Toni Braxton’s Mom is Dating; What Happened in Her Last Marriage

Fans of Braxton Family Values know the famous sisters wouldn’t be who they are today without the guidance of their mother, Evelyn Braxton. A former opera singer, Evelyn coached her daughters vocally after discovering they all had singing abilities. She appeared on all seven seasons of the show alongside her daughters and chronicled her life as a divorced matriarch trying to hold her family together. After divorcing their father, Evelyn tried her hand at dating. In a recent interview, Toni Braxton revealed that her mom is back in the dating pool.

Toni Braxton reveals her mother is on dating apps

The “Unbreak My Heart” singer recently appeared on The Jennifer Hudson show, where she gave an update on her 74-year-old mother. “My mom is dating, and you know she’s on a couple of apps she just started. She won’t tell us, but my kids and the grandkids were helping her with her profile. But she won’t tell us about the date, she just tells us she went on one date,” she told the American Idol alum.

She added: “I’m excited for her, because the roles are changing. My mom and my dad are divorced. So what do I say to mom about dating. How do we talk about relationships?” But don’t think Toni is giving her mother any advice. When Hudson asked if she’s providing her mom tips, Toni replied: “Not really. My sisters be trying to give her some advice. I’ll listen. She’ll ask little things because you know mom’s don’t want their kids to know what they are really doing in life. Which I understand there’s a respect level, but I’m excited she’s getting out there. She’s like I have to get you guys a stepfather.”

Why Evelyn Braxton’s marriage ended

Evelyn and Toni’s father Michael, a former pastor, were married for over 30 years. They wed when they were just 18 and 19 years old and had six children, and were pillars in the community of their hometown, Severn, Maryland. 

According to Michael, the former couple began having issues after Tamar was born. He claims Evelyn was not easy to talk to and didn’t listen to his complaints. Therefore, he sought counseling outside the marriage with another woman named Wanda. Michael and Wanda reportedly entered into a 10-year affair before he and Evelyn ultimately called it quits.

Per Evelyn, she went to marital counseling to try and salvage their marriage but claims Michael cried and admitted he was in love with Wanda. She opted to leave, and 30 days after their divorce was finalized, Michael and Wanda married. The marriage was finalized in 2000. He even stepped down from his role in the church after his congregation confronted him about his infidelity. His relationships with his children would be estranged for several years.

Evelyn admitted she was devastated by the divorce and betrayal. In Season 1, she and Michael had an intense argument about the demise of their marriage. They’ve since been able to be cordial around one another, but Evelyn insists she’ll never consider him to be a friend. 

She was engaged briefly in the reality series

While Toni’s revelation is new to fans, viewers of the show watched Evelyn try her hand at dating before. In fact, she was briefly engaged to a man she referred to as Doc. cameras captured her road to the altar, but she ultimately ended the engagement just weeks before their scheduled nuptials. She later accused Doc of throwing a shoe at her, and stalking her.