I Turned 18 & My Mom Still Hates Me | KARAMO

You look adorable.

Thank you.

Well, I'll say happy belated birthday.

Thank you.

Yes. How does it feel to be 18?

Still getting used to it.

You're still getting used to it? How would you describe your relationship with your mother?

It's not like every mom and daughter type of relationship. It's too toxic.

How long has the relationship been like this?

Since I was like 14.

Since you were like 14. What happened at 14?

I had run away. I took care of myself for a while. I had to I had to like really defend for myself, feed myself, figure out how I'm gonna stay alive in the streets 'cause I was really in the streets. And she didn't even call me one time. She was with her boyfriend. So I really had to defend for myself and take care of, that's why I felt so grown 'cause I had to defend for myself.

Got it. So at 14, what made you wanna run away?

She had her boyfriend and like I said, she was more focused on him. So I just left and did what I did.

And did she come and find you? No. Did she call you?

No.

Did she know where you were?

No, just knew I was in LA.

How long were you living on the streets?

Almost a year.

A year? Yeah, almost. So from 14 to 15?

Yeah.

Okay, I got that. I'm so sorry. So you were sent away. So when you got back into her home at 15, you then were sent away again?

Yeah.

Where were you sent away to?

To a program.

And that was to like help you to get on track with school and behavior or something like that?

No, mainly my behavior.

Mainly behavior. And then when you got released, where'd you go?

I went with my mom.

My producers told me that you two got into a physical altercation in 2021.

Yeah.

What happened?

I was in trouble at school or whatever and we was arguing and she just hit me from when I turned around.

What do you mean hit you?

Like I turned around, she hit me and I just knew we was fighting on the floor.

As you were growing up, it was just you and your mom? Pretty much.

My dad, he didn't really wanna claim me yet. He thought I wasn't his child, yeah.

Got it. Does your mom say hurtful things to you?

Yeah, she says a lot of hurtful things.

Like what?

Mainly dummy. That's her favorite thing to say is that dummy. You're gonna be a dummy in life. Da da this. But then she'd be like, oh, I want you to finish school. I got you. Da da this. And then when she says she got me, it's like, how do you have me but you're saying I'm gonna be this dummy and I'm not gonna do this and I'm not gonna do that?

Got it. Well, I think it's time to hear your mom's side of the story. So everyone, please welcome Lauren to the show. Hi. So I gotta ask you, how do you feel about what you just heard?

Liberty is a liar, okay? She paints this picture, she want this hard life so bad. Like she see the people on the movies or in in the streets and she wanna be just like them, you feel me? So she want everybody to think that she has a really bad mom. Yes, I'm stern. I wanna be on you. I want you to have a successful future. I don't want her to be 30 years old with an EBT card and 4 kids. So I'm gonna be on you.

Well, when your mom said you think that you want this hard life, you immediately started crying. What made you wanna cry?

It's not true. I didn't wanna be the way I wanted to be. I'm sorry, I didn't wanna be the way I want to be or, be how I am. I didn't want that for me. I didn't. I didn't. I want, I try every day. I try to be a better person, do better. That's why I'm trying to finish school now and all that.

When did you notice a strain in your relationship with Liberty?

About 11 years old. Liberty always been disrespectful. Liberty does not like authority figures telling her anything. She feels like she's grown and she's been grown for a long time now.

But I'm grown 'cause I took care of myself. A year on the streets? It don't matter how long it was. I took care of myself. I had to defend myself.

'Cause you wanted to. You wanted to.

I wanted to. But why would I leave? Why do you think I leave? And then I even remember that one time you asked me if I liked your boyfriend.

Like him how?

Liked him like I wanted to be with him.

Girl, never.

Never?

Never. Never. Never.

Okay.

Now she making things up, okay?

Oh my gosh.

She playing a whole game.

Liberty, how were you taking care of yourself when you were on the street?

I used to do things for money.

Okay, you don't have to go any further. You don't have to go any further. Mom, did you know that? Yeah. Okay.

When the police call me, she'll run away, be gone. And I'll get the phone calls from the police department saying they picked her up in questionable situations.

Okay. And how did that make you feel?

Hurt. A lot of times I had to go and pick her up, stop whatever I'm doing, might drive a whole nother kid. So she's looking up to watching her bigger sister do the things that she doing and lashing out and acting out and being very defiant and wanna run her own program. And now she's on the streets and her lifestyle, 'cause somebody put in her head that this is the way to go. And it's not the way to go, you know? So again, Liberty chose a lifestyle that I'm not okay with.

Before this street thing, half the people you had me around took advantage of you. Let's talk about that. Half of the people.

What was half?

Half of the people, your so-called friends.

My so-called friends? Yes, your so-called friends took advantage of you.

Do you know this?

No.

Liberty, will you do me a I'm gonna ask you a big favor and will you take 5 minutes? I want you to go back to your green room, okay? Take a moment, catch your breath, okay? You know my heart is breaking, right? And why you think my heart is breaking?

Because of things you were hearing. I've been going through a lot with my daughter, a lot. And I never stopped. It's a continual going. You understand what I'm saying? And she does things and I have to react. So I try to wreck as a parent and not be so much hard on her, but I have to be. I have to be.

Yeah. You said, "I gotta be tough on her. I gotta be." Yeah. Has that worked? Has it?

Sometimes.

It hasn't. And I know in the moment you might think that you have a sense of order in a moment, And so you're equating that with that toughness is working, but it's never worked. It's never worked. Your child told me that she, her father didn't claim her. And a little girl was coming home and realized that her daddy—

Me and her father was never in nothing.

That's what I'm saying to you. Hold on, I'm about to get there. When a little girl was coming home and her father was not there and not claiming her. And she knew it. So I want you to imagine a little girl being told that my father don't want me. Now you're doing the best you can and you trying to be the best. She said it was just y'all two. But now my only parent that I have starts dating and doing things, which you're allowed to do, you're allowed to do. But now I'm feeling already abandoned, alone. And now the one parent I got is moving on with their lives. And I'm sure because most of us as parents don't feel like we have to have open communication with our kids about who we dating and what we doing. Right. But when it comes to abandonment, we actually do. And as a child, if nobody wants me, what am I gonna do? I'm gonna say I'm leaving. It's not about like, oh, I wanna show you. It's because those are telling you I don't feel secure, I don't feel safe, I don't feel secure.

So, but if she's constantly doing this, what am I supposed to do?

Love her. Which is, hear me out, hear me out, which is why my first question to you was the tough love, has it worked? And the answer is no. So if the toughness and the hardness hasn't worked, then you gotta try the opposite. When she comes back out here, I want you to say, I know you don't want this life and I'm sorry that this has been your life. I'm sorry that this has been happening. And I love you and I'm not gonna judge you no more for anything that happened. Do you think you can do that?

Yeah, I can.

You can? Mm-hmm. You wanna hear about that? You got this. You love her. You got this. Okay, cute. I see you, I see you. You look great. Thank you. Your mom and I had a little talk while you was freshening up back there. And so your mom has something she wants to say to you.

I love you, Liberty. I'm gonna stop judging you. I see and I understand. I'm sorry.

Your mother said something before and I helped her to see it. She used to say, and it hurt you, she said, "You chose this, you wanted this life." And I think your mother knows something different now. What do you wanna say to her?

That you didn't choose it, it chose you.

I know you don't want this. I know you don't want this. And your mother's finally understanding. You were a baby and you're still a baby. And you deserve to be showered with nothing but love and support. And you have made mistakes, but those mistakes don't define you. Right? They don't define you. You hear me? There's not one thing you've done that says that's who you gonna be for the rest of your life. What do you wanna say to your mother?

I know I wasn't the best and I'm trying every day, trying to finish school. I do wanna go to college. I do wanna be somebody productive in life and I do apologize. I do love you too and I just want us to have a better relationship. That's it.

First step, but I believe in y'all, okay? I got y'all and I wish y'all the best of luck, okay?