OWN Spotlight: Black Women OWN the Conversation explores motherhood this weekend, including raising Black sons, the consequences of spanking and deciding on the right time to have children.
During the episode, political commentator Angela Rye reveals she always wanted to be a mom, but put her career first.
“I think my motherhood desires have evolved,” Rye explains in a preview. “By that, I mean I remember finishing undergrad and getting ready to start law school. I was like, ‘I’m gonna have four kids by the time I graduate, then I’m going to study for the bar.’ Like, who does that?”
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As time passed, she decided to reevaluate her priorities. Rye, 39, tells host Carlos Watson she went through the process of freezing her eggs, even during her “life-shaking” breakup last year with Common.
“At the same time I was going through the breakup, I was going through the process of freezing my eggs,” Rye explains. “But the breakup caused me to question everything, if I wanted to really be married, if I wanted to have kids.”
Her attitude about men shifted after freezing her eggs.
“There was a time, for a moment, where as soon as I froze my eggs, I was like, ‘I’m good. I don’t need these fools at all,’” she says.
Then something happened and her godsons moved into her home.
“After my godsons moved in, I was like, ‘This might actually be more rewarding than any speech I’ve ever given, than any book I could ever write, than any opportunity to mentor anyone,’” Rye notes. “I feel like just them being around, I’ve grown as a person. I think that is truly a lesson you can only learn on a motherhood journey.”
Common and Rye began dating in 2017, and broke up in March 2018. But earlier this week during an interview with radio host Angie Martinez, Common confirmed he’s reunited with Rye.
“I’m really happy,” he said. “We dated and then, it kind of, I had to get myself together.”
He said he got professional help and is a better person.
“Therapy helped me to do that,” he added. “It helped me to be like, some of the stuff I’m putting on this person is really stuff from my childhood; baggage I’m carrying.”
The “Motherhood” episode of OWN Spotlight: Black Women OWN The Conversation airs Saturday, August 31 at 10 pm ET/PT
