One on One: Interview with Lamar Odom’s ex Liza Morales; Khloe Kardashian, reality TV & the NBA lifestyle

I recently had the opportunity to interview Lamar Odom’s ex, Liza Morales. Liza has been in the press a lot lately. Liza and Lamar have two children, a daughter named Destiny (14) and a son, Lamar Jr. (11). The two are currently involved in a child support case and were in court this week. The situation has reached the point that the two are no longer cordial. Liza was recently one of the cast members of a reality show, “Starter Wives” where women who were involved with famous men come together to rebuild their lives. The show was canceled after three episodes but that hasn’t stopped Liza from penning an open letter expressing how she felt about Lamar marrying Khloe Kardashian and the demise of their relationship.

In the open letter, Liza mentions her surprise at Lamar marrying a woman after knowing her for 4 weeks but telling her it was easier to wait. When I interviewed Liza, she said they had been broken up for awhile when he got together with Khloe and that Lamar was actually dating someone else. Allegedly, Lara Manoukian – the other girlfriend leaked or, was the victim of a leak, where she discussed being with LO right before he popped the question to Khloe

In my interview we discuss her separation from Lamar, advice she’d give to ladies dating athletes, reality tv and more.

Jill: What made you decide to jump into reality TV?  You’ve been really private.

Liza: Yes, I think you know, I was approached by another franchise to do the Basketball Wives show a couple of years ago, about three years ago.  And that just wasn’t going to be the right fit for me and so I passed on that.

And I don’t know.  Honestly, I never thought I would agree to a reality show, but when this project for Starter Wives came along and I knew who the cast, you know, who the other women in the cast were gonna be, I felt like you know what, it’s on TLC.  I felt safe, I felt like you know, TLC is owned by Discovery and so I felt like they’re not going to sabotage anything or have anything be so outlandish that the women will be fighting.

And of course there’s drama because you know, when there’s a bunch of women who don’t like each other, of course it’s gonna happen, but as far as sabotaging and making things happen, I just felt like it was a safe bet.

And I wanted to tell my own story.  I mean most importantly I wanted to tell my own story.  I feel like my story was being told for me.  I feel like the tabloids and the paparazzi  just started showing up and my privacy was being taken from me.  So I felt like you know what, I’m gonna tell, you know, if I’m gonna go out there, I’m gonna tell my own story and then I’ll go back into my privacy cave and live the rest of my life. 

Jill: Do you feel like you’ve been painted in a false or unfair light?

Liza: Yeah, I think definitely, I think people 1) they thought we would still be together and that he left me for Khloe.  And that just wasn’t the truth and he was with somebody else before he got with Khloe.  So our relationship was definitely over, like I definitely wanted to make that clear.

And I just wanted to break the stereotype of the baby mama.  You know, I know urban, the urban community has been using that term for many, many yeras and I know now it’s more mainstream.  And I know a woman like Angelina Jolie is a baby mama now…

But in the urban community I know that that word, it’s really never sat well with me.  So I just wanted to break that stereotype.  I was not a baby mama.  Yes, I have his three children, but there was respect there, there was love there and you know, we were engaged.  So I also wanted to definitely yeah, tell that side, you know, and kind of get that out there.

Jill: Speaking of that, with things that happened. Do you feel that the way Basketball Wives or the wives that are involved with professional athletes, do you feel that the lifestyle is accurately being represented or do you think it’s far from your experiences?

Liza: I think it’s 50/50.  I think some of the stories that are out there–I mean I think it’s known, pretty much in the sports world in general that it’s very hard.  There’s so much temptation for all these men.  So I think it’s pretty much known that the women go through a lot, and we’re their backbone and we’re there for them in their home life.

But when they go there, when they’re on the road, I think it’s pretty much known that there’s a lot of temptation and infidelity.  So yeah, I think, I think it’s 50/50.  I think that side is shown…and I think the other side just glamorizes it and kinda keeps it superficial and kind of just shows the Hermes handbag and you know, the convertible Porsche.

And yet they don’t really show you know, underneath all that and you know, the core of being in love and the genuine, there’s genuine true love and you know, unconditional love.

 it’s kind of 50/50 and that’s why I wanted to kind of show you know what, this is what happened.  This is the truth, this is my truth and some people are gonna like it, some people aren’t, but I’m getting my story out there.  And it’s a cautionary tale.  It really is. My story, I feel like I have to pass it on as a cautionary tale

Jill: Did you ever catch Lamar cheating on you during that time?

Liza: I will say, I will say you know, we were young.  We were very young and you know, Lamar got drafted at 19 years old.  And he’s a kid from Queens who all of the sudden had a huge bank account and all of the sudden you know, was drafted out into Los Angeles, which is a mega city.  And

Jill: I remember you guys lived in the marina for a little while. 

Liza: Yeah, we did, we did.  So you know, it was fun.  We came from Queens.  We were 19 years old and you know, we had our daughter, Stephanie, and yeah, it was really tough.  I will say that without you know,

Jill: Throwing out number

Liza: Yeah, yeah, but it wasn’t definitely very tough, a lot of temptation.

Jill:  So how does he feel about you doing this reality show?  Do you even care?

Liza: I, you know, I’ve never asked him.  I’m assuming, I mean I don’t know.  I’m assuming he’s probably not too happy with it, but at the end of the day I can’t, you know, when he did his reality show, when he chose to get married on television, he didn’t ask me.  And that’s his business.  So I feel like with this it’s my business and  I’m going to do what I feel is best for me and pass on.  Hopefully help these young girls or these young women who think you know, the life is great if they can just get their claws into a professional athlete.  So yeah.

Check out Part two tomorrow.