K. Michelle Defends Evelyn Lozada Against Critics After Domestic Dispute
K. Michelle, star of "Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta," is defending her fellow VH1 reality television show star Evelyn Lozada against people's claims that her violent behavior may have been the cause of a domestic dispute with NFL veteran Chad Johnson.
Lozada, 36-year-old "Basketball Wives" star, was allegedly the victim of domestic violence after her estranged husband Johnson reportedly head-butted the reality television star. However, Lozada's persona on "Basketball Wives" where many viewers witnessed her being the antagonist in physical and verbal altercations with fellow cast members left some questioning whether she should be labeled a victim.
Since K. Michelle has her own story of domestic violence in which she claims that music industry executive Mickey "Memphitz" Wright physically abused her and threatened to kill her son, she said she can relate to Lozada.
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"I just feel like it's a very delicate situation, just like with my situation, no one was there with them," K. Michelle told GlobalGrind.com. "We don't know what happened. We don't know anything about it. And I think that media, as well as the Twitter people and the outside world, are so quick to judge and take sides on the situation."
After the domestic dispute made headlines last week, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith publicly questioned Lozada's character on the network's debate show, "First Take."
"I do not know Evelyn Lozada, I have never met her. Maybe she is a wonderful woman and we have to assume Chad loves her very much because he married her," Smith said after prefacing his statement by saying that he doesn't condone domestic violence. "All I have to lean on to some degree without absolving Chad Johnson, because we don't know what happened, but I'm looking at reality t.v. I'm looking at the character that she plays, the way she conducts herself on t.v."
Smith was not the only person to publicly question Lozada's character. Kita Williams, celebrity publicist who once worked with Johnson, also questioned Lozada's role in the domestic dispute. Williams has publicly feuded with Lozada in the past and admitted that she initially thought the "Basketball Wives" star was the initiator in the physical dispute.
"I mean, obviously this is something that's beyond serious but when I heard about it, my first initial reaction when I heard 'domestic violence' – because he's married to Evelyn – was that she was the initiator of this situation," Williams said on HLN's "Showbiz Tonight." "Quite honestly, Evelyn has had altercations on camera and we know that she can be violent. However, both of them are dealing with a situation that's beyond just a minor incident. So, I'm definitely trying to figure out what the next step is for Chad because he's already paying a big price tag for what's happened."
However, K. Michelle said more people should be sympathetic toward Lozada.
"You don't understand and you don't know who K. Michelle is. You don't understand and you don't know who Evelyn is. You don't know if Evelyn goes home, and she could be the most mild mannered, calm person," K. Michelle told GlobalGrind.com. "You just never know how that is. To not be sympathetic to her in a time like this is absolutely ridiculous. It shows you just how evil the world is and it shows you just how real jealous the world is."
Lozada's behavior was once the subject of a petition on change.org called "Boycott 'Basketball Wives' & 'Evelyn Lozada': Don't support Evelyn Lozada's spinoff show 'EV And OCHO.'" Over 32,000 called for VH1 not to air the show months before the domestic dispute, calling Lozada a bully after she threw bottles at fellow cast members and had to be restrained from physically attacking others.
"Evelyn Lozada is a bully. The violence on 'Basketball Wives' is horrible and disgraceful," the petition states. "Physical assaults, threats, verbal abuse, and harassment. VH1 is rewarding this behavior by giving Evelyn a spinoff. Don't reward negative behavior."
Still, K. Michelle, the "Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta" singer and songwriter born Kimberly Paton, said that people should not be so quick to judge Lozada's character based off of one-hour television show episodes that were edited to reflected dramatic situations.
"I think it's really crazy that people can watch you on TV for an hour, and you've been living your life forever, and put on TV for an hour, and then for you to not be sympathetic towards Evelyn or sympathetic towards me," K. Michelle told GlobalGrind.com recently. "There are different sides of every woman. Editing happens."
Despite people's opinions on the matter, K. Michelle said she is proud of the way Lozada has dealt with the aftermath of her domestic dispute with Johnson who was recently cut from the Miami Dolphins roster.
"Evelyn is such a beautiful woman that a lot of girls look up to," K. Michelle said. " I'm very proud of her for taking a stance and walking away, because I feel like I was so in love at the time when the police came to my rescue, I should've moved forward with charges and [I should've done] what I needed to do. So, I think it's very commendable on her part. At the same time it's a tragic situation for both parties."
