When Tamar Braxton recently took a seat across from Nene Leakes on the set of the sixth episode of Leakes new YouTube show, fans anticipated fireworks to blow.
Known for her unfiltered opinions and tell-it-like-it-is personality, the R&B songstress did not disappoint as she addressed her long-simmering feud with “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kandi Burruss.
However, in a twist that nobody saw coming, it wasn’t Braxton’s fiery comments about Burruss that set social media ablaze— It was what appeared to be happening several inches above her eyebrows that stole the spotlight in the May 14 episode and had fans doing double takes at their screens.
The conversation between the two reality TV veterans started innocently enough when Leakes brought up Braxton’s reputation for falling out with people.
When specifically asked about her issues with Burruss, Braxton launched into an impassioned explanation, insisting she isn’t jealous of the songwriter’s success and actually celebrates her achievements. The exchange quickly escalated into Braxton accusing Burruss of manipulating public opinion and doing “things behind the scenes.”
“Kandi, if you’re watching it — and we know you’re watching — the thing is this: We don’t have an issue with you. We’re not jealous of you. We actually celebrate your success,” Braxton declared.
She continued her monologue by suggesting Burruss needed to “be a better person” and stop using “the public’s opinion to manipulate them into thinking that people are really coming after you.”
Despite Leakes expressing interest in sitting down with Burruss, Braxton firmly stated she wouldn’t meet with her until Burruss “tells the people [the truth].”
When Hollywood Unlocked posted the clip online, its viewers seemed more fixated on Braxton’s hair than her words. Comments flooded in about her wig placement, completely overshadowing the content of the interview.
“Tamar your wig is killing me. You in the room and yo wig alllll the way in the lobby,” one person commented, highlighting the apparent disconnect between the singer and her hairpiece.
Another viewer expressed skepticism about the entire conversation based solely on the aesthetics, writing, “Between Tamar’s wig and NeNe’s makeup…I don’t trust anything that was said during this interview.”
The simple question “Is Tamars wig pushed back?” became the focal point of discussion, even making its way into the headline.
Some comments focused on her natural hair and how she styled it under the wig.
One said, “Sum ain’t right? Wig. Nose. Face. Baby hairs. I just. Huh? I can’t concentrate right.”
Another commenter stating, “Tamar stop playing with your face & you to damn old for baby hair.”
The distraction caused by Braxton’s hairstyle overshadowed the years-long complicated relationship between her and Burruss.
Their friction reportedly began during the 2017 “Great Xscape Tour,” where Braxton allegedly invited guests onstage who had publicly disrespected Xscape. Additional tension stemmed from Braxton’s firing from “The Real” and Burruss’ friends subsequently appearing on the show.
The pair appeared to make amends during their time on “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2019, but the peace was short-lived.
By 2022, new controversy erupted when Braxton defended former “RHOA” executive producer Carlos King after Burruss claimed he attempted to sell Xscape group members’ life stories to television networks without permission. Braxton’s public support of King via Instagram, posting “My friend @thecarlosking who don’t have to steal nobody nothing,” reignited tensions.
The feud intensified in late 2023 when Braxton alleged a “peach” and her husband had threatened her. During an appearance on “Watch What Happens Live,” she confirmed through a telling sip of her drink that she was referring to Burruss and Todd Tucker.
Braxton later claimed on Instagram Live that Burruss’ husband Tucker had confronted her menacingly, saying “You know what it is” while sizing her up, a moment her boyfriend Jeremy Robinson called “a coward move.”
Most recently, according to Soap Opera Central, in March 2025, the conflict bubbled up again when Burruss refused to entertain inviting Braxton to her restaurant Old Lady Gang, declaring, “I’m not playing games with clowns.”
This followed Braxton’s saying that the food quality at the restaurant was not good, and it was “a known thing” in Atlanta that it wasn’t a great place to dine.
As these two talented entertainers continue their public discord, Braxton’s wayward wig has become an unintended metaphor. In the court of public opinion, sometimes style mishaps can easily trump one of reality television’s most polarizing people and her dishing tea on someone most people see as her rival.
