Talking Basketball Wives Drama With Meeka Claxton
By: Nicole Scott
She’s loved by some, hated by most– it’s the newest basketball wife Meeka Claxton who brought a new hurricane down to Miami. Premier Guide Media’s Nicole Scott recently spoke with Meeka who cleared up a lot about the high drama on VH1’s Basketball Wives. She discussed Tami, Evelyn and who really is the non mother effin factor!
Were you expecting all this drama that was showed on T.V?
Meeka Claxton: No, not at all that’s the funny thing about it. My intentions have and still are to just show the lifestyle that has not been shown yet. I thought the world was ready to see that . I think when everybody sees “Basketball wives” they want to see the jets, you know the jet setting lifestyle but yet see that I have such a grounded family. Our foundation is so solid that all of that is great it’s a blessing to us but I’m just truly blessed to have the best of both worlds. I want to give my kids what my parents couldn’t give me. I really wanted to show another side, the side you were thinking was going to be shown, It doesn’t seem like anything when your filming but I definitely did not think that I’d be the drama queen.
This is the reaction we hear when your name is mentioned, “Oh we don’t like Meeka, she’s a troublemaker.”
Meeka Claxton: Well I’m Americas most hated right now .
Are you bothered by this reaction?
Meeka Claxton: Not at all, I am so secure. That girl that I see on T.V , the one that is sweating from all the patron and all of the heat in Miami, that is not me. I am definitely confident and I know my fly. I’m not bad in person at all. The fact that my husband is still around means it definitely doesn’t hurt me. I laugh at the twitter thugs and the Facebook people. I’m like let me do my own and let me show you what I could do. A lot of times you have to see these people’s pictures too. It’s like check yourself before you check me.
Do you laugh about it?
Meeka Claxton: YEAH! That’s what you have to do laugh at them. Do you really think that a man, especially one who was in the NBA for 10 years would stick around with a girl who walks around looking like she’s all greasy? Come on man.
Would you move to Miami?
Meeka Claxton: You know what we were thinking about it because back and forth is a lot for me, im already back and forth between Atlanta and New York.
I read that you did not ask Shaunie to be on the show. It was one of your friends who actually thought you would be a good addition to the show. Do you think she suggested you because maybe she thought you were a drama queen?
Meeka Claxton: Well, I don’t know what she told Shaunie. Actually when she (the friend who suggested basketball wives) and I were on the phone in January she was just saying to me, Man your back and forth so much business must be booming. I’m like yeah you know I just opened up my second office last year and she was just going crazy like Meek you have to go on Basketball Wives please go on there and show the girls that are doing it. And I was like no I don’t think Shaunie wants that.She goes do you want me to call her (Shaunie) and I said , No. Then I spoke to a friend of mine and she told me you know it is a lot of drama. But she was like you know what do it. Show how we party together and vacation together. She thought it would be good to show the business, the family and the luxury.
How do real basketball wives treat each other because on basketball wives we see drama all day?
Meeka Claxton: The actual wives and fiancée and even girlfriends is all love. We encourage each other to do things outside of our men. I’m only 31 and for the league that’s older you know so I encourage the 23-24 year old to start building a brand for themselves they don’t really see it right away. All it takes is 1 argument or that 1 fight and you could be left out cold. So with these other girls we are so much closer than this whole scenario.
You emphasize that the show doesn’t show Meeka Claxton it shows Meeka the trouble maker. So since it looks different on TV what really happened with Tami at the polo event? How did all of it really go down?
Meeka Claxton: It’s so funny to me how people just see what they see on TV and don’t realize that obviously there are other things that lead up to someone just finally going off on somebody. I’m def a cool person but after a while its like Oh my God, it gets so annoying, its like you basically set me off so now I’m going to be a jerk to you. It’s almost like they bring out the child in you . When you start hanging around with someone like Tami you really start to pick up that same…
Attitude…
Meeka Claxton: Yeaah , ugh just disgusting characteristics of that person. I have to say I did apologize to the other girls because that’s not me to go off like that at such an event. I still represent my husband and my kids wherever I go. My husband told me “You let her make you stoop down to her level, you ant do that” and from there I learned my lesson. You’ll see I fell back after that. I went back to counting to 10 and breathing. She’s def a bully especially with someone her age I’m a kid compared to her. It sucks it really does. I own up to everything I said and did but put it like this that was me reacting. Don’t ever think its me just popping off on anybody.
It was reported that you and Tami actually got into a physical fight in Rome…
Meeka Claxton: It so funny I heard that too one morning when I woke up, the blogs where going crazy and people on twitter like yeah that’s what you deserve and I’m like yo what are they talking about? Then I found out that this story had leaked about her punching me and that I was all sore and beat up and I was like this is how other things get started. But no I have to say this is a very explosive season and I cannot give away anything. But again that is not my style, you will not seem e trying to fight in a club or anything like that. I’m not a hoodrat.
How is your relationship with Evelyn?
Meeka Claxton: Actually I don’t have a problem with any of the other girls Evelyn included. People keep asking me these questions and I keep wondering if they have a problem with me.
Evelyn said on the show, “Meeka is chatty your just like shit shut the fu*k up…”
Meeka Claxton: Oh Reaaaally? Hmm.. I guess that’s suppose to be TV Meeka because I know they were talking just as much as me. Like come on man.
People keep saying you’re a groupie and that you try so hard..
Meeka Claxton: I don’t try for nobody. Please don’t get it twisted and yeah watching that show id think the same thing. Groupie never that. I was being very nice because I felt more comfortable because we had a friend that had given us an intro about each other. If you notice when I met Suzie and Tami I was the same way. The one I was a little hesitant about was Royce.
Why were you hesitant about Royce?
Meeka Claxton: I was hesitant about Royce because as a wife or as a players GF when your just like these dancers that are not supposed to even talk to the players and you have one that crosses lines and sleeps with the players , you always have it in the back of your mind like are they sleeping with the players? Then your like naa that’s their job they are serious dancers. But then you have the 1 like Royce who does cross lines . So I was more skeptical . Honestly there is no other reason but me and her cleared the air early on in the show. From then on we started to know each other. That’s what other people don’t realize is that 3 months gets broken down into 10 hrs for 1 season so there are hours and hours that people don’t see. There’s a timeline so it looks like I’m talking shit behind her back. One thing I don’t do is talk shit behind your back then go break bread with you.
I guess since you’re the new girl people are trying you because you’re trying to “Fit in”…
Meeka Claxton: Oh and then Tami is like you’re a non mothafukn factor bitch . The same one that wants to call me Evelyn’s groupie but who’s really the groupie your using her line boo. Get outa here.
The show is called basketball wives but none of the girls are wives– either they are baby mamas, ex wives, ex fiancés or ex girlfriends. You knew that but you still wanted to join why?
Meeka Claxton: That’s why I said that I had to think about it. All I had seen from a few episodes was Tami’s face always arguing with somebody. Like wow you have a chance to add a cast member and you add someone like her. I didn’t think they wanted to show the real but when I thought about it I know myself and I’m not into all of that . I really thought I could stay away from it.
You’re a realtor, so has the show helped your business?
Meeka Claxton: 1st I didn’t go on for it to help me with work. My business is more word of mouth throughout the athletic world and the military. We are a global relocation service. I wasn’t thinking about it as commercial but a lot of people know what I do now which is great. I’ve gotten a lot of calls about it, its opening the door to the public.
So are you coming back next season?
Meeka Claxton: Well you know anything is possible.
Do you get paid? How much do you get paid to be on this show?
Meeka Claxton: I wish I could tell you but put it like this its Sneaker Bar money.