Why Adrienne Bailon Vowed to Relocate to New York After ‘The Real’ Ends
The Real is coming to an end after eight seasons on FOX. Adrienne Bailon has been a co-host on the show since its start in 2013. The 3LW singer committed herself to the job so much that she moved permanently from her hometown in New York to LA. But ahead of the cancellation being announced, Bailon revealed that she would not stay in LA after the show ended as she prefers to raise a family in New York.
She doesn’t want to raise her children in LA because she feels New York is better to build character
Bailon has lived in LA throughout her career but it was always on a temporary basis. It wasn’t until she was hired for The Real that she made the decision to move full-time. But with her plans to start a family with her husband Israel Houghton, Bailon says she doesn’t see herself being an LA mother.
“If I was not doing The Real, I’d move back to New York. It’s the only thing keeping me here…With family planning, I am struggling – I want my kids to have that hustle in them, and I want them to be exposed to a different grit, and I want them to feel that and think it’ll be really helpful for them, and I think that it builds character,” she explained during a recent appearance on Amanda Seales’ podcast, Small Doses.
“There’s a certain street smarts that you build [from a place like New York], and I am conflicted with the idea of starting a family here and my kids won’t have that,” she continued. Additionally, Bailon says there are cultural differences between New York and LA that she’s sad her children won’t experience if she doesn’t move, such as having a New York accent or growing up around bodega stores. “It’s dumb stuff and I recognize that but there’s things you want to ingrain in your children and instill in them,” she added.
More than anything, Bailon wants her children to be surrounded by her family. She’s the only person in her immediate family who lives on the West Coast.
The talk show host says she nearly lost herself in LA
Though Bailon is ready to make a move back East, it took her a while to get as grounded as she is. She told Seales that in her 20s, she yearned to be part of the popular crew of celebrities in LA and did all she could to fit in. In the process, she says she made stupid mistakes and created a false impression of who she really was. It’s one of the reasons she knows firsthand how LA can not be the best place for children and young adults.
“I absolutely did lose myself because I came up in the Lindsay Lohan era and there was a club that we all used to go to and it was like this “it” club that everybody went to and I’m not going to lie, I absolutely wanted to be in that circle,” she said. “We wanted to be “it girls” – like, ‘How can you be part of the Hollywood “it girls?’” And I for sure was spending my money on, ‘Where are we eating? Mr. Chow. Where are we eating? Coi,’ – at the time. But it definitely was like you want to be a part of this thing.”
Adrienne Bailon says success put things into perspective for her
Bailon says she grew tired of trying to be a socialite in LA and decided to refocus on her work. The Cheetah Girls star made the decision she says changed the trajectory of her life and career.
“Success [is what changed me],” Bailon said firmly. “Once I had done what I felt I came here to do, which is somewhat make a mark, I wasn’t as eager to do all the busy body s–t, and I think that takes growing up too,” she added. “Once you grow up a bit, and recognize that if I am honest, I didn’t enjoy everything that I got out of it. There was a lot of backlash, I made dumb mistakes. I recognize that I was moving too fast and I wasn’t controlling the way the world was viewing me. And I would rather not be seen at all than to be seen wrong. And that’s where it changed for me. I had to take a step back and ask, ‘How am I being perceived.?’”
