CRAZY SEXY COOL

TLC’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas opens up about love and loss in an exclusive Us interview

- JAIME HARKIN 

The new Lifetime documentary TLC Forever takes a look back at how ’90s girl group TLC (Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes) navigated superstardom (they won four Grammy Awards, including one for their 1999 smash hit “No Scrubs”) and heartbreak (in 2002, Lopes tragically died at age 30 in a car accident while on vacation in Honduras). “We’re releasing this now because we are 160 years old,” says Chilli with a laugh. “No, it’s because we’re still alive to tell our story, and no one can tell it better than we can.” The 52-year-old singer (who shares son Tron, 26, with ex Dallas Austin) talks to Us about her impressive career, grief and finding love with actor Matthew Lawrence.

What was it like to watch TLC Forever and see all that old footage?

It pulled on my heartstrings. I remember exactly what we were thinking and what we said. It also made me really happy because we have such a big body of work, and I’m very proud of that.