My partner is a Frenchman, so I have got to smell right.

Just to be true to myself, which is why I did this movie. I figured everyone was going to freak out and say, 'Why would you do that after Dorothy Dandridge?' My answer is 'Because I can.' And that feels really good to be comfortable saying that.

Self-esteem comes from who you have in your life. How you were raised. What you struggled with as a child.

I'm not done with love, but I refuse to settle.

I was black growing up in an all-white neighborhood, so I felt like I just didn't fit in. Like I wasn't as good as everybody else, or as smart, or whatever.

Motherhood sort of puts things into perspective, and it's bout real life, and life is about people, what we give, what we take, what we share.

The first step is clearly defining what it is you're after, because without knowing that, you'll never get it.