Air Date: Friday, September 26th.

Oprah: Happiness, Happiness, Happiness!!
Thats the name of Vanessa Williams new song. But it wasnt long ago, when she was feeling far from happy. Early this year her 10 year marriage to Ramon Hervey, her business manager, and father of her 3 children ended in a painful divorce. But Vanessa Williams is not one to stay down long, you all!.
She is staring in Soul-Food that great new movie that makes you wanna go home and eat something. It opens today.
In the movie Vanessa plays the oldest of three sisters. Shes got the most money but has the troubled marriage on her hand. We'll ask her if that was acting or if that was real.
(Soul Food clip)
It opens today. please welcome Vanessa Williams!!!!!

Vanessa: How are you doing? Hey!

O: You play the B word very well!

V: Is that a compliment or what?

O: 'Cause I dont think you are that in any way, so I think you had to put your acting skills to work there.

V: Well Teri was a profesional woman like we all are, that worked very hard and when you are so used to being in control for so long its hard to give it up. And I think thats the problem she has. She is in her second marriage when we are introduced to this family.

O: So, did you use a lot of your own internal stuff?

V: Yes, I did. And that was very easy to apply to this character.

O: Vanessas character in Soul Food discovers her husband is having an affair with her cousin. Oh! i couldn't believe it!.
In this scene it becomes the topic on the sunday dinner with the whole family.
(Soul Food clip)

O: So, Soul Food is a slice of family life.

V: Yeah!.

O: Thats the only thing that got me. I thought in a real family, I mean if it wasnt on film, they would have kicked her out of the house that day!.

V: Right! ja! ja!

O: Lets talk a moment about what you've been thru in the past year. I remember I saw you 3, 4, 5 years ago when I did a behind the scenes.

V: yeah! right ! for your behind the scenes prime-time special.

O: I remember coming out from that. I was on the phone with my friend Gail who asked me: "how's Vanessa?" I told her: "oh! Vanessa she is so pretty" , beautiful, beautiful children, but she didnt seem really happy to me, I swear (call her now, she'll tell us). Their chemistry seem a little of. It doesnt seems she is really happy in the marriage. Was that right? Then?

V: Yeah!. You know marriage is an ongoing proccess its tough and especially being in the entertainment environment, where both people are working and both people are exposed to a lot of different things. Its extremely tough. But I have 3 wonderful children. We worked together for 12 years!. When I first met him he was my publicist, then we got married and he was my manager. Thats also another really tough situation to manage.

O: Where did you draw the line?

V: You want to go home and you want your mate to be your mate. You dont want to accept phone calls, play a dual role and that was a big strain. I think anyone who does that dual role fails.

O: Do you think ( this is some theory we talked in the phone with my girlfriend), maybe she is still in the marriage cause she feels a sense of obligation to him because he came into her life at a time the world percibed that you needed him most? You know, they should split when the marriage is over.

V: He certainly came in a time where you know, being in love was wonderful, and an escape from reality and he did a wonderful job, I mean he was the one who said:" recording is what you should be doing". Because I was trying to act, I auditioned for everything. I had so much excess baggage, that no one wanted to hire me for anything 'cause everybody knew me as the scandal celebrity as opposed to an actress and so he said: " listen if you do recording you can control your image, you can control what you sing" and this is what oppened the doors for me to do Soul Food.

O: Do you want to share with us, if you do, you do, if you dont, you dont, its fine with me, why did the marriage end?

V: I think its not as simple as that you know a lot of things, I cant sum it up, its never one thing, certainly I feel its a failure.

O: You do?

V: Yeah!. Cause you dont get married to fail. I have 3 wonderful kids, my parents are still married, they still live in the house I grew up, so I have very strong traditions.

O: So are you happy now?

V: Yes!!

O: See, isnt it amazing, how people think that when you look like you ('cause you are pretty pretty you know).

V: Thankyou

O: That you are not supposed to have any problems at all. 'Cause I remember the first thing Gail said to me was: "well, she is so pretty" I go, well her marriage broke up, you know, people have relationships that dont work, and has nothing to do with what you look like.

V: exactly.

O: So, what do you want for yourself now?

V: Im in control now, I make desitions in terms of everything, financialy, careerwise, I feel like Im in control, like when i say no its no!

O: oh! dont you love that!!, what part of no dont you understand?. And when you say no and people continue to persist, they are trying to control you.

V: exactly, and its nice not to be controled! Its nice to be your own person!

O: I saw you at the Oscars that Quincy produced, not this year but the year before. Ive never seen a body like that!!. Oh! stop!

V:I was a workout theme that year.

O:What did you do to get in that dress?

V:That was a Versace dress, actually!

O: Did you keep it?

V: I have it, yes!

O: Were you feeling as you looked at the time?

V:no!, no! I was pretty miserable, thats why I was on the gym working it all out!. And everybody said, God you are so thin!!. I was misrerable, absolutely miserable!

O: really? In your relationship?

V: In my life. I was searching, trying to ease the pain and now I've put on a little more weight, but hey! im happy, I dont care.

O: And I love this. Vanessa walks out looking like this. This is putting on a little more weight on for her. Coming up, will talk to Vanessa about being single again and her new cd called NEXT, which includes HAPPINESS the song that sums up how she is feeling about her life, will be right back.
(Happiness clip)

(Comercial Break)

(Save the Best For Last Clip)

O: Later in this hour Boyz II Men are going to sing the Soul Food theme song and they are going to perform some of your favorite hits. Boyz II Men and music master Baby Face is coming up.
Vanessa Williams is currently on Tour with our Luther, dont we love Luther?

V: Oh yeah!, absolutely, he is a sweet heart

O: Is this your first tour?

V: Yeah!

O: Why?

V: Cause I have little kids! Life in a bus is not very glamorous, imagine holding little babys around!

O: Are the kids always with you?

V: Not always, now they are in school

O: We caught up with Vanessa and Luther in Miami as they were preparing for their big concert. Take a look

CLIP:

(Vanessa arriving at The Miami Arena in a limo)

V: We usually start with a 4:30 pick up whatever city, hotel we are in.

(Vanessa entering her dressing room)

V: We start hair and makeup

(Vanessa in dressing room with hair and makeup artist)

V: 10 pounds of hair!, Its giving me a headache

(Vanessa talking in the phone with one of her kids)

V: Hi! sweetie pie, how are you? having a play date right now?

V: Im coming!

(Vanessa rehearsing on stage Who Were You Thinkin' 'Bout)

V: Hey Oprah! Im here with one of your really good friends

(Vanessa entering Luther Vandross dressing room)

Luther: Hey ! Hey!

V: We are performing tonight in Miami together

L: She does a dance number that I'm dying to do with her. Im going to tie one dancer one night in the closet.

(Vanessa walking towards the stage)

V: Ok Oprah there goes the band on stage. Im in the Miami Arena about to go on to do the tour! with Luther Vandross! and I open for him!

(Vanessa dancing Betcha Never on stage)

Announcer: Ms. Vanessa Williams! and Mr. Rick Valenzuela (dancer)

Back to the studio

O: I went on tour this spring a few cities with Tina and its hard work doing that! It looks as its so glamorous

V: Yeah!

O: On stage and everybody yelling your name

V: Ive heard you met your man working in Turkey?

V: Yeah! We were doing the Odyssey which was fenomenal and Turkey its absolutely beautiful and had the chance to play a godess, one of the writters who wrote the screen play turned out to be a classmate in Syracuse, which I've never met

O: I would think, you know, my friend Gail says this, that dating at 40, you are not 40 yet, its really, really hard. I would think, you are in your 30's it will be very intimidating for a guy to ask you out

V: That is probably why you meet people in your work place. I certainly dont go clubing, although, now that I finished doing a movie called Shut Up and Dance and learned how to salsa and cha-cha, so now I can go out and do all that stuff

O: Do you feel that, now that you are divorced, feel out of the cocoon, 'cause you seem happier

V: Yeah! right!

O: You feel like is the end of the chapter?

V: Absolutely! more at ease 'cause Im in control of my life i dont know if it has to do with being in the mid 30's, but Im in control

O: What do you think, mom?

Helen Williams: (Vanessa's mother in the audience) I think as you grow and get to the mid 30's that you can spread your wings a little more regardless of your marital status, I felt this way myself I was more comfortable in my own body in my mid 30's early 40's and age has to do more, not your marital status.

O: I do to. You who are hitting that number know what we are talking about, all you 23 year old are going haa?!!. Thats ok. Well be right back in a moment Babyface and Tracy their new movie Soul Food, back in a moment

END
Vanessa's interview endend there, she stayed with Babyface and Tracy Edmonds while Oprah interviewed them and stayed in the audience next to Oprah to see Boyz II Men perform.

END

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