Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker broke their silence about rumors that they are heading for a divorce.
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly about their Broadway revival of The Wiz, Burruss, 47, recalled finding out about the blind item from her 21-year-old daughter Riley, whom she shares with ex Russell Spencer.
“Riley actually sent it to me. She was like, ‘Why do people keep saying that y’all about to get divorced?’ I was like, ‘I don’t know,’” Burruss said during a joint interview with Tucker, 50.
Burruss had a theory about what caused the speculation, adding, “I think it came from Todd and I on his YouTube. We were doing this thing called Todd and the Glam Squad where I would get my hair and makeup done [and] he would sit and we would talk about hot topics or relationship issues.”
While discussing the collaboration, Tucker noted that he and Burruss are good at debating topics. The couple have since questioned whether viewers were unable to tell the difference between everyday conversations and serious marriage woes.
“We’re passionate when we go back and forth. I think people kind of mistook that to say we were angry with each other. But we’re [just] debating the topic. We’re going back and forth about this,” Burruss explained. “I’ve been like that my whole life. As soon as we have a back and forth, I can walk out the room and be like, ‘OK, now what are we doing next?’ Whereas I guess to somebody that’s watching it, they are thinking that it’s more than that.”
Tucker, who shares son Ace, 7, and daughter Blaze, 3, with Burruss, agreed with his wife.
“They’re analyzing [it like], ‘Wow, he said this.’ Or his posture.’ You know how they do,” Tucker, who also shares 27-year-old daughter Kaela with an ex, added. “But it was just good, fun conversation and people just took it wrong. I was like, ‘We are with each other every day.’ It’s not like, ‘I haven’t seen him together. His ring isn’t on or something.’”
In response, Burruss pointed out that she is actually the one who often doesn’t wear her ring, saying, “Today I do. But they’ll be like, ‘Why doesn’t she have on her ring?’ I hardly ever have it on. He always has his on. If he doesn’t have it on — then it’s going to be a problem. That’s going to be a problem.”
The pair, who wed in 2014 (Tucker was on the crew of RHOA), try not to concern themselves with speculation about their relationship. Tucker, however, noted that it can be hard to block out the noise.
“It is tough. You’re always on stage and you can’t really kind of relax out in public,” he admitted to Us. “But for me, I think from doing reality TV early on with her, I really don’t pay it any more. We know what’s going on.”
According to Burruss and Tucker, the secret to a successful marriage is all about working together.
“He’s a better communicator than I am. I’m one of those people where if I get in a mood, I kind of shut down,” she detailed. “I don’t want to talk until I’ve completely calmed down because I’m afraid I’ll say something that I didn’t want to say and it comes off harsh. But he likes to communicate and get it all out. He really helps us get through it because we have to talk through it.”
Tucker elaborated on his approach, saying, “What I try to do, I try to reverse things and put myself in her shoes. … It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of work. But the thing is it’s fun and 10 years went by so fast. It could have been a long 10 years, but it has been an amazing ride.”
Burruss and Tucker don’t just collaborate on their marriage. The twosome have famously found success mixing business with pleasure over the years — appearing on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, opening their Old Lady Gang restaurant, producing Kandi & the Gang and more. Now, Burruss and Tucker are kicking it up a notch by joining the producing team for The Wiz.
“We bounce ideas off each other really well at times. I think I have just the most amazing ideas. She kind of lets me believe it for a little bit,” Tucker joked. “But I just think we are yin and yang. We keep everything kind of grounded and level.”
While producing the Broadway revival of The Wiz, it was important for Burruss and Tucker to bring the Black narrative to the stage for a fresh take on the story. The Wiz, which premiered on April 17, stars Wayne Brady, Deborah Cox and Nichelle Lewis.
“It was my favorite musical of all time,” Burruss said of the show, a take on the Wizard of Oz, which first premiered on Broadway in 1903. “[It is] a classic. And we got to show love to our producing partner Brian Moreland because he was like, ‘Hey, what do you guys think about bringing back The Wiz?; And I was like, ‘I’m in. Let’s make it happen.’”
Burruss discussed how working on the stage production took her back to her childhood. “I saw the movie version [with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson] when I was younger so I just used to watch it over and over and over,” she continued. “I knew every song. I knew every move. It was that musical for me.”
Tucker also called the collaboration a “no brainer,” adding, “From the music, the costumes to just the whole story. It’s a classic. … My mom actually took me to the original. I was real little so I don’t remember everything, but I remember it being a little scary back then. But then once the movie came out with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, it’s kind of like, ‘Wow.’”
The duo also highlighted their vision, which focused on keeping the essence of the story while incorporating some changes.
“I think our version of The Wiz is so much funnier and it’s so much more relatable to today’s times because a lot of the jokes kind of refer to things that are happening now and she just made it current and fun.”
She continued: “We did a great job with just casting an amazing cast. Everybody can sing and they’re all incredible vocally. But even the dancers in the background — everybody can sing. That’s what somebody said to me the other day, they were like, ‘I think it’s crazy how even your dancers can sing. That’s great.’ Everybody is doing everything in this show and it really makes it fun and interactive and makes you want to get up and sing with them.”
