protégée Amil. The song also included uncredited background vocals and songwriting by R&B singer Mýa. As soon as the song began to pick up airplay, Braxton announced the album would be released in early 2000, alongside a second single, "If You Don't Wanna Love Me". The album featured production from Missy Elliott, Tim & Bob, and Tricky Stewart, and peaked at number 127 on the Billboard 200. When the album's second single failed to gain significant radio airplay, her label dropped her from their roster.
In 2001, Braxton's previously unreleased song "Try Me" appeared on the soundtrack album for the film Kingdom Come. She also began to work alongside her sister Toni Braxton in a number of songs and music video cameos, including the video for "He Wasn't Man Enough". She performed, co-wrote and sang background vocals on songs for Toni's albums, The Heat (2000), Snowflakes (2001), More than a Woman (2002), Libra (2005) and Pulse (2010). When her sister launched her Las Vegas revue Toni Braxton: Revealed, Tamar again sang backup until she was replaced by singer Sparkle.[citation needed]
By 2004, Braxton was signed to Tommy Mottola's reactivated Casablanca Records and had begun work on her second album. A "Grindin'"-influenced single, "I'm Leaving", was released with a guest appearance from Bump J. alongside promotional remixes featuring Sheek Louch, Styles P. and Ali Vegas.
2010–2013: Television debut and Love and War
Braxton in 2012
In 2010, Braxton signed to Universal Records, where she recorded a song "The Heart In Me" that same year. The song was set to be included on the Adidas 2: The Music compilation. Her momentum with Universal would not rise to a satisfactory level to launch a second album. In January 2010, We TV confirmed that it had signed Braxton and her mother and sisters for a reality television series titled Braxton Family Values. The show premiered on April 12, 2011. On December 15, 2011, it was confirmed that Braxton and her husband Vincent would star in their own reality series centered on her solo career and their married life. In November 2011, Braxton performed "Love Overboard" at the 2011 Soul Train Awards for Lifetime Achievement recipient Gladys Knight. In September 2012, news broke that Braxton had inked a fresh recording contract with Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records founded by Vincent. Later that month, her reality television show Tamar & Vince premiered on We TV.
Braxton was the featured model for the "Front Row Couture" collection during the "ELLE/Style360" NYC Fashion Week event. Braxton was a co-host of Tameka Cottle's late night talk show, Tiny Tonight, on VH1. Basketball Wives star Tami Roman became a co-host after Braxton. Later, she hosted The Culturelist, a show on BET's sister channel Centric. In March 2013, it was revealed that Braxton had signed to Epic Records ahead of the release of her second album, Love and War. The album's lead single, the title track, was released on December 6, 2012. The song was a commercial success, spending nine weeks at number one on the Adult R&B Songs chart. Although the single reached number one on the US iTunes chart, it peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 13 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Braxton released "The One" as the second single from Love and War on May 7, 2013; it peaked at number 34 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The third single, "All the Way Home", was released August 21, 2013; it peaked at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 37 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song was followed by the release of Love and War on September 3, 2013. The album was a commercial success in the United States, selling 114,000 copies in its opening week; it debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, falling short of the top spot behind Ariana Grande's Yours Truly, and was number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Outside the US, it debuted at number 34 on the UK R&B Albums Chart.
In 2013, Braxton began working alongside Adrienne Bailon, Loni Love, Jeannie Mai, and Tamera Mowry, when she became a co-host of the syndicated daytime talk show The Real, which premiered that year on July 15. Braxton's special Listen Up: Tamar Braxton premiered on Centric in September 2013. The second season of Tamar & Vince premiered on September 5, 2013, and is centered on the preparation and birth of the couple's baby, and her launch of Love and War. On November 11, 2013, Braxton's first Christmas album, Winter Loversland, was released and debuted at number 43 on the Billboard 200 with 8,000 copies sold in its first week. In December 2013, Braxton received three nominations for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Urban Contemporary Album for Love and War, and Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance for its title track.
2014–2019: Calling All Lovers, Dancing with the Stars and Bluebird of Happiness
On February 25, 2014, the remix of Robin Thicke's single "For the Rest of My Life" which features Braxton, was released as a digital single. Season 3 of Tamar & Vince premiered in October 2014, and it consisted of 10 episodes just like the previous seasons. On October 6, Braxton's new single "Let Me Know" featuring rapper Future peaked at number two on the BillboardTrending 140 chart, less than an hour after its premiere on Braxton's official SoundCloud account and eventually reached number one on October 7. Billboard.com gave the song 4 out of 5 stars in its review of "The Best and Worst Singles of the Week" for the second week of October.
On May 27, 2015, the single "If I Don't Have You" was released. The song peaked at number 6 on the US Adult R&B Songs chart. On October 2, 2015, Braxton's new album, Calling All Lovers, was released, peaking at number two on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. On September 2, 2015, she was revealed as one of the celebrities who would be competing on the 21st season of Dancing with the Stars. She was paired with reigning champion, Valentin Chmerkovskiy. On November 11, Braxton revealed that she would have to withdraw from the competition due to health problems. Braxton and Chmerkovskiy finished in fifth place overall.
In October 2015, the group The Braxtons, including all five Braxton sisters, released a holiday album titled Braxton Family Christmas. On November 21, Braxton Family Christmas debuted at number 27 on the US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, number 10 on the US R&B Chart and number 12 on US Top Holiday Albums on November 21, 2015. The album charted at number 4 on the US Heatseekers Albums on December 12. On December 7, 2015, Braxton received one Grammy nomination for "If I Don't Have You" at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards: Best R&B Performance from her latest album titled Calling All Lovers.
In May 2016, Braxton departed from The Real. The following month, it was announced on The Steve Harvey Morning Show that Steve Harvey had signed Braxton to produce her own talk show and television series with East 112th Street Productions. In April 2017, it was announced that Braxton left Epic Records to sign with Entertainment One for a $1 million deal with the label. On April 27, Braxton released "My Man" from her fifth album, Bluebird of Happiness. The song peaked at number three on the US Adult R&B SongsBillboard. Bluebird of Happiness was released on September 29, 2017, through Logan Land Records and Entertainment One, with "Blind" released as its second single. The album reached the top of the Billboard independent chart.
On March 23, 2018, Braxton and sister, Towanda, guest-starred in their sister Toni's music video "Long as I Live". In the same year, Braxton appeared on Hip Hop Squares. On March 28, 2018, Braxton was featured on Todrick Hall's song "National Anthem", from his album Forbidden. That same year, Braxton co-starred in the stage play Redemption of a Dogg opposite Snoop Dogg. In Parallel, she was featured on the song "Lions And Tigers And Bears", from the Todrick Hall musical Straight Outta Oz.
In 2019, Braxton appeared as a contestant in the second season of the American reality television series Celebrity Big Brother. The show premiered on CBS on January 21, 2019, and concluded on February 13, 2019. Braxton won the competition, becoming the first African-American person to win a season of Big Brother in the United States. In Big Brother tradition, she appeared on the American television soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful, portraying a character named Chef Chambre. Braxton taped her episode on February 20, 2019, and it aired on March 29, 2019.
2020–2025: Television, film and musical comeback
Braxton starred alongside Vivica A. Fox and Darius McCrary in the film True To The Game 2, which premiered on April 10, 2020. In support of the film, she debuted a new song, "Crazy Kind of Love", which was produced by Hitmaka and officially released on March 20, 2020.
In April 2020, it was announced that Braxton would be hosting a reality television series for VH1, titled To Catch A Beautician; the series premiered in June 2020. In July 2020, Braxton and We TV parted ways, with the network stating that it "will work with her representatives to honor her request to end all future work for the network." Braxton's podcast, Under Construction w/ Tamar Braxton, premiered on streaming services in November 2020, and was nominated at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Lifestyle/Self-Help Podcast.
The We TV docu-series Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life!, in which she starred, premiered in September 2020. In early 2021, Braxton announced that she had begun recording music again (after announcing retirement in 2017) and would be releasing two albums back-to-back, with the first album's release slated for early 2022. She has since been featured on several songs for other artists, such as Mr.P and Elijah Blake.
On November 30, 2022, Braxton starred in the Jamie Foxx-produced ChristmasTV movieHip Hop Family Christmas Wedding, alongside Keri Hilson, Ne-Yo, Terrence J, MC Lyte, Redman, and Cassie Ventura. In March 2023, Braxton starred alongside Evelyn Lozada and Nivea in the Peacock dating reality television series Queens Court, which followed the three women as they dated prospective partners. The series premiered on March 16, 2023. During the season finale, Braxton became engaged to contestant Jeremy "JR" Robinson, an attorney.
On March 17, 2023, Braxton released the single "Changed", which samples SWV's "Rain". "Changed" was one of the top 10 R&B songs of that year and debuted at number 15 on Billboard's R&B Digital Song Sales chart, peaking at number nine. It also peaked at number two on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart. On July 23, 2023, she starred in the TV movie A Mother’s Intuition. On September 21, 2023, she voiced the character Star in the acclaimed animated series Young Love for seven episodes. On November 9, 2023, she acted in the BET Christmas TV movie Christmas Angel. On March 15, 2024, Braxton independently released the single "Notice Me", which she co-wrote with Amber Dion Smith, Donald Sales and Nyerere Davidson. Produced by Sales, the song reached number two on the Billboard R&B Digital Song Sales chart and number 10 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs chart. On April 18, 2025, Braxton released the single "You on You", produced by longtime collaborator Tricky Stewart. It debuted at number 28 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart and later peaked at number three.
On October 31, 2025, Braxton released the self-produced filmHeartbreak Retrograde: The Movie on her YouTube channel. The approximately 45-minute film combined dramatic scenes and conversations with music videos and featured appearances by her mother, Evelyn Braxton, and her former husband, Vincent Herbert, among others. The six-track extended play (EP) Heartbreak Retrograde was released through Platform Records on November 7, 2025. Produced by Stewart, it explores the emotional ups and downs of romantic relationships and includes "You on You" as its lead single.
2026–present: Continued television and film work
On June 19, 2026, the thriller filmStepfather, directed by Chris Stokes, premiered on Tubi. Braxton starred as Asia, the wife of Taye Diggs's character, Darnell, whose pursuit of an ideal family leads him to kill families he considers imperfect.
In 2001, Braxton married songwriter and producer Darrell "Delite" Allamby, whom she met while working on her debut album. The couple divorced in 2003 after two years of marriage.
In 2003, Braxton began dating music executive Vincent Herbert, whom she met through her sister Toni. They married on November 27, 2008. On June 6, 2013, she gave birth to their son, Logan Vincent. In October 2017, Braxton filed for divorce from Herbert, citing irreconcilable differences and seeking joint custody of their son. Their divorce was finalized in July 2019.
Braxton dated financial adviser David Adefeso from 2018 to 2020. In September 2020, Adefeso filed for a domestic violence restraining order against Braxton, alleging that he had been subjected to domestic violence. Braxton denied that their relationship had been abusive. In March 2021, the case was dismissed and the restraining order dissolved after neither party appeared for a court hearing.
On July 16, 2020, Braxton was hospitalized following a suicide attempt. In an October 2020 interview, she said she had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression. She also discussed the role that her experiences in reality television had played in her mental health struggles. In a June 2021 interview with People, Braxton reflected on the period surrounding her suicide attempt and her recovery. She said that filming her reality series Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life! had taken a toll on her mental health, explaining that she felt some scenes had been edited in ways that differed from how events had occurred. She also expressed dissatisfaction with what she perceived as an increasingly negative portrayal of her life on television and said she did not intend to film another docuseries centered on her personal life.
In August 2025, Braxton reported that she had suffered serious injuries in an incident over the preceding weekend. She said that a friend had found her with facial injuries and that she had fractured her nose, lost some teeth and experienced reduced mobility. Braxton stated that she did not remember what had happened and described her recovery as an ongoing physical and mental process.
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