Nicole Sonnier

Supermodel Beverly Johnson has managed to keep her private life just that. After conquering the world of fashion, breaking down racial barriers, and becoming a beauty brand mogul the dynamic beauty has chosen to open her home to her daughter’s growing family and the rest of America. Her choice to include her daughter, Anansa Sims Patterson, came from her desire to mend old wounds that may have occurred when a judge decided early in Anansa’s life that custody would be given to Johnson’s exhusband, music producer Danny Sims. Today women rarely are asked to choose between their career and a family and undoubtedly the pain felt by the young mother was, at times, unbearable. “It was during the time of Kramer vs. Kramer”, she tells Examiner, and “nothing in my life has been as traumatic as that moment.” Anansa was a preteen before Beverly once again had her daughter on a full-time basis. Although the two developed a relationship during the years before Sims left the nest, Johnson believes that “your past sets up your future.” So she saw this show as an opportunity to work through any feelings that may have gone unspoken. Anansa actually followed in her famous mothers footsteps after graduating high school two years early. She journeyed to New York, dropped down to a size 2, and began a modeling career. After deciding that she would never again let anyone tell her how she should look Sims took a different road returning home to complete both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA. She returned to the world of modeling as a plus size model, became a wife, and gave birth to a beautiful daughter. At this point Anasa, being a fan of reality television, agreed to join the show and Beverly Johnson’s Full House was born. Produced by Good Clean Fun for OWN, the show premiered with a rocky start between mother and daughter on March 31st and will air each Saturday at 9 p.m. eastern. With the show Beverly hopes to work through the kinks and help others gain better mother-daughter relationships as well. Viewers are surely tuning in not only for the drama but to find out about who the real Beverly Johnson is. And hopefully there will be a backstory that includes the tales of her successes. While taking the catwalk by storm Beverly was mindful of the fact that the lifespan of a modeling career was minimal and she transitioned her success to the boardroom. Her wigs have long been gracing the shelves of beauty supply stores. She grew this into the Beverly Johnson Lifestyle Brand that encompasses skin care, hair care, bath and body care, and more. She decided that she wanted to make her products available to a broader audience and chose Target as the retailer to take her products into more homes. Using formulas she believes in that are created, manufactured, and distributed by her own BJE, Inc. she now offers to Target customers Model Logic a multi-cultural hair line for women and men of all ages and Beverly Johnson drawstring ponytails in a blend of natural and synthetic hair. Beverly also branched out to other industries. She is a published author, actress, and even produced an album with Buddah Records. The beauty laughs as she mentions the work saying, “I can’t sing.” But you cannot say she doesn’t try new things. Like her role as Brenda in the recently released Tyler Perry film “Good Deeds.” When you have one of the top fashion icon’s at your disposal you have to ask those important questions. When asked what 3 staples every woman should have in her closet Johnson offered up the tailored little black dress, adding “as close to couture as you can buy”; also on the list “a pair of super high pumps” and “a beautiful blazer”. Catch Beverly Johnson’s Full House each Saturday on OWN, check out her website for more information on where to find her beauty care products, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.