Do you and your friends support one another’s healthy habits? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Fresh off of wrapping the fifth— and unfortunately final— season of her CBS action drama, “The Equalizer,” Queen Latifah joins me over Zoom for our scheduled chat. I transparently tell her that I’m sad to hear of the show’s cancellation, as it was one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
“Yeah, you should be, you should be,” Latifah responds. “But you know I will be back with something else, we all will. Just look out for everyone’s star to keep shining.”
Looking radiant with her signature golden blond tresses in a long-layered style while sporting a black bomber jacket, silver wire-rimmed glasses and a pair of SIS Love Hoops (created by Simone I. Smith, wife of rapper LL COOL J)— the entertainer has a laid-back demeanor, almost as though she’s joining a homegirl for their casual weekly catchup.
“I was here just in a whole other world of study before you came on, but I’m back now. How are you?” the hip hop legend says before we jump into a range of topics.
From being one of the female pioneers of hip hop in the late 1980s to commanding our screens as an award-winning actress and producer, Queen Latifah (born Dana Owens) has spent nearly four decades redefining what it means to be a powerhouse. Her storied career is a masterclass in transformation—always evolving, always elevating. Yet, even with fame and success, she’s still Dana to those closest to her, like her beloved group chat with a few of her girlfriends from high school. A friend circle that has stood the test of time— almost four decades to be exact— the women hold each other accountable, especially when it comes to prioritizing their health and wellness.
Loving her little boy, her Bae and her bubble baths
Though she’s nowhere near slowing down in her already storied career, much of her downtime these days is devoted to just being a normal person while making sure she’s finding joy in the little things. She enjoys spending time with her partner of 12-plus years, Eboni Nichols, taking bubble baths (something she says was highly recommended by another very successful friend she wouldn’t name), and raising her and Nichols’ young son, Rebel.
“I have to get a certain little guy to 18 years old, that’s my mission,” she says dotingly. “And, to have fun while doing it.”
Getting into the thick of our chat, she tells me about something deeply personal: health. Not just her own, but also those close to her. In partnership with Novo Nordisk for truthaboutweight.com, the hip hop legend urges people— especially Black women— to get serious about their well-being and take proactive steps to prevent cardiovascular disease. In this candid conversation, she opens up about how she stays healthy and how we can change the narrative around obesity. She also dishes about what’s left on her bucket list.
“I like to find things that bring me peace and joy.”
I can’t say I’m not stressed out at times, but I like to find things that bring me peace and joy. I love music. Or dancing to Beyoncé for three hours the other day— that made me feel good. But it doesn’t have to be something that’s expensive or extravagant. I’m the type of person who can find peace in nature by taking a walk around the block. Also, getting rest. I work really hard and need sleep. That’s important, and so is exercise. But the exercise that is right for you.
For me, that can be Pilates or yoga in addition to some low-impact cardio. That can mean getting on the bike and riding for 15 minutes. I turn on some house music in my headphones, and I dance on the bike or dance in some other room in the house. I’m much more aware of what I can’t do as I grow through the years. But I’m also aware of what I can do. My body responds well to activity and enjoys me challenging it sometimes, but will also tell me, ‘stop, go to bed.’ I appreciate it all and just find what works best for me.
“We need to share as much info as we can with each other”
I’m on a group chat with my friends from high school, who are all in their mid-50s, and we talk about all kinds of stuff. One of my friends just came out of the hospital and literally told us from her hospital bed, ‘you have to manage your stress, or it will kill you.’ Everything she is saying is true. That’s why we need to share as much info as we can with each other.
As Black women, we are always so busy caring about everyone else. I’ve seen it my whole life from my mother, grandmothers and aunts. But at some point, we have to use healthy egoism, put ourselves first, take care of ourselves and dial it in on what we need. It’s not something that has to happen in a constant, selfish way. Think about it, if we’re not here, how can we do anything for anyone else? We have to take care of ourselves.
“That is as real as it gets”
Obesity is a disease that impacts two out of three Americans, and disproportionately affects people of color, my community. So, this is very important to me. Working with Novo Nordisk has been great because it’s been about nothing but this and dismantling the bias and stigma around it.
I lost a cousin to morbid obesity. I watched her go in and out of the hospital, dealing with blood clots, while still trying to be a parent. Then at 30-something, she’s gone. That is as real as it gets. When you lose someone who is not even 35 years old to something that should have been manageable and possibly even preventable. Of course, there are a lot of other things at play as to how someone becomes obese. To have as much input as you can is important. You should also talk to your physician about how to change it.
“I think of new things every day”
There’s a lot I would love to do, and I think of new things every day. I got a couple of books to write, maybe a film or two to do, and a biopic I’m working on. That’s going to take a second; there’s a lot of story in that story. A lot of traveling to do as well. And, just parenting right now.
There’s a lot of music on the horizon that always goes where I go. What else does Queen Latifah want to do? I want to redo my garage and rearrange my closet. The things I want to do can be very big ideas, and then there are just the simple things in life, like getting home to whip up this turkey spaghetti that I’ve been wanting to make for my family since wrapping “The Equalizer.” It’s my thing. That’s where I live my life, in the normal things as well as all those big dreams that I always have.
Do you and your friends support one another’s healthy habits? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
