The singer and her TLC groupmate, T-Boz, visited ET for a rousing round of 'Spilling the E-Tea.'
Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas and bandmate Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins might be delving into their storied musical journey in their upcoming Lifetime documentary, TLC Forever, but first, they have some tea to spill!
TLC stopped by for ET's "Spilling the E-Tea" to reflect on their journey to girl-group icon status, what they're looking forward to, and a potential Las Vegas residency. Chilli, who's recently made headlines due to her growing romance with actor Matthew Lawrence, even divulges some details about their love story.
Chilli and Lawrence confirmed their romance on social media back in January, and Chilli's rep, Christal Jordan, confirmed to ET at the time that the two had been dating for a few months and were meeting each other's families. The confirmation of the pair's relationship came just over three months after Lawrence and his ex-wife, Cheryl Burke, finalized their divorce.
The 52-year-old singer has been open about finding new love, but she still gets shy when asked about her beau by her longtime friend -- who calls Lawrence her "brother-in-law."
"So, is he a good kisser? We all want to know, inquiring minds want to know," T-Boz asks, teasingly.
Although she attempts to hide, Chilli coyly responds that Lawrence is "perfect," calling him "the best kisser ever."
Their romance, she goes on to share, began when they met at an event. Having seen him in "a few movies," she admits she "always thought he was so cute. Like always."
"And then when I saw him in person, I was like, 'Oh, OK.' And you know how I am," she continues. "So, long story short, once we started talking on the phone and getting to know each other, [we] obviously [have] so much in common. And it was just a lot of things that we would talk about... And he is a phenomenal man. I just saw it right away, and I was just like, 'Wow.'"
The singer went on to gush about her boyfriend's hidden talents, like cooking, a green thumb and a special way with animals. "He's that guy," she says. "And I mean, if acts of service was a person, it's Matthew."
T-Boz, who has been vocally supportive of the new romance, notes that watching the new couple "has been awesome."
The 53-year-old must be inspired by her friend's luck in love; she admits that although she hasn't been in a public relationship since her romance with San Francisco 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes ended in 2010, she's now "ready to mingle."
"I'm hoping to date. So, I mean, I'm single," she shares with Chilli. "I'm not dating, I want to now."
"I'm happy to hear that because I remember a time when you told me there's no way, you're done," Chilli recalls, adding, "This is great news, too. For me. I'm happy because I want you to [date], so you can find somebody!"
And as the ladies enjoy their new chapter in love, they've also begun to share the story of their tumultuous journey in the spotlight with their fans. TLC Forever is the first time the duo is detailing their complex personal and professional lives as they explore how "they broke boundaries, influenced an entire generation and survived against all odds."
The documentary includes interviews with industry peers like Questlove and Missy Elliott.
"I am very happy that we are telling our own story," Chilli says. "Because we're the only ones that can tell it. You know, it'll always be the truth from us. And I'm excited for [fans] to just to see how we opened up more, you know, we were a lot more vulnerable, especially you, which is something that no one sees."
"I know, and they start off with me crying," T-Boz reveals, admitting that she doesn't like getting emotional.
"You know, it's funny, because we've been together 30, almost 31 years, and I can count on one hand how many times I've seen you cry," Chilli noted.
T-Boz notes that she didn't used to cry until she had children, but shares that she believes it was more about her beginning to open up that led to the vulnerability. "I think it is because I don't really talk about things that I went through," she tells Chilli. "So, when you bring it up on television, it hits me and I'm actually saying it out loud. And then my real emotions come out because I never dealt with it. So, I think that's what's going on, that's why I keep crying."
Still, the duo is excited for the June 3 release of their documentary, and even more excited about what's in store for their future, including their upcoming 26-city tour with Shaggy, En Vogue, and Sean Kingston.
The Hot Summer Nights Tour kicks off on June 1 at Oak Mountain Amphitheater in Pelham, Alabama, and will hit major cities across the U.S. and Canada including Miami, Toronto, and Phoenix, before concluding in Calgary, AB on July 14.
"I love any tour, anytime we can go on the road. I'm just always happy," Chilli shares. "Obviously, some tours are more fun than others, but I'm excited about this tour. And we've worked with Shaggy before, we've even worked with En Vogue. And those shows were really fun. So, I think it's gonna be a great tour."
Their expectations for the tour are so great, they're even thinking about taking the show to Las Vegas for a residency a la Usher, Adele and other icons.
I'm just so open. My nostrils are open. My eyes are open. I'm just open," T-Boz tells Chilli, meaning, "Yes, I can see that."
"Let's get to the money, honies," she adds.
While Chilli admits she's not enthusiastic about all the smoke that comes with working in Las Vegas, she could see the potential as well. It'll be another accomplishment on their long list of wins over their decades-long career.
"When you look back at our success, what makes you the most proud?" Chilli asks.
T-Boz points to the duo's closeness after years of controversy and tragedy, including the unexpected loss of close friend and former bandmate, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in 2002.
"And I would say I'm proud of us too, because against all odds, we never left one another," she adds. "And even now, like, you still get on my nerves, but I love you. Of course, I get on yours, but I will say that our bond is, like, amazeballs. And I know a lot of other girl groups wish they had what we had and have."
Chilli adds that she believes they've remained a group for so long because "number one, we were definitely meant to be together. I mean, no one else could fit in this group."
"Just the way we were raised, having that in common, you know, being respectful to others, and learning to agree to disagree... it's like those key ingredients right there that I feel so many people don't have in their groups and stuff," she concludes, as T-Boz chimes in that their "chemistry is organic."
TLC Forever premieres on Saturday, June 3 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime/A+E.
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