In this follow-up interview, Turner dishes on new-found fame, life after the show and finally meeting her father.
Do you think you were portrayed in a good light on the show? I do, I really do. I feel like they showed my family in a positive light and also the other ladies in a good light, as well. I was happy with it. I’m also glad so many people were able to share the experience of searching for my birth father with me -- the response to that has been overwhelming.
Have you been able to meet your birth father yet? I’m meeting him in the next few months when I fly to Nigeria. I actually found out I have ten brothers and sisters.
Are you still close with Cat Ommanney? Who else have you formed a close bond with on the show? I am, I understand her completely now. She has this tough exterior, but she’s really a softie. Throughout the season I learned that a lot of the way she acted was because of challenges she was facing in her home life. It made me much more empathetic. I’ve also become really close to Lynda [Erkiletian], she has such a lovely spirit.
How has life changed for you since the show premiered? It’s weird and great. It makes me so paranoid, I feel like I can’t run out of the house looking crazy anymore! However, the best part is all of the fan mail and people telling me they can relate to my personal story of finding my birth parents.
Do you think fame has changed you at all? No, I haven’t changed. At the end of the day, we could not have a second season, this could go away tomorrow and it would still be okay. I’m not so caught up that it would be the end of the world.
What do you say to criticism that you and Jason seemed to play the “we’re everyone’s friends” role on the show? I take that as a compliment. When the show started we didn’t know any of the castmates. During the beginning of the show we took the Salahis at face value, but as the season continued we learned more about them as people and we didn’t associate with them so readily.
Is the rumor true that you, Cat, Mary, and Lynda refuse to do a second season if the Salahis are a part of it? Well, I didn’t say that. I can only speak for myself. Whatever the Salahis do with their lives doesn’t affect me.
How do you respond to viewers saying you all weren’t as dramatic as the other "Housewives" series? I think the beauty of the Bravo series is that each show is different. Our show just had a different type of drama; it didn’t mean it was any less dramatic. I think it’s great that viewers can pick which show appeals best to them.
What’s next for you? I’m excited to help bring the issue of foster care to the forefront and my charity is starting to plan the next big event to travel across the country. I’m also thinking of writing a memoir to share my personal story of adoption and finding my birth parents.
Would you do the show all over again? Yes, I would. It was an adventure.
If there is a season two, do you hope there will be more of a diverse cast? I hope there will be. It would be great to have all types of women on the show, that would really represent D.C.’s true culture.
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