LaTavia Roberson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids LaTavia Roberson
Roberson in 2018
Born	LaTavia Marie Roberson (1981-11-01) November 1, 1981 (age 43) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Singer
Years active	1990–present
Partner(s)	Don Vito
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	R&B
Labels	Columbia Fleet Street

LaTavia Marie Roberson (born November 1, 1981) is an American R&B singer. She became famous in the late 1990s as one of the original members of the R&B group Destiny's Child. This group became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. While with the group, LaTavia helped record two studio albums. They sold over 25 million records and won two Grammy Awards and three Soul Train Music Awards.

After leaving Destiny's Child, LaTavia briefly started another girl group called Anjel. Her former Destiny's Child bandmate LeToya Luckett was also in this group. LaTavia has also acted in several stage plays, including Those Jeans and How to Love. In 2014, she joined the main cast of R&B Divas: Atlanta. On the show, she appeared alongside singers like Angie Stone and Keke Wyatt.

Early Life and Beginnings

LaTavia Roberson was born on November 1, 1981, in Houston, Texas. Even before joining Destiny's Child, she was a child model in the 1980s. She appeared in commercials for hair care products.

Music Career Journey

Forming Girl's Tyme and Destiny's Child

When LaTavia was eight years old, she tried out to be a rapper and dancer in a local girl group. There, she met Beyoncé Knowles, and they quickly became best friends. LaTavia and Beyoncé, along with other young girls, made a video for a song called "One Time." This almost led to them becoming a duo.

LaTavia later met Kelly Rowland in elementary school. After hearing Kelly sing, LaTavia suggested she audition for the group, and Kelly joined. At first, LaTavia mostly rapped and danced. Later, she took singing lessons and began performing vocals at local events.

The group, then called Girl's Tyme, got a big chance on the TV show Star Search. LaTavia, Beyoncé, Kelly, Tamar Davis, and LaTavia's cousins Nikki and Nina Taylor competed. They were sad after losing to another group. Beyoncé's father, Mathew Knowles, became their manager. He changed the group's members, making it a quartet. This new group included LaTavia, Beyoncé, Kelly, and Beyoncé's friend LeToya Luckett. The group also changed names several times, including The Dolls and Destiny.

In 1995, they signed with Elektra Records but were later dropped. They then worked with D'wayne Wiggins, who helped them record "Killing Time." This song was featured on the Men in Black movie soundtrack. After a lot of practice, they signed with Columbia Records in 1997. They were officially named Destiny's Child. Beyoncé was the lead singer, Kelly was the second lead, and LaTavia and LeToya sang background. LaTavia sang the alto parts, and LeToya sang the soprano parts. LaTavia was also often the group's spokesperson.

Destiny's Child Success and Changes

In early 1998, Destiny's Child released their first album, which was self-titled. It included hit singles like "No, No, No" and "With Me." LaTavia can be heard rapping on the album track "Illusions." Later in 1998, their song "Get on the Bus" was on the Why Do Fools Fall in Love soundtrack.

In 1999, Destiny's Child released their second album, The Writing's on the Wall. This album became one of the best-selling albums ever by a female group. It sold over eight million copies in the U.S. It featured four big hit singles: "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Bug a Boo," "Say My Name," and "Jumpin', Jumpin'." LaTavia helped write more songs on this album than on their first. She also sang lead on two songs, "Sweet Sixteen" and "Where'd You Go."

In late 1999, while The Writing's on the Wall was very successful, LaTavia and LeToya tried to get a mediator to work with their manager, Mathew Knowles. However, they soon found themselves no longer part of the group. When the music video for "Say My Name" came out in February 2000, LaTavia and LeToya saw they had been replaced by Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin. This led to some legal discussions. In the end, LaTavia and LeToya were still entitled to money from the albums they had recorded with the group.

While in Destiny's Child, LaTavia also appeared in music videos for other artists, like Jagged Edge. She performed live with Jagged Edge and toured as an opening act for TLC's FanMail Tour. She also appeared in the TV show Smart Guy and the film Beverly Hood with the other group members.

Anjel and Solo Endeavors

After leaving Destiny's Child, LaTavia and LeToya won two Grammy Awards for their work on Destiny's Child's "Say My Name." They then formed a new group called Anjel with two other girls, Naty Quiñones and Tiffany Beaudoin. They recorded a 22-song demo in Atlanta. Anjel made one live TV appearance in 2001 on "Good Day New York." They talked about their album and sang part of their song "Missing You." However, their production company closed, and Anjel eventually disbanded before their album "Heavenly" was fully released.

In 2005, LaTavia was asked to join the group Xscape, but she decided not to, focusing on her family in Houston. In 2006, she began quietly recording her first solo album, which was planned to be called "Black Summer's Night." It was meant to be a mix of hip-hop, jazz, and soul. However, the album was never finished.

In 2007, LaTavia, LeToya Luckett, and Farrah Franklin appeared in the TV series Boulevard of Broken Dreams. They shared their experiences from their time with Destiny's Child. In 2008, LaTavia acted in the stage play Those Jeans. In 2009, she was featured on the song "Swagga Check" by Young Sween.

Reality TV, Acting, and Motherhood

In 2010, LaTavia appeared on an episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. She spoke about her past struggle with alcohol and how she sought treatment to recover. She now uses her experience to help others.

In 2013, LaTavia starred in the stage plays How to Love and Not My Family. That same year, she became a mother for the first time. In 2014, LaTavia joined the main cast of R&B Divas: Atlanta for its third season. Her story on the show included her hesitation to sing, as she felt she wasn't ready. She appeared on The Wendy Williams Show to promote the series. In 2015, LaTavia announced her involvement in the beauty industry with Luxury Hair Direct. She also became involved with the charity 'Saving Our Daughters'.

Recent Projects and Ventures

In 2016, LaTavia started a YouTube series called "The Online Diary of LaTavia Roberson." She also planned to release an autobiography titled I Am LaTavia. However, she later had a disagreement with People magazine, saying they misquoted her. The book has not yet been released.

In 2017, LaTavia made her movie acting debut in the horror film But Deliver Us from Evil. She also appeared in two other movies, Dirty South House Arrest and The Hills. On June 23, 2017, she released her first solo song, an EDM track called "Best Time of Your Life." In November 2018, she started Roberson Sports Management, aiming to represent new boxers. LaTavia also launched a boxing magazine called Slugfest. The first issue, featuring Roy Jones Jr., came out in March 2019. The magazine stopped publishing in 2020.

In 2023, LaTavia launched Le Papillon Foundation, a nonprofit organization for young girls. She also started her Queens Collection makeup line. In February 2024, she showed her fashion line, LMR Collection, at New York Fashion Week.

Legal Discussions

In March 2000, LaTavia and LeToya Luckett had legal discussions with Mathew Knowles and Destiny's Child. They eventually reached an agreement. This agreement meant they would drop part of their lawsuit against their former group members. Both sides also agreed to stop speaking negatively about each other in public.

Later, LaTavia and LeToya filed another suit against Destiny's Child. They claimed the song "Survivor" from the group's 2001 album went against their earlier agreement. They pointed to lyrics like, "Thought I wouldn't sell without you, sold nine million," which they believed referred to their departure. In July 2002, Destiny's Child again settled the matter outside of court with the pair.

Personal Life

In 2010, LaTavia shared that she had faced challenges with alcohol after leaving Destiny's Child. She sought help and recovered, and now uses her experience to support others.

On August 21, 2013, LaTavia welcomed a daughter with producer Don Vito. In 2016, she sadly lost a baby girl during a late pregnancy. On September 23, 2019, LaTavia's team announced that she had given birth to a boy, her second child with Vito.

LaTavia is an honorary member of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority.

Discography

Studio albums with Destiny's Child

• Destiny's Child (1998)
• The Writing's on the Wall (1999)

Collaborative albums

• Heavenly (2003) (unreleased album with Anjel)

Singles

• 2009 – "Swagga Check" (Young Sween featuring LaTavia Roberson)
• 2017 – "Best Time of Your Life"
• 2017 – "Baby Love Crazy" (Darryl Allen featuring LaTavia Roberson)
• 2018 – Nia featuring Bryant McCarty, Latavia Roberson and Dajione – "Lord's Prayer" (gospel song)

Filmography

Plays

• Those Jeans (2008)
• How to Love (2013)
• Not My Family (2013)

Book

• I Am LaTavia: My Story, My Destiny (TBA)

Awards and Recognition

Grammy Awards

• 2001, Best R&B Song ("Say My Name")
• 2001, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ("Say My Name")