Tamar Braxton Shares A Moving Statement About The State Of Reality Television

Tamar Braxton’s original claim to fame may have been her work in the music industry, but reality television has undoubtedly played a significant part in the star’s popularity over the course of the past few years. Unfortunately, appearing on television has also created a number of personal issues for Braxton, but she's dedicating her energy to the fight to make the reality TV space more equitable in the future.

After she had built a reputation as an R&B singer, Braxton took WeTV up on an opportunity to open her life to the world as part of the original reality series Braxton Family Values. Along with her sisters Toni, Traci, Towanda, Trina, and their mother Evelyn, Tamar shared personal highs and lows with fans of the show for six seasons; she and her ex-husband Vincent Herbet even got their own spinoff, Tamar & Vince.

Unfortunately, the relationship between the Braxtons and We TV grew tense towards the sixth season of the show. Though Braxton Family Values had been one of the network's highest performing series since its premiere in 2011, Tamar claimed that We TV wasn't compensating them enough. She also accused the network for creating problems within the Braxton family; the producers' efforts to drum up content for the show was fueling antagonism amongst the sisters and causing them to turn on each other. Following a tumultuous season, Tamar announced that she wouldn't be returning for a seventh season.

But the stress of her twisted relationship with the network had already taken its toll on the R&B singer, resulting in an emotional overload that landed her in the hospital two weeks ago. Tamar's boyfriend, David Adefeso, revealed that her professional struggles had played a significant role in the decline of her mental health.

"This is an extremely difficult time for Tamar and her family as she navigates professional and personal struggles including her battle with depression," he shared in a statement. "Tamar is currently receiving the best available medical attention to address those struggles and strengthen her mental health, and her family and I will remain by her side throughout her treatment."

Tamar has spoken up about her mental state for the first time after her emergency hospitalization, thanking fans for their prayers and support. She also took time to detail some of the pressing behind-the-scenes factors that had played a part in her situation.

"Over the past 11 years there were promises made to protect and portray my story, with the authenticity and honesty I gave," Tamar wrote in a candid instagram post. "I was betrayed, taken advantage of, overworked, and underpaid. I wrote a letter over 2 months ago asking to be freed from what I believed was excessive and unfair. I explained in personal detail the demise I was experiencing. My cry for help went totally ignored. However the demands persisted."

"It was my spirit, and my soul that was tainted the most," she continued. "Who I was, begun to mean little to nothing, because it would only be how I was portrayed on television that would matter. It was witnessing the slow death of the woman I became, that discouraged my will to fight. I felt like I was no longer living, I was existing for the purpose of a corporations gain and ratings, and that killed me."

Unfortunately, Tamar's situation is not an anomaly within the world of reality TV. The space is known to create and exacerbate mental health problems to a dangerous point. As a result of carefully crafted storylines and hyper-involved producers, many reality personalities have walked away from their shows with a great deal of emotional trauma; some of the common side effects of being in the public eye include depression, severe anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder.

Nonetheless, Tamar is determined to create change in the industry that pushed her to her limits. She's still going to appear on television — upcoming projects include the VH1 series To Catch A Beautician and We TV's Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life — and she's planning to use her platform to push for a total overhaul for this corner of the entertainment world.

"My rise will not be in vain," Tamar assured fans in her statement. "I will make it my mission to establish the initiative that fights for ethical business practices in reality TV, fights for the ownership of our businesses, promotes growth and evolution, and gives us 100% equity in our freedom."