The Chosen One They Called a 'Wannabe': Insiders Reveal the Secret Jealousy that Fueled the War Against Traci Braxton!
THE CHOSEN ONE THEY CALLED A 'WANNABE': INSIDERS REVEAL THE SECRET JEALOUSY THAT FUELED THE WAR AGAINST TRACI BRAXTON!
ATLANTA – For years, the narrative was cruelly twisted to portray Traci Braxton as the "wannabe," the sister desperately clawing for a spot in the limelight. But a closer look at her legacy, combined with bombshell revelations from insiders, paints a vastly different picture: Traci Braxton was not the black sheep; she was the silent powerhouse whose independence and success allegedly sparked a deep-seated resentment that threatened to fracture the family.
THE LABEL THEY TRIED TO MAKE STICK
The on-screen drama often positioned Traci as the outsider, the one left behind. But this was a carefully crafted illusion. While the show focused on her struggle for inclusion, it conveniently ignored the empire she was building completely on her own terms.
"That 'wannabe' label was a joke," a production source tells us. "It was a storyline to create conflict. In reality, Traci was one of the busiest sisters. She was filming, recording, hosting, and raising her family. She wasn't waiting by the phone for her sisters to call."
THE EMPIRE SHE BUILT IN SILENCE
While the family drama swirled, Traci was working. She wasn't just dreaming of a comeback; she was achieving it. She launched a successful solo music career, dropping two Billboard-charting albums and the hit record "Last Call." She became a beloved radio host and carved out a lane in acting.
"Traci never begged for a handout," a close friend of the late star revealed. "She made her own connections, she put in the studio hours, she built her own brand from the ground up. She was the definition of a self-made woman who refused to live in anyone's shadow."
A LIGHT TOO BRIGHT: THE RESENTMENT BEHIND THE SCENES
So why the negative portrayal? Sources claim it all boils down to one thing: jealousy. Traci's success, achieved without the family's co-sign, was a mirror that reflected uncomfortable truths.
"Her independence was a threat," the production source confessed. "She proved she didn't need the group to be a star. That kind of power breeds resentment, and whispers about Towanda's jealousy, in particular, were an open secret on set. Traci's light shone so brightly on its own, and it made others question their own."
In the end, the label never stuck because the truth was too powerful. The world saw a hardworking, dedicated woman who was a star in her own right. The black sheep wasn't lost; she was the one who knew the way all along. Traci Braxton Surratt never dimmed her light for anyone—she was the sun.
VIDEO: See RHOBH Season 15 Trailer! Kyle Seemingly Admits She’s Bisexual as Dorit Meets With Mauricio! Plus Jennifer Accuses Sutton of Being Selfish, Erika & Dorit Feud, Denise Admits She’s “Afraid” of Aaron, & Rachel Zoe and Amanda Frances Join Cast
Kyle Richards seems to confirm that she’s into both men and women in the just-released trailer for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 15.
As Dorit Kemsley, 49, and Mauricio Umansky, 55, are seen at a restaurant, Erika Jayne, 54, goes public with her new boyfriend, John “Shrek” McPhee, and Denise Richards, 54, admits she’s afraid of Aaron Phypers, 53, newbies Rachel Zoe, 54, and Amanda Frances are introduced to the group, Sutton Stracke, 54, butts heads with Jennifer Tilly, 67, and Bozoma “Boz” Saint John, 48, questions Kyle, 56, about her personal life.
“Look, I’m a girls’ girl. But in order to be friends, I want to know the information so that I can also be helpful,” Boz tells Kyle as the clip begins.
“Well, why don’t you ask what you really want to ask: I could go Brad; I could go Angelina,” Kyle replies.
Boz then tells her co-star, “I have to know what you want,” and Kyle says, “Someone who likes sex.”
During another moment, Kyle opens up about her ongoing estrangement from Mauricio.
“You need to go out there and do whatever makes you happy,” Erika tells her.
“I’m trying,” Kyle replies as she’s later seen having a tear wiped away by Mau.
Another relationship in turmoil is that of Dorit and Paul “PK” Kemsley, 58.
“He’s never [texted] me once asking to see the kids,” Dorit tells Mauricio during an outing at a restaurant.
“I’m hearing different stories,” Mau replies.
With her castmates struggling to work through the ends of their marriages, Erika is enjoying the start of her new romance as she makes it “official” with her boyfriend.
“That was a hard launch,” Kyle declares after John is seen on a FaceTime call.
Erika is then seen sitting down with Denise.
“How could you release pictures of your wife naked?” Denise wonders.
“Are you afraid?” Erika replies.
“Yeah,” Denise, whose estranged husband has been accused of abuse, confirms. “Very.”
While Kyle high-fives Dorit in one scene, all isn’t well between them, as they are later seen engaging in a tense moment during dinner with their castmates.
“You’re lying. And you know what doesn’t lie? The cameras,” Kyle declares.
Meanwhile, speaking to Kathy Hilton, 66, Dorit says, “Those days of me sitting there, grinning and bearing it, swallowing it, taking it, those days are f*cking over.”
Kyle and Dorit are also seen with Erika, who appears to be trying to intervene.
“I’m not gonna stop talking,” Erika tells Dorit.
But Dorit isn’t interested in what Erika has to say and storms off, telling her co-stars, “Go f*ck yourselves.”
As Rachel makes her grand entrance into the group, she reminds viewers, “My name’s Rachel Zoe. You may or may not remember me from Bravo because I’ve lived here before.”
She then accuses someone of being “fake” and playing “both sides” before a scene shows her crying about her failed attempt at a “hot girl summer.”
During their cast trip to Florence, Italy, the group is introduced to Amanda, whom Sutton immediately welcomes.
“To Amanda, our new friend,” she announces amid a meal.
“And Rachel’s our new friend, too,” Boz notes.
“She’s been here a minute, though. I’m new-new,” Amanda fires back.
Although Sutton seems to take a liking to Amanda, not everyone else does.
“Something’s off with this girl,” Erika suspects.
And Boz later tells the newbie, “You are not being clear about your life.”
Once back home, during a chat with her partner, Amanda suspects that one of the women is intimidated by her “because I’m young and successful and I’m not financially dependent on a man, and she outsourced her financial well-being to a man and it didn’t go well.”
Elsewhere in the trailer, Rachel confirms her divorce from Rodger Berman to her two sons, Skyler, 14, and Kaius, 11, Boz undergoes surgery and seems to get bad news, and drama erupts between Sutton and Jennifer.
“That’s why Garcelle left: Because it’s always all about Sutton,” Jennifer declares, signaling Garcelle Beauvais, 58, and her March exit from the series.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 15 premieres on Thursday, December 4, at 8/7c on Bravo.
