Loni Love will be the first to tell you that love has changed her for the better. Its one of the reasons she feels so passionate about encouraging other Black women to step outside of their comfort zone in order to find their happy.
During a recent episode of The Real, the comedian opened up about her relationship with current boyfriend James Welsh and what it’s like to date a man from another race. “He’s different, his culture’s different from mine, but when we come together we know about compatibility,” she tells the fellow hosts. “That’s never changing.”
When asked by guest host Tisha Campbell what she enjoys most about Welsh, Love explained, “It’s not about him being better because he’s still a man, but it’s the loyalty that I like,” she said.
Tearing up, she continues: “It’s like, I can leave and he’s there for me…“I have one friend and I was talking to her, it was a podcast. She’s like, ‘I don’t need a man, I have my friends.’ I was like, ‘Girl!’ This is why I’m so emotional about it. So many of our sisters are so lonely and they don’t want to admit it and all they got to do is take a chance.”
Love eventually turns to the camera to urge the viewers to drop their preconceived notions and choose what’s most important. “You need to go out and find it, that one person that makes you feel good. That one person you can turn to when you have a bad day. You don’t have to turn to your girlfriends or your mama. You turn to that one person and he understands and looks in your eyes, that’s the one you keep. I don’t care what color he is.”
Love and Welsh first met on a dating app back in August 2018. The TV host told People that what immediately stood out about him. “He hit me and I was like ‘Wow, he has really kind looking eyes.’”
Love said on a previous episode that over the years she’s adjusted her criteria for a partner. “The older I get the simpler I’m getting,” said the 48-year-old. “When I was looking for somebody I was just looking for the compatibility part. The thing I think that I was missing in my life was that I was always conforming to what the man wanted instead of saying this is what I want to do.”
Happinness looks so good on you, Ms. Love!