I Don't Need You! I'm Living In A Shelter & Putting Myself Through The School | KARAMO

I've had questions about whether or not I'm Katera's father. The day Katera was born, another man told me, "You think that's your baby? That's my baby." If he hadn't said that Katera was not my child, we wouldn't be here today. I had a lot of doubts. As time went by, I realized that I put too much into myself. And didn't put nothing into Katera. I'll admit, I could have spent more time with her and been there more for her emotionally. I was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney failure. I was blessed with a kidney in 2020. I was blessed with a second chance. No one knows how long you have. So I want to take this second chance that I was blessed with and do the best I can. The DNA truth is the answer, and I feel the DNA truth will be a starting point, a starting point to strengthen and to love.

All right everyone, please welcome Tyrone's potential daughter Katera to the show.

Thank y'all.

So I was watching your body language and I could tell that you are not really feeling what he had to say. What are your feelings about what he was saying?

It's disrespectful.

Okay.

Because if you felt like I was your potential daughter, why did you allow me to sign for you to get a kidney? I mean, come on, we gonna put it out there, let's put it out on the floor. You got a kidney because of me. So that second chance that was given was because of me, the potential daughter.

So you put him on the donor list?

Yeah, I signed for it.

You signed for it.

His other kids ain't signed for it.

Oh, and those are kids that he's accepted and raised?

Mm-hmm.

Okay. Have DNA tests been scheduled before?

3 times.

3 times. So 3 different times you about supposed to find out actually if this is your father and what happened?

He never showed. You know, around my age I was like 16, so you would expect at that age, you know, I'm supposed to be having boyfriends, prom, sweet 16, but I'm trying to figure out if he's my dad.

Yeah.

He had 3 times to come. He didn't come not 3 times. So I moved on with myself.

And so this is all when you were 16? Those all happened at 16?

Mm-hmm.

Me and my mom went up there twice to get DNA tests. You never showed. I remember because it was very embarrassing and life-changing to a certain degree.

Yeah.

Okay. Why do you think he decided not to come and take the test?

Tit for tat. To spite her. I look just like him, but I just happen to be a prettier version.

Okay. Yeah.

Thank you.

Did he get married on your birthday to spite you?

The day I was born, he got married to another lady to spite my mother.

So by the time they came to the hospital together, "Oh no, that's not my child." So on the day you were born, he came into the hospital after getting married and said you're not his child? Yep, looked at my feet and said, "Oh no, that's not my baby." So I'm gonna ask him as well because I wanna hear his side of the story, but why didn't he just get a DNA test right then and there. We're in the hospital, I just been married, my new wife's here, I got doubts, let me get a DNA test.

I feel like, once again, that go back to him and my mama playing this tag you're it.

Yeah. Does he acknowledge his other children?

Mm-hmm.

He acknowledges them?

Yeah, but every couple years he, it's a new one. Like, it's over like 12 of us.

12 children. Okay. And when the 12 children found out that he was having this issue, you were the only one that stepped up. And put him on the kidney list. Yeah. On the donor list.

Yeah, the one that's his potential daughter.

Mm. Did he play a big part in the way that your relationships are with men?

Mm-hmm.

In what way?

He was the first man that broke my heart. So that plays a big part in me having trust issues and things of that nature.

Yeah, okay. If he is your father, what would you like from him?

Nothing.

Nothing, okay.

'Cause I got here. For me. I want kids and a husband one day.

Yeah.

So y'all gotta change a lot.

Okay. Well, I think it's time to meet your potential father, Tyrone. So everyone please welcome Tyrone to the show. Hey Tyrone, thank you for being here.

Hey, how you doing, Karamo?

Good, thank you.

Nice to meet you, brother.

Good to meet you as well. So I gotta ask you, why didn't you show up for the previous DNA test? When she was a teen.

So there's been a little bit of a misunderstanding. I don't pay child support for my daughter, so therefore they had no reason to contact me for a DNA test. I never tried to deny it because I don't pay it. And if I'm not being charged for child support, excuse my language, I'm not fucking say, "Hey, charge me." But why wouldn't you if you think this could potentially be your daughter and you know she needs support?

Why not pay for the child support? How?

Here's the reason why, sir. Somebody else is already paying child support for Katera.

No, they wasn't.

So they wouldn't—

So that led you to the assumption that someone else must be paying?

There's other things as well.

Okay. But so let me just say this. Well, why not just for peace of mind then get your, because if you're hearing this, that there could be somebody else that's paying child support, for your own peace of mind as a man, why not just say, "Let me just go find out." But Karamo, there was no option because it wasn't me that they had called in for the DNA test. Okay, okay. So why do you deny her? 'Cause she said that sometimes you're on the phone and sometimes it's like, "You know you're not even my daughter." And then other times you are saying that she is. Why deny her?

I deny, can I explain the situation to you?

Sure you can, I wanna hear your side. Okay, here's what happened.

'Cause he just lying, I'm letting him lie.

Okay. Here's the situation. When her mother was pregnant and her water bust, she went to the hospital. Her mother left her pager at the house. Me, the pager's going off. I got the pager to check 'cause somebody kept paging her 911 numerous times. I called back and a man told me, "Oh, you think that's your daughter? That's my daughter." So, I went to the hospital with a friend of mine, my best friend. We went to the—

Is this the woman that you married?

No, no, sir.

Okay.

She was born April 21st. I got married May 1st.

Okay.

So there was no marriage.

Okay.

I seen Katera.

One of his girlfriends drove my dad.

I saw Katera and that was that. I never said she wasn't my daughter. I have never denied Katera.

So from her perspective, well, first of all, I'm gonna say this. Please do, Karamo. What you expressed, though I appreciate you giving me the context, none of that really has to do with Katera. That's between you and her mom.

Yes, sir.

And so I wanna make sure that we're staying focused on her feelings and what she's going through. Yes, sir. But secondly, she says from her experience that you have denied her, that you have said outta your own mouth, "You might not be my child." So you're saying right now you have never said that once before?

I have never denied Katera.

So then, if you never denied her, why are we on this stage today confirming paternity?

I got the text messages though, right?

Yeah.

Okay, I was about to say, 'cause he most definitely just playing crazy right now.

So she submitted text messages to my producers where you in those text messages have said she may not be your daughter.

I said she may not based upon the situations that happened. I never said she was not.

In what ways do you feel like, do you think growing up without a father has affected her?

I feel that she didn't get the love that should be given to any child, especially a girl, by the first man that should ever love their child, especially a girl, which is a father. I will admit, I will not sit here and say I'm perfect, I'm the best dad. Listen, I was a very selfish individual. Very selfish, man. I was doing my thing. And at that particular time in my life, Honestly, I wasn't being a good father. I can admit this. I'm not trying to say I'm the best dad in the world. I'm not saying I'm a bad dad by any means. At that particular time with the lifestyle I was living and the mind frame, because I hadn't matured, and the mind frame I was in, I wasn't the best father.

So you have a second chance at life with a new kidney. How does it make you feel knowing that the daughter, a potential daughter that you, have not been claiming is the one that put you on the donor list and tried to save your life, or not tried to save your life.

There's a misunderstanding with that as well. Can I explain it?

Sure. Yeah, hell yeah.

Okay.

Katera didn't put me on a donor's list. Katera signed up to where if I was blessed with a kidney, she would be a backup caregiver. You a motherfucker. Why?

Don't, don't, don't.

Don't play with me, bro. Now, while we're clapping, are we noticing the disrespect?

Disrespect.

Yep, you absolutely right.

Since I have come out here—

Hold on, but we don't know. Hold on, I'm gonna say this. Hold on, I'm gonna say this. We don't know if this is her father. Again, I need everyone to understand, and this is why I clarified this earlier, this is a young woman who has been the victim, whether or not this is her father or not, of adults making decisions that has left her lost, that has left her abandoned, has left her alone. And that is— And that comes with the ability to feel pain and hurt. And what you're feeling is if he's taking away that credit from you.

Most definitely is. I'm tired of people mistreating me. So yeah, I got anger.

Fuck you.

That's how I feel. I'm not getting no help. I don't get no help. I'm at a shelter and nursing school. I don't get no help from them, from nobody. I do this by myself to try to change where I come from and better for my kids.

That's bold.

He's sitting on this stage lying. He's sitting on this stage lying. That's—

Before we go any further, I think it's time for the DNA truth.

This is not gonna change nothing.

I know, but it gives clarity and answers. Katera, are you ready for your DNA truth?

He my daddy and I don't—

Katera, you wanna know if Tyrone is your father? Come with me. So in this envelope is the DNA truth. 27 years, you've heard stories of him saying, yes, I'm with you. Yes, I'm your father. No, I'm not your father. This is where you get your answers and then that all gets shut down one way or another. It's your truth to open that line.

You are my damn daddy. Thank you, but it doesn't change nothing.

So how do you feel knowing that this is your daughter and for these years, now it's confirmed, and for 27 years she has felt like I have not had support? You even said outta your own mouth, that she didn't get the first love that she should have from a father. We now know that you are that father, which now puts in context even more the pain and hurt. She's saying, 27 years I knew, but you rejected me. 27 years I knew, but you abandoned me. 27 years I knew, and to your own words, I was selfish. You were selfish. So, What do you have to say to her now?

What do I have to say to Katera?

Yeah, that's the only one that matters now.

I truly offer an apology and I truly pray that you can be blessed with forgiveness in your heart towards me. I do want to be there. I only want the best for you and I'm willing to extend the olive branch and do whatever needs to be done.

Katerra, what do you want from your father today?

Nothing. Because not being funny, y'all don't know my life right now. Because anytime I have called, if I hear a, "I'll get back with you," that mean don't hold your damn breath, it's not happening. So therefore, not being funny, for me to be 27, I learned a pattern with you. So that pattern with you, I'm cool on it. I'm getting myself through nursing school. I graduate January, clock it. I'm doing it by myself and I'm gonna be okay. Thank you. So I've been knew I was your daughter. I just look way better than you. That's all that is.

So Tyrone, what she's saying, so what I want you to do is I want you hopefully, because as you said, asking her forgiveness, what I'm hoping for you as you walk off this stage is that instead of looking at the way that you all are communicating as disrespect, the only thing she really needs is for you to break that pattern. So if you wanna actually be there for her, you have to break that pattern and show up. I asked you earlier, could you support her in any way or have you ever supported her? And you said, well, I can't give her what I don't got. There's a lot of things that you can give her. This is your daughter now and you have the power to correct this. Her pain is going to be there, but I promise you, if you show up and show a new pattern, that pain will start to heal, but that is up to you. Do you wanna make that commitment to your daughter today? Yeah. You can tell her, "I commit to you," and say your own words.

Please don't let him lie to you, and I'm not even gonna allow you to lie to him. I don't wanna be bothered with him.

So remember what I just said. You can't do this.

I ain't gonna lie, I don't wanna be bothered.

She gets her pain. She was a child. You can't throw your hands up. You've thrown your hands up for 27 years.

Tell me the answer.

All I can say is this, I want to change the pattern and I'm gonna do the best I can to change the pattern.

So you gonna change the pattern after 23 seconds ago you just threw up your hand. So you gonna change the pattern that quick?

The answer.

That's wild work. And y'all wonder why I disrespect him.

The answer is she asked, are you gonna change the pattern?

Sir, I've said yes more than once and every time I say yes, what do I get?

23 seconds ago, he threw his hands.

Exactly.

Am I wrong?

I'm giving it to you, patience. But what's happening is that your ego is getting in the way of the patience.

My ego? I have, brother, my ego is not an issue.

But if you want a relationship with your daughter, that ego, that voice has to go and you have to be patient with her pain. I'm telling you, sir. She already said she didn't need these answers. She knew. So even in this moment, she still showed up. So yes, you are hearing one thing. Look at what she's doing, and that's what she's waiting for you to do. She's waiting to look at what you're doing.

So I'm willing to do the best I can to meet her needs.

Okay, I pray that you take my advice. And that you change the patterns and you're patient with her pain, I'm gonna let you know I'm here as a resource. Call me. I'm like a big brother to you, all right? Okay, okay.

That feels good.

I'm serious. Good luck.