A One-On-One with ‘My Wife and Kids’ Star, Jennifer Freeman

Jennifer Freeman is spreading the holiday spirit this season by starring in not one but three Christmas movies! Freeman is well known for her role as “Claire” on the award-winning ABC series My Wife and Kids, not to mention the popular You Got Served starring Lil Kim and Megan Good. 

The Los Angeles native has certainly been busy, being a full-time single mother to her daughter Bella, a fitness guru and an author of “Journey to Loving Yourself” while making three Christmas movies and bringing a little holiday humor and love through the TV screen for our families to enjoy.

You will definitely want to see this Queen of Christmas in action this Holiday season, and each movie, The Business of Christmas, The Christmas Kiss, and Beaus of Holly, brings something different to the table.

In the interview, Freeman discusses the joys of motherhood, self-love, why she felt the need to be celibate, and filming during COVID-19.

 

Clairica: You’re officially the Queen of Christmas. You have three movies out this Holiday season. How do you feel about that?

Jennifer: I love it. I think now more than ever it’s really important for us to celebrate. I am really excited I was able to do three Christmas movies. It’s a really good feeling to be able to do something to inspire and lift up others. I will enjoy watching it with Bella and my family.

Clairica: So, would you say Christmas is your favorite holiday? 

Jennifer: Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday. It’s like a magical feeling.

Clairica: What was it like to work with the famous Tisha Campbell as your mom?

Jennifer: Oh, Tisha is hilarious. It was so much fun working with her. She is also an amazing person; she’s been in the industry her whole life, and I really admire her. She is an amazing actress.

Clairica: Do you think My Wife and Kids will have a reunion?

Jennifer: I would absolutely love that (with excitement in her voice). I would never say never.

Clairica: Did COVID-19 make it difficult to film? How is it different compared to pre-COVID-19?

Jennifer: Um, yeah, I think I was a bit nervous, trying to film while we were told to stay in the house was challenging. But I was really excited about the opportunity to do what I love to do. To be creative and put something really positive out into the world, I think we could all use it. I am glad to be a part of something that could help people get through this tough time. There is definitely a different way of shooting. When you are on set, everyone who is part of the production test, if one is positive, they shut the whole production down, and everyone is quarantined. It’s actually pretty safe. I feel so blessed and honored that I was able to do these projects at this time. It did help me because I just love people. I thrive off of being around people. 

Clairica: What was it like being in quarantine with your family? 

Jennifer: It was a good time. I know it’s hard for people, especially when it first started. I think just trying to stay focused and positive is really how I live my life. I am grateful. I try not to live in fear, so knowing the balance between fear and being cautious and using wisdom is good. It definitely did bring out family time.

Clairica: You’re an amazing and beautiful actress. Everyone in life has high and low points in life. How do you handle your low points? 

Jennifer: I think that it’s really important to do self-reflection. That’s something that I always do. I’m a big advocate of checking in with yourself. I think women, especially being moms, wives, just whatever, keep going because we are caretakers, and we care for everyone else. Sometimes we miss out on what’s going on with ourselves. Doing daily checkups with ourselves lets us know if we are struggling, depressed, feeling low, or secure. Just acknowledge the truth. Then try to do something to help yourself, whether it’s saying affirmations about yourself, praying, listening to worship music, going outside on a walk, we need to know our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. This time we are in right now can be so overwhelming. Just like we work out to stay fit, we need to be spiritual and emotionally fit as well. 

Clairica: What is your favorite holiday food?

Jennifer: Anything sweet (laughter). I generally love eating healthy, so I just naturally love salads and whatever else healthy. When it comes to sweets, they are my weakness, brownies, cake, cookies, pumpkin pie, peach cobbler. I know it’s time to indulge during the holidays.

Clairica: Which character is most like you out of the three-holiday movies?

Jennifer: I would say, Holly, she is a Type A personality. She has a card shop; she’s a businesswoman, and she has everything planned. She wants to kind of be in control. That is good to a certain extent, but it doesn’t leave room for anything else to happen or be spontaneous and to have fun. Just enjoy the moment.

Clairica: What was it like being part of the popular classic You Got Served? 

Jennifer: Oh my Gosh (high tone voice), that was amazing! We just had so much fun. We were all friends, so it wasn’t even like we were working. I don’t know how to dance, so I admired them for knowing how to dance. It’s still relevant and still being recognized. You know they just put it on Netflix. My daughter and I just watched it on TV. She is old enough to get the story, and she said it was really cool.

Clairica: Speaking of your daughter, how do you juggle motherhood and acting?

Jennifer: My motto is I believe, especially since I have a daughter that’s it’s important for me to go after my dreams and live life to the fullest and become everything that I want to become because I’m setting the example for how she’s to live her life, 

Clairica: You are an author. What inspired you to write a book?

Jennifer: So, I wrote a book called Journey to Loving Yourself. This book is a 21-day devotional, and my inspiration came from myself getting to a place in my life where I really didn’t feel like I loved myself. I went through a divorce, and I wanted to do some self-reflection and healing. I feel like God doesn’t bring you through things to keep them to yourself. It’s to help the next person. I wanted to share the things I’ve overcome. So other people can see there is always a better way; that’s where that came from. What better way to share it than put it in a book for other people to read?

Clairica: I read that you were practicing celibacy. What motivated you to do that?

Jennifer: The motivation for that was I just wanted to love myself. I really wanted to take time to be with me and love myself before anyone else could. I also wanted to take time for God to be everything to me and not feel like I had to date. I just wanted to be happy with myself. I had a lot of issues that I really needed healing with. So, it just became this journey I was on, and I really loved it. You know, I think I found so much healing through the process. 

Clairica: What’s your idea of Mr. Right? 

Jennifer: I think a man that first loves God. That has integrity and good character. I’m looking for someone confident and supportive and who’s on the same journey of growth as me. 

Clairica: Tell the readers about your YouTube channel.

Jennifer: My daughter really wanted to do a YouTube channel, and she wanted to do a blog, and so we did. It’s all about Bella and me doing fun mother and daughter things. We share our relationship. I’ll be launching a podcast next year. I will put the episodes of the podcast on the YouTube channel. I feel like I owe this to the people to talk freely and what it means to me as I have a different guest on the podcast. I’m so excited to be able to do this podcast.

Clairica: What is your biggest failure, and what did you get positive from it?

Jennifer: Well, I don’t look at things as a failure. I only look at things as a failure only if you don’t keep going. I feel like failure is if you quit and feel like you can’t keep going. I think in life, it’s really important to press pass and keep going no matter what because you never know when your breakthrough is on the other side. Just because things get hard, and you feel like a failure, you are never truly failing.

Clairica: What can we expect from you in 2021?

Jennifer: Be on the lookout for my podcast and follow me on Instagram.

 

About Clairica: Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Clairica graduated from Mitchell High School. She attended Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee. She received the title of Mrs. Louisiana Universal 2019. Mrs. Louisiana has chaired several events around Louisiana as well as Public Speaking at events. Clairica is a spokesperson for prominent Louisiana organizations. She is currently an Associate Publicist for Meet the World Image Solutions and a Talk show host. She is also an actress who has starred in several plays and short films. She will continue to elevate her platform. As she speaks to the youth and leads by example, she plans to encourage people of all ages that it is never too late to reach your dreams.