Page 101 of Grown

Ms. Evens:She’s eighteen now.

Ms. Jones:And she was seventeen when he first started. And honestly, do you consider your eighteen-year-old smart enough to make her own decisions without all your hovering?

Ms. Evens:What are you implying?

Ms. Woods:Oooo, Lawd.

Ms. Jones:Just asking, would you be OK with your daughter seeing a twenty-nine-year-old?

Ms. Evens:No, no. My daughter would never do something like that. I know my child.

Ms. Jones:So do I. But they’re still their own individual. They’re all going to test the limits, and we’re not with them twenty-four-seven.

Ms.Evens:Sorry, but my child wouldn’t do something like that. I can’t speak to how anyone else raises their child, but I know mine.

Ms. Jones:You mean to tell me your mother knew everything you ever did when you were a girl?

Ms. Evens:That’s... different.

Ms. Stevens:Are you sure she didn’t tell him she was eighteen?

Ms. Jones:So you calling us liars now?

Ms. Stevens:No! I’m... well, we’ve all been there. Hell, I had an older boyfriend in high school. And I didn’t exactly have the body of a sixteen-year-old. So, I could understand if, you know, she told a little fib.

Ms. Woods:Oooo, Ms. Stevens, scandalous! Well, I guess if we’re sharing, I, too, had a little thing-thing back in the day. It was... exciting! Remember it like yesterday.

Ms. Stevens:Yeah... I was scared to tell him the truth but really lived in fear of the day my mama would find out about us.

Dr. Patrick:Is this really the conversation we’re having right now?

Ms. Jones:But see, there’s a difference. You had boyfriends and, yes, they were older than you. And yes, you might have even lied about your age. But let me ask you... did any of them lay a hand on you? Kidnap you? Trap you? Starve you? Keep you from your mother? Make you pee in a got damn bucket?!

Dr. Patrick:Latoya, I think...

Ms. Jones:This isn’t some little scandalous fling! He used his money and power to hide our daughter! He abused his power ’cause he had it. If he wasn’t a celebrity, he’d be under the jail right now!

Ms. Evens:Innocent until proven guilty.

Ms. Woods:Yeah, and how many times has that little rule worked in favor of black women?

Ms. Jones:The point is,he’sthe adult.Weare adults. Don’t care how smart our babies are or how we broke the rules before—weknowbetter now.

Dr. Patrick:OK. I hear you. So what do you need?

Chapter 70

Interrogation #2

Transcript–May 18

Fletcher:Thanks for stopping by on such short notice. So, we talked to Korey Fields.

L. Jones:OK. And? Are you going to arrest him yet? Did you talk to his label?

Fletcher:First, we have some follow-up questions for you... crossing our t’s, dotting our i’s, the usual. Korey has been very forthcoming. He takes these allegations seriously. As do we.

Silverman:Korey suggested that you may have been the one who leaked the sex video.