Angie Martinez IRL Tashera Simmons on DMX: How Strong Women Lose Themselves In Love
Mar 19, 2026
Tashera Simmons, author and widow/ex-wife of rapper DMX, shares her journey from young love to trauma bonding and faith-driven recovery. She discusses addiction, setting boundaries, saying no, and reclaiming identity. Tashera also talks parenting, therapy, soul ties, and why living in the moment matters.
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Spiritual Loss Sparked Personal Identity Work
- Tashera credits Earl with introducing her to Christianity and says spiritual transformation began after God 'stripped' her from the marriage.
- She explains losing Earl as catalyst for her own identity work and long healing journey toward self-worth beyond being a wife.
Set Boundaries And Point Loved Ones To Therapy
- Do set boundaries and refer struggling partners to professional help; Tashera says you cannot save someone who hasn't chosen to heal.
- She recommends therapy and spiritual grounding, noting her own eight-year therapy journey changed her life.
Saying No Was A Healing Skill Not Taught To Her
- Tashera links inability to say no with childhood abandonment and caretaking role; saying no felt like rejecting survival duties.
- She notes learning to say no brought peace and caused some relationships to fall away, which she accepts.