She finds music and Love in the time of quarantine
“The Real” co-host Loni Love shares tips on keeping it real. Quarantine Diaries,
Still in quarantine? You’re not alone. Celebrities are cooped up in their homes across the country just like many of us. As we collectively navigate this uncharted territory, USA TODAY presents “Quarantine Diaries,” which give readers a peek into how our favorite stars are spending their time at home.
Today’s diarist is “The Real” co-host and comedian Loni Love, who’s at home in Los Angeles with boyfriend James Welsh. Love and Welsh started dating in March, as luck would have it, right before shutdowns across the country.
Although spending unlimited time holed up together during quarantine has proved to be a challenge for some couples, Love says it’s been smooth sailing, aside from the fact that “he farts a lot.”
Welsh, a white man, and Love, the Black co-host of “The Real” – one of the first daytime talk shows with a panel full of women of color – have used their time in isolation to reflect on the police killing of George Floyd and anti-racism protests.
“It gets exhausting, but it’s something that you know you have to keep fighting for,” Love says. “(Floyd’s death) hit us all in a certain type of way because we were all in quarantine. It’s allowed us all … to really sit and reflect among each other. “
Love, whose memoir, “I Tried to Change So You Don’t Have To: True Life Lessons,” is available now, walks us through a day in her life. – As told to Cydney Henderson
6 a.m. I get up and … I always put on a mask or I exfoliate. … Moisturize your skin, so when you come out (of quarantine) you can be like, “Bam, Bam. Look at me. Look at my skin. It’s glowing.”
7 a.m. I start prepping (to shoot “The Real” from home). It takes about an hour. (Love says her prep work consists of talking to the show’s producers about topics to be discussed on the upcoming episodes.)
8 a.m. I joined the Peloton (indoor cycling) online classes. … I try to take the shortest class, which is usually 20 minutes. (Laughs.) So I take my little 20 minutes because it’s in the house and it’s really fun.
9 a.m. I put my makeup on and I decide what I want to wear. … (In the studio) you see your crew members. You have someone else doing your makeup. (In quarantine) there are times where you don’t want to do your makeup – you’re tired or you hung out too long. You have to figure out how to do your hair, wardrobe. Everything is dependent on me.
11:00 a.m. We start shooting (“The Real”) by 11. We shoot for two episodes or three. So we are usually done by 1:30 to 2:30. (Love co-hosts alongside Adrienne Bailon, Jeannie Mai, Tamera Mowry-Housley and Amanda Seales.)
On what she misses about filming “The Real” in person: I miss everything about the studio. The energy of the audience – that’s the most important thing that I miss. I’m sitting here talking to you, but we don’t know if what I’m saying is funny or dull. … I actually miss Tamera hugging me. I hate hugs, but I miss Tamera hugging me. Don’t tell her I said this. (Sorry, Ms. Love.)
On advocating for equality: We’ve
been talking about the unjust deaths of Black men for a long time, especially on “The Real,” ever since Trayvon Martin (died in 2012). … So I started doing “Quarantine With Loni,” where I would get on (Instagram) Live every day to let people vent. … I also try to use my platform to make sure that they are safe – how to safely and peacefully protest. I’ve been arrested many times for protesting. So I’m a whole pro. (Laughs.)
Lunch at 1 p.m. I make Brussels sprout chips and I usually make a sandwich, so that’s my lunch. … With this being a pandemic, I’m trying to make sure that I stay healthy.
Has quarantine posed any challenges for your healthy lifestyle? Oh, yeah! Because some days you watch the news, like, ‘I need a drink. And I need a
strong drink.‘ So I have to turn it off sometimes … to reflect and read and encourage myself. … The thing I did realize now with quarantine is how much money I spend on food and how much I spend going out to eat. I’m saving a lot of money.
3:00 p.m. I take my walk right after I finish for the day with work. … I try to walk to the beach and look at the water. … It has a calming effect and it allows me to at least wave at people if they have a mask on. It gives me time to reflect on the day and then decide what I want to do for the night. And for me, that’s just enough.
Do you agree that California’s statewide mask mandate is the right move? I don’t know why these people are so (mad). You can get a nice little bandanna and you can look like a gang member, cute and safe at the same time. I encourage my fans every day to wear a mask – please do that. And I even show how wearing a mask protects (against COVID-19 transmission). … Sometimes you got to protect people from themselves.
And I hate to see when the babies don’t have the masks. Now that’s when I get mad – I become Auntie Loni. I tell them to put a mask on the baby. … I’m doing my job to help protect America, thank you.
On her return to stand-up comedy shows: I’m trying to work on something where maybe we’ll do some shows in a drive-in, and that would be great, but I don’t see myself actually going back out to clubs until next year. All of my dates have moved to 2021, just for the safety. It’s not necessarily about me. I care about my clients, customers and fans and I don’t want them to be exposed to anything. So until there’s more testing or a vaccine, I just feel like I’m just not going to have shows.
Dinner at 6:30 p.m.(Welsh) doesn’t cook. But I have rediscovered my love of cooking (during quarantine.) And he takes out the trash! … I just like to make one big roasted chicken because that will last for two or three days.
Have you picked up any new hobbies in lockdown? I am back to playing the flute. People didn’t know that I used to play the flute in middle school. … I still have it. I’ve just been practicing scales. I’ve been driving James crazy. (Laughs.) I’ve been waiting for the music stores to open so I can get a French horn. … For now, it’s just the flute.
Bedtime-ish It’s hard. … I get in the bed by at least 12:30. I usually don’t go to sleep until 2:30 because I’m doing all kinds of things, and I need to stop that.