‘Basketball Wives’: Jennifer Williams Speaks on Whether or Not She and Evelyn Lozada Will Ever Be Friends Again
Basketball Wives began with a core group of friends who bond over being in relationships with professional athletes. Fans and cast members on the show admired the friendship between Jennifer Williams and Evelyn Lozada. But as the show progressed, Williams and Lozada have not been able to maintain their once close-knit friendship. Williams says she does not foresee being friends with Lozada again.
A recap of Jennifer Williams and Evelyn Lozada’s friendship
Lozada and Williams were the dynamic duo of the show. In its premiere season, Williams and Lozada had been best friends for over a decade, with Lozada serving as a bridesmaid in Williams’ 2007 wedding. The two were also baptized together.
Viewers of the show perceived Williams to be in Lozada’s shadow as Lozada is more outspoken and Williams has a more reserved personality. Still, the two had each other’s backs. Some cast members even coined the two as “mean girls” and believed Williams enabled Lozada’s behavior. But Williams insisted that she could stand on her own.
The cracks in their relationship began showing in season 3 when Lozada became engaged to NFL star Chad Johnson. Williams believed Johnson was fame-hungry and that the relationship would lead to a dead end. Lozada accused Williams of being jealous and unsupportive.
By season 4, their relationship was permanently fractured. Lozada tried physically attacking Williams several times. They called a truce at the season 4 reunion, but Williams left the show because of the drama.
Williams returned in season 7 and she and Lozada buried the hatchet, promising to move forward positively. But co-stars accused Williams of spreading damaging rumors about Lozada and Lozada’s daughter.
Another round of near physical fights and drink throwing on Lozada’s end began. Despite attempts from Williams to work things out, both Lozada and Williams say they were done with each other by the season 8 reunion.
Jennifer Williams says her friendship with Evelyn Lozada is beyond repair
Williams and Lozada are both returning for season 9 of Basketball Wives. Filming has not yet begun but fans of the show are wondering if the two can peacefully coexist. Moreso, many are watching to see if the longterm frenemies will finally reconcile for good.
Williams says there is no possibility of her ever being friends with Lozada again. She believes their friendship has simply run its course.
“Sometimes you outgrow people and some things you can’t come back from and sometimes you try and it doesn’t work and for me, it’s like I did at one point value our friendship and there’s no ill will, I wish Evelyn well but I don’t want her in my world,” Williams says in a new interview with Carlos King on Instagram live. “I don’t want the engery…as Nene Leakes would say, ‘The door is closed.’ I feel like I’ve tried and it just never works because it’s always something and I’m at the point in my life where I really don’t care.”
Williams believes a reconciliation with Lozada is impossible due to her co-stars conspiring against her and Lozada’s friendship.
“The outside forces…there’s too many talking heads,” Williams says. “It’s virtually impossible [to be friends] because there’s just too many haters. We are a force when we are together and people don’t want that.”
Williams says Basketball Wives will resume filming in September
