The Belles are back and continuing to shake things up in Mississippi. OWN’s hit reality series Belle Collective puts a spotlight on the personal and professional journeys of a group of successful boss Black women, redefining the essence of what it means to be a southern belle in the modern South today.  

Returning this season are Belles Lateshia Pearson, Latrice Rogers, Marie Hamilton-Abston, Selena Johnson and Tambra Cheri, with the exciting addition of newcomer Kerri Paul, a Gulf Coast powerhouse making waves in Jackson. They are showing what it means to be a modern Southern Belle, balancing business, family, friendship, and fierce fashion with unapologetic ambition. As many of their personal lives unfold, specifically Pearson’s, as she deals with troubling news about her longtime husband Glen, the collective comes together unlike ever before, with their friendship being their saving grace.

Ahead of the Season 6 premiere, Blavity’s Shadow and Actspoke with Pearson about everything to expect in the coming season.

Congratulations on another season of the show. This is a show that you co-created through your hard work and your initial meetings with Carlos King. So how do you feel about where you are now? Did you ever foresee being multi-season on OWN?

This is such a humbling experience. It’s just a moment of gratitude. I’m planning a premiere watch party, and I was meeting with my event coordinator. We have a different layout of the seasons and different flyers, and I really had to just sit in that moment. You know how you can get so busy that you don’t really sit in the moment because you’re so busy with the next thing? I just really broke down.

This is a moment of gratitude. We started here, season one, and now we are here. I am so thankful. I am so thankful for Carlos King for seeing something in Mississippi and believing in us enough to pitch this show to the Oprah Winfrey Network. Knowing that Oprah is a Black woman from Mississippi — it’s just amazing. It’s a humbling experience, and I’m just grateful to be here and grateful to be going into our sixth season. I can’t explain it — it’s great manifestation.

You guys are multiple Belles down. So, we don’t have Sophia, Aikisha or Tambra. How does it feel with them not being on the show?

Well, we still have Tambra.

Oh, I didn’t see her in the trailer.

Yes, Tambra is still here. She’s still a Belle. As far as Sophia and Aikisha, I wish them well in everything. We have to do what’s best for us and what we feel like we’re supposed to be doing, so I respect their decision.

Now, when viewers first met you, we met you with your husband, Glen. I had the pleasure of meeting both of you in person when I came down for the press trip for season two. I did see your recent interview with Carlos King, where Claudia Jordan asked why you weren’t wearing the ring and what the status of your relationship is. Obviously, we’re going to watch the rest of the season to see how things play out, but your response was very funny and very cute. You said Glen’s healthy. Now, I think I deserve a little bit more of an answer because I do kind of know you guys. So what is it that you would like to share or tease, at least, about what we can see play out this season between you and Glen?

Well, this season we came into the season very intentional. We were in a good space.

We had been working on our marriage from last season up until this season, so you’ll just see, of course, a lot of us navigating our marriage. I think what’s important right now is that we have both decided that, yes, of course, we love each other. You’re Joshua’s dad. We’ve been together since I was 17 years old — so that’s 28 years. But in order to heal — and that’s in anything — you have to work on yourself individually. I think that Glen and I, we’ve been such a team together that now we’re working on ourselves. We’re just really doing the work individually right now, and that’s where we are.

Well, I love that for you. A lot of viewers feel as if, or I know there’s been conversation on social media about how you guys have had such a long relationship. Is it scary for you to imagine your life without having him as your husband, or is that something that at this point you might be a little bit more open to in order to live the life that you feel like you deserve?

Absolutely. Again, being with someone since you were 17 years old, and you’re waking up or even talking to this person every single day — this person is a part of your everyday life. Of course, that’s going to be scary. But change is scary. Any change — whether you’re changing a job, coming into this show as a new Belle, having a baby — anything that you do, when there’s change, you can be a little fearful. But at the same time, you can be optimistic as well.

So I think where I am right now, I’m focused on growth. I’m focused on realigning myself with my purpose and operating in the gift that I know God gave me. That’s been my focus now — loving myself and giving myself permission to love myself unapologetically, without feeling guilty and without feeling that I’m leaving someone behind because of history. And just really removing myself from that space of being a slave to loyalty. So I’m in a good space right now. I’m glad, and I’m happy about everything that’s happening right now in my life. I’m just looking forward to more growth for me and continuously working on myself.

Now, let’s get into your relationships with the rest of the Belles. I’ve always loved that despite whatever drama Marie has been in with the other ladies at times, the two of you have always been able to maintain a strong friendship. Some of the ladies think that Marie is difficult at times. What do you see in Marie that other people on this show may not, and what would you attribute your close friendship to?

So I would say this — and this is just my personality in general — I meet people where they are.

I’m not one to say, just because this person has a problem with you, then I’m not. If you don’t do anything directly to me or something that I feel is just too far or offensive, I don’t treat people that way. You have to do something to me. Again, I meet people exactly where they are.

Marie is Marie. It’s one of those what-you-see-is-what-you-get type of people. But Marie has a really huge heart. Marie will give you the clothes off her back. She’s not one of those people who will — just like me — she’ll meet people where they are until you cross her. And once you cross her, game over. So I definitely respect our friendship. Marie is such an inspiration, and everything that she’s had to go through — you guys have seen her having to deal with not having her mom in her life and her dad raising her and the things that Marie has gone through. She’s very guarded. I can’t even imagine that, because my mom and I are super close. I do have a soft spot when it comes to that. I can’t imagine my mom and I not growing up going to get a pedicure together or my mom not combing my hair and doing different things like that, and having my dad.

So when it comes to Marie, I definitely have a soft spot because she’s out here beating the odds. She’s a great person once you get to know her, and I love her for that. I love the support that she gives. I’m one of those people who feels that how you treat people behind closed doors means a lot to me. Character is how you treat people who can do absolutely nothing for you, and I’ve experienced Marie’s character. I’ll say that I’m very inspired by her.

The last two seasons, you and Latrice were at odds, but it seems as if you guys have turned a curve. What about that relationship made you want to salvage it? Because you guys were not in a good space, and there were some nasty words exchanged between the two of you. Viewers didn’t know if it would ever come back around.

There’s a saying that the people closest to you can hurt you the most. If a stranger said that, it wouldn’t bother you. I think when it comes to me and Latrice, it’s that big sister–little sister dynamic. I think what happened and the things we experienced definitely came from a place of hurt. We know that we genuinely love and care about each other. We’ve experienced good times together — when she and I would hang out and do different things. Even with her and Marie being at odds, it’s still like, “Girl, I see the good in you.” And that’s just what it is. We’re always on a journey.

What else are we going to see from your personal storyline? I know that you opened up your office space. How will we see that continue to evolve? And are you still big in the brunch space? If so, how is that continuing to expand?

This season for me was more so about realignment. I said during the season I feel like I got lost in the sauce. It’s more so about realigning with my purpose and what I’m supposed to do. Even with Women Brunch Mississippi — when I created it in 2017 — my initial goal was to brunch the entire state of Mississippi. I’m refocused and back in alignment with that.

You’ll see me doing more mentorship as well. Not to mention, I’ve been a licensed bail bondsman since 2011. I’m operating in that space, as well as being a freelance paralegal. So I have attorneys that I do work for, and I am getting back in that space. It was all about the growth — getting back to me, getting back to the core of myself, getting back to the core of the collective and why we started the collective. So you’ll see more of that from me.

Talk to us about the new addition. I know that your friend Kerri Paul is new to the show. How do we see her in the fold, and how does she mix up the group a bit?

She is just a bubbly breath of fresh air. She’s a wonderful mother, amazing wife and a great, bad boss entrepreneur. She’s doing amazing things — she’s really a perfect fit. I met her when I slid in her DMs and shot my shot because she’s the owner of three restaurants, which are brunch restaurants. And of course, I’m in the space of brunching and collaborating and advocating for collaboration instead of competition. So I slid in her DMs in 2017 to see how we could collaborate, and it went from there.

We became online besties, and we were supporting each other and clapping for each other. When the opportunity came and we were looking for new Belles, I said, “Oh wow, she’s amazing.” And it went from there. I think you guys are really going to love Kerri and her story and just seeing how she fits in with the collective and who she meshes with and her family. I think you, as viewers, will really love to see Kerri operate in this space.

And finally, what do you think viewers will be most surprised by this season — whether it’s your story or anything else that happens within the collective?

The collective this season — it’s almost like a rebirth. I’ll say that for me, I think you guys will be surprised at how I replied to things that were sent to destroy my peace. I think you’ll see the collective working together and showing up when it matters most — seeing a space of all of us being vulnerable, all of us navigating something. I think this here is by far one of — if not the — best seasons thus far.

Belle Collective airs every Friday on OWN. Watch an exclusive clip from this Friday’s episode below: