Towanda and Trina Braxton Say New Reality Show Is for Their Late Sister Traci: 'She Wanted Us to Tell Her Story' (Exclusive)
Toni Braxton announced Traci’s death from esophageal cancer in March 2022
Joi Stokes/Getty(2); Shannon Finney/Getty
From left: Towanda Braxton, Trina Braxton, Traci BraxtonTowanda and Trina Braxton are keeping the memory of their late sister Traci alive more than two years after her death.
At the premiere of their We TV reality series, The Braxtons, in Atlanta on Aug. 8, Trina, 49, told PEOPLE that Traci — who died from esophageal cancer in March 2022 — would want the family to “move forward” and “tell her story.”
When asked how the family decided to reunite for another reality show three years after Braxton Family Values ended, Towanda, 50, said, “Traci did this. Traci did this. We did this for her. She told us that she wanted us to tell her story. She wanted us to do the show. And this is the first time in history that all the Braxton girls said ‘yes’ so quickly.”
“Immediately!” Trina added with a laugh.
Joi Stokes/Getty
Tamar Braxton, Towanda Braxton, Evelyn Braxton and Trina Braxton attend "The Braxtons" premiere screening event at Westside Cultural Arts Center on August 8, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.Related: The Braxton Sisters: All About Toni, Traci, Towanda, Trina and Tamar
However, the sisters admitted there were some nerves about showing their highs and lows on camera again.
“Trepidation might not be the right word,” Trina shared. “But there was definitely some angst going into doing this season. Especially, like I said before, because Traci is missing.”
“You look around to your left and to your right and she's no longer with us. And she's definitely missed,” she continued. “But we've made sure that we've inserted her into the different scenes, like some never-before-seen scenes from our personal lives, from personal videos and personal pictures, just to just remind everybody that Traci is still with us.”
“Traci is still a Braxton and we cannot lose her Traci-ness," she added.
Joi Stokes/Getty
Trina Braxton and Towanda Braxton attend "The Braxtons" premiere screening event at Westside Cultural Arts Center on August 8, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.Toni Braxton announced Traci’s death at age 50 on Instagram in March 2022, writing in a statement, "It is with the utmost regret that we inform you of the passing of our sister, Traci."
"Needless to say, she was a bright light, a wonderful daughter, an amazing sister, a loving mother, wife, grandmother and a respected performer. We will miss her dearly," the statement continued.
At the time, Traci's husband, Kevin Surratt, confirmed she was “privately undergoing a series of treatment for Esophageal cancer” before her death.
In PEOPLE’s exclusive preview of The Braxtons series premiere, Toni revealed she felt powerless after learning of her sister’s Esophageal cancer diagnosis.
“When Traci got diagnosed, it didn't seem real at all,” she shared. “It still doesn't.”
“For me, family is the most important thing in my life,” she continued. “I spent my whole life caring for and protecting my sisters, but this was different because there’s nothing I could do. I felt so helpless, like I couldn't do anything to save her.”
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The Braxtons premieres Friday, Aug. 9 on We TV.
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