I had put a lot of old wounds to rest a long time ago, so revisiting them and reliving it all again just didn’t sit well with me.
Before some of you dismiss what Crystal Jones has to say about her brief time in TLC, consider this: imagine the pain of being kicked out of a group you founded, only to watch it become one of the most successful girl groups of all time. Crystal’s story involves heartbreaking betrayal, lies told about her, and a devastating few years following her cruel ousting from the group. So yes, she has every right to be upset.
For some background, TLC consisted of Tion “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas. They achieved remarkable success throughout the 1990s, securing nine top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. However, before Chilli joined, the original “C” in the group was Crystal Jones, and her departure was messy, to say the least.
After Crystal left, she felt betrayed. However, things became clearer when TLC released their biopic “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story.” Both Crystal and their former manager, Pebbles, criticized the film, claiming it portrayed them unfairly. Pebbles was depicted as jealous, vindictive, and manipulative. In response, she said the movie contained many false and defamatory statements about her. She insisted she had never cheated or misled anyone and promised to defend her reputation, accomplishments, and character. Pebbles also mentioned that her attorney was demanding VH1 retract the defamatory scenes about her.
The whole Pebbles ordeal was pretty messy, especially with rumors flying about Chilli having an affair with her husband, L.A. Reid. But let’s park that drama and focus on Crystal’s perspective. The 2013 biopic chronicled how T-Boz and Left Eye were discovered, signed, and went through the process of recruiting Chilli as their third member, leading to the recording of their debut album. While the biopic served as a great introduction to TLC’s journey, it wasn’t entirely accurate, according to Crystal.
First off, the film suggested that Chilli replaced Crystal because she lacked vocal talent, a claim Crystal vehemently disputes. “I was really let down. Really let down,” she expressed. Moreover, the biopic depicted Crystal being ousted from TLC following an audition for L.A. Reid, which Crystal vehemently denies ever took place. Instead, Crystal clarified that they auditioned for Perry “Pebbles” Reid, who had founded a production and management company. Crystal alleges that once Pebbles expressed interest in the group, she resorted to manipulative tactics in an attempt to seize control as their manager.
Crystal also clarified during a separate interview with V103 Atlanta after the biopic’s release that they never auditioned for L.A. Reid. “We never auditioned for L.A. We auditioned for Pebbles at Seriously Sound Studios, using a song produced by Jermaine Dupri called ‘I Got It Goin’ On.'” The audition itself wasn’t the problem; issues arose when they were asked to sign contracts. Crystal recalled asking Pebbles if she could take the contract home for her mom to review, but Pebbles refused.
“I didn’t understand the paperwork at all. I asked Pebbles if I could take it home for my mom to look over because I didn’t understand what I was reading, and she said no.” Crystal chose not to sign. Allegedly, since Crystal was the original lead of the group, Pebbles had initially offered her the contract privately. When Crystal insisted on showing it to her mother, Pebbles later encouraged T-Boz and Left Eye to remove her from the group.
That part alone exposes the flaws in the biopic’s narrative, which suggested Crystal’s removal from the group was due to her lack of singing prowess. But if she was truly unfit for the role, how did she manage to secure an exclusive audition for her own group before they were even introduced to Arista Records? It’s a question worth pondering. However, Pebbles’ influence looms large in this tale. Despite Crystal’s decision not to sign the contract in hopes of solidarity among group members, her stance was met with silence, marking the beginning of a downward spiral. Tensions escalated as T-Boz and Left Eye distanced themselves during contract negotiations, holding meetings without her until finally revealing their desire for her departure.
Behind the scenes, Crystal struggled with performing for L.A. Reid, often stumbling over her words in nervousness. In contrast, T-Boz and Left Eye displayed an unyielding hunger for success, readily accepting any challenge to secure the deal. When Reid asked T-Boz to rap, she seized the opportunity with fervor, while Crystal froze under the pressure. Additionally, the movie failed to capture Pebbles’ subtle influence, who warned T-Boz and Left Eye about the repercussions of one member’s actions, indirectly referring to Crystal. Eventually, they saw Pebbles’ true intentions and collectively decided to remove Crystal from the group, with Left Eye taking on the task of delivering the news.
The way they treated Crystal was downright unjust. They didn’t just label her as talentless, stiff, and boring; they kicked her to the curb as soon as they clinched the record deal, without even trying to stand up for her. Take, for instance, the “Backyard” video shoot for Pebbles’ song. They sprang it on her last minute, knowing full well she was a new mom with a four-month-old baby. They dropped the bomb on her just hours before, leaving her with no chance to participate. And this kind of disrespect didn’t stop there; it kept happening until they eventually showed her the door.
Even after leaving TLC, Crystal tried to carve out a music career for herself, but luck wasn’t on her side. Eventually, she made the tough call to step back and focus on being a mom. She was only 19 when it all went down, and it hit her hard. What made it worse was that everyone in Atlanta knew the score, watching TLC thrive with her vision while she got left behind. With limited education, she had to do whatever it took to get by, even if it meant taking gigs she never imagined herself doing, like working in clubs just to make ends meet.
When asked about staying in touch with her former groupmates, Crystal revealed she doesn’t really keep up with T-Boz and Chilli, but she did have some meaningful conversations with Left Eye before she passed away in 2002. She recalled a touching moment of apology and understanding between them. However, Crystal expressed disappointment at what she perceived as a lack of loyalty from the group when she didn’t sign the contract, assuming they wouldn’t either, but they did.
On V-103 Atlanta, T-Boz addressed Crystal’s departure, suggesting she should move on. While acknowledging Crystal’s potential resentment, T-Boz emphasized the importance of letting go and looking ahead. She also sent out a broader message to anyone upset about their biopic portrayal, urging them to maturely deal with it.
So, the question arises: Should Crystal have just moved on from everything she went through? Was her dismissal unfair or hurtful? Some argue that Crystal didn’t have the star quality the group needed from the start, and they thrived without her. What’s your take? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
