Trials To Triumphs

Actress and singer/songwriter Naturi Naughton-Lewis’ greatest trials have become her greatest triumphs. Ashley and Naturi chart her journey from singing in her church to stardom becoming the final member of the platinum-selling girl group 3LW. The two-time NAACP Award winning actress recounts making the difficult decision to leave 3LW at its height and details the decade it took her to get over the pain it caused her.

Naturi explains how she held on to the unwavering belief that her best days were ahead of her. The New Jersey native shares how she emerged out of those trying times as an actress with credits in Hairspray on Broadway, the blockbuster film Notorious and the hit television show Power. Now a newlywed, she opens up about finding love after a season of heartbreak and learning to embrace her light and love herself after years in an industry that she says devalues dark-skinned women. Naturi also gives Ashley the exclusive on her recent heart-to-heart with former 3LW bandmate Adrienne Bailon and how they’re choosing to “lead by example” as they rekindle their friendship as adults.

Hip Hop rising star Lady London is known for her unique flow and powerful freestyles. Unlike some of her most memorable lyrics, her success hasn’t been improvised. Lady London explains to Ashley why she believes “stagnancy is the same as regression” and how she finds growth in times of being uncomfortable. She shares her struggles with being “subject to public scrutiny or subject to whatever people have to say” on social media. She discusses how she used her darkest times to find the importance of prioritizing her mental health above all else. Lady London shares how intentional work and studying her craft created opportunities that catapulted her to musical stardom.

Actress Bresha Webb sees God’s hand in all things. She talks to Ashley about moving through grief with resilience and hope. Two years ago, Bresha lost her father in the midst of filming her hit show, Run the World. Despite the pain of that season, she pushed through believing that goodness would find her on the other side of her grief. Speaking candidly about the genetic disorder she inherited from her late father and its impact on her pregnancy, Bresha shares how God sustained her in the midst of difficulty. As a new mother to baby Brave, Bresha is grateful for the love and support of her husband as they welcome their first child together.

Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPods

You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN

Ashley chats with close friend and critically acclaimed actress Aisha Hinds about her path to replenishment. Aisha has appeared in a number of hit series including 9-1-1, True Blood and The Shield. She made her mark with a powerful performance in Underground playing icon Harriett Tubman. In this vulnerable conversation, Aisha reflects on how her parents’ divorce left her feeling fractured as a young girl and led to her “pursuit of wholeness.” Aisha discusses how her church family stepped in during a trying time in her youth and helped her get back on the right track. She also reveals how she’s paid that restoration forward with her nephew. Aisha celebrates her “destiny advocates” in the industry who challenged her to dream bigger and pursue iconic roles that have forever shaped the trajectory of her career.

This week, Ashley welcomes Dear White People costar Griffin Matthews to dig into the promises made over the course of their lives. Griffin details his upbringing in the suburbs of Pittsburgh from experiencing racism in his youth to finding community in college and healing from those past hurts at Carnegie Mellon. He discloses how the Supreme Court’s landmark decision on gay marriage empowered him to dream of marriage and how that commitment impacted his relationship with now husband Matt (affectionately known as Butch). Griffin and Butch have since become foster parents to two young boys, and like all new parents, faced a lot of uncertainty. Griffin challenges Ashley to expand her definition of a life promise fulfilled and reveals what the pandemic taught him about dreaming into the future. Griffin's credits also include HBOMax’s The Flight Attendant, Amazon’s ROAR, and the upcoming Marvel series She-Hulk.