Abira Green Dishes On Little Women Atlanta - Full Interview
Season 6 of Little Women: Atlanta, which premiered in January 2021, is brand new territory. The cast isn't just dealing with the typical interpersonal drama — the fuel that sustains reality TV binge-watchers for hours at a time. They're dealing with the same real-world issues that have made the current news cycle both terrifying and depressing all in one.
In the middle of filming, the novel coronavirus pandemic impacted the Little Women: Atlanta set as it did the rest of the world — pulling the women away from each other as they navigated their new reality, which included navigating the sudden death of their friend and co-star Ashley "Minnie" Ross. For the first time in a long time, the cast needed each other more than whatever drama was standing between them, and no one knows this better than breakout star (and reformed reality TV villain) Abira Greene.
When Abira Greene sat down with Nicki Swift over Zoom, it became clear that quarantine had given the mother-of-four a new perspective, reinvigorating the tenacity that put her on the path to Lifetime fame in the first place. Though her drama with the Salinas sisters, which emerged during Abira's explosive Season 3 debut, continues throughout Season 6, the stillness of coronavirus seems to have set her focus on moving forward. Now, she's looking at the big picture.
In this exclusive interview, Abira Greene sounds off on everything from searching for common ground with her frenemies to her work as an activist.
You can't say Abira Greene isn't trying
I've been watching the new season and I love it. It's super dramatic, and I'm a sucker for that. So I wanted to know how your relationship is with the twins, because at the start, there seemed to be drama between you guys.
Yeah. It is definitely drama between the twins and myself, but I do think as the season goes, we do try. That's what I can say is that we try. But I just feel like a lot of factors play into that on and off camera.
It's just one of those things where you don't see eye to eye?
Pretty much. And then you have other people also intervening behind doors and stuff like that. And it's also different maturity levels and just certain things like that. And I had to come to a raps to understand that I am older than the twins, and I have been through a lot of other things that they haven't experienced in life yet, so their understanding is different than my understanding.
Yeah. I mean, sometimes stuff like that happens. you're not going to see eye to eye with everyone.
Right.
And that's okay. And also, it makes for good TV.
Doesn't it?
Abira Greene on coping with the death of Ashley "Minnie" Ross
So this season seemed really hard, because you guys lost castmate Ashley "Minnie" Ross (pictured above), and I'm so sorry for your loss.
Well, thank you.
How have you guys been coping with that?
I can just tell you, I don't know, personally what everybody does as far as coping. But with me, it's been rough, because her death came along with the pandemic, and then me having four kids in the house all day, schooling them virtually, so it was a lot for me. I've had my ups and downs, I would say that, this season, especially after Minnie's death. As far as coping, it's one day at a time because we're now seeing her for the first time, since she passed away, on TV. So it's a lot for us. I think tonight is definitely going to be an emotional night.
Yeah. And that is a lot to balance, because on top of that, you're filming this TV show, you have a rap career, you dance, and you have your four kids.
I don't dance anymore.
The real reason Abira Greene quit dancing
I was going to ask you that. If you were going to reprise Fire [Greene's stage name] or if you were focusing more on other things.
Yeah. No, no, I do not dance anymore. I am focused more on just acting and my entrepreneurship, as well as showing my kids generational wealth. So I'm building businesses with the children as well, just to show them. So that's coming soon as well.
That's amazing.
Thank you.
What really made you choose to not dance anymore?
Well, number one, for me, when I started dancing, it was about survival. But I just happened to get famous and make a lot of money off of it, so I stayed. But then as my kids grew up, they actually came to me and said they didn't want me to dance anymore. So, of course, I was doing it for them, so therefore, I can't dance anymore. So I chose to stop dancing, because my two oldest just didn't want me to do it anymore, and I felt that was enough reason for me to stop.
Why Abira Greene wants Juicy to stay out of it
So Juicy was like one of your closest friends, and she's always helping you a little bit with the cast when you get into fights. Is that her natural role in your life, or are producers going by and telling her to be that. She seems like a intermediary.
To be honest with you, I don't know. I really don't know, because how I look at it is, as a friend of both of us, of both parties, I wouldn't want to intervene at all, because I wouldn't want the other to think that I'm taking their side or the other side over there. You know what I mean? So that baffles me with her when she does intervene because I'm just like, "Stay neutral." You know what I mean? "Just stay neutral, because I don't want you to have to try to prove your friendship to me, or prove your friendship to them."
And these girls have a bond before me, you know what I mean? Before I came, I came on the end of season three. These girls had already been through three seasons together. And I understand that. I don't have a problem with that. My whole thing is just stay neutral if we are cool. And I know that you're cool with them, so just stay neutral, so it's not a problem.
Being cast as a villain is just a consequence of keeping it real
That's something else I also want to ask you about, because you came in a little later than the other girls, and they cast you as sort of a villain.
Absolutely.
And now you're a regular cast member. Because people have been talking about this online, was your goal coming in to just make as much drama as possible to make the show good? Which I totally respect by the way. Or was that kind of stuff just happening?
Well, to be honest, I came in the show to bring my personality. And I think naturally, because I have such a vibrant and loud and confident personality, it ruffled feathers. Because at the end of the day, you can pretend to be somebody until that somebody who you want to actually be like steps into the room. And I think that's what happened with these group of women. As I stepped into the room, and it was like, "Okay, this is real. What we are portraying is real in her. It is in her." So yeah.
Yeah, I completely agree with that. Sometimes loud personalities do it. I mean, it happens. I'm super into that, and I respect that so much. So what kind of drama do you think is the most epic in the newest season that hasn't aired yet?
I don't know to be honest. Because let me tell you, it was a long filming process for us, and a lot of stuff that I'm seeing on episodes, I don't even remember. I'm like, "Oh my God. I said that?" It just depends, because like I say, me and the twins are definitely trying. I can tell you that. We definitely, on both sides, they're trying and I am trying. So kudos to us, because we're trying. I don't know what's the biggest drama though that hasn't aired yet.
I commend you for trying.
Right. That's all we can do is try.
If it were me, I'd be like, "Forget it. It's not working."
But we have to work together. And we have to stick together as a little women community. And so it's like, "Okay, well, we have to bite our tongues to get through this." And it's just hard.
Abira Greene is making moves in the music industry
I also want to talk to you about your rap career. How's it going? I know that it's a rough moment right now for musicians because you can't really perform.
Right. So I've just been writing and being in the studio. I actually have a studio session tomorrow night with Bumpman. Yay! So that's an insider. We have a session tomorrow night yet. We're going to go in there, kill it, probably put down two tracks.
I have a new single coming out, which will air on the show, called "Don't Give Up." It's a really great song. It goes along with my transitioning onto the show and just how I see things after the pandemic and Minnie's death and just a lot of things that I've experienced during that time last year. So yeah, it's going to be lit.
I'm still doing my music. I haven't performed, because like you said, of course the pandemic. But things seem to be opening back up, so I'm definitely looking to perform soon. Definitely, my new track, "Don't Give Up," and then whatever me and Bumpman fire up tomorrow night. I know we're definitely going to perform that.
The truth about Abira Greene's relationship with Bumpman
So are you and Bumpman still going strong in your relationship?
I mean, as far as going strong, I think we're just trying to take it one day at a time. That's what I'll say. That's what I can tell you. I don't want to say that we're like, oh, so in love, or we're not in love. I do want to say that great things take time, so I feel like we're just learning each other during this process.
Yeah. I know that also the pandemic has been difficult for people in relationships, because it either pulls people apart or pushes them closer together in a way they might not have been ready for. Have you found that any of that has happened?
Yeah. I think with everybody, even family members, during the holidays, they were scared to travel and things like that. So I think that has affected all relationships. It really has. And I haven't seen Bumpman in a while. So when I see him tomorrow, it's going to be exciting and things like that.
Abira Greene on raising a generation of entrepreneurs
Like you just said, you have a lot of entrepreneurial stuff that you're starting with your kids. Can you tell me any more about that? I know you have a brand, Are You As Tall As Me? What are your goals for it? How's that going?
Well, Are You As Tall As Me is great. I actually have the website, but I haven't went live with it with the public. We're going to specialize in just specialized merchandise from all kinds of things, babies, kids, grownups, not a full clothing line, but just shirts, onesies, bibs, beverage holders, bags, things like that.
My daughter has a business called Lash Vibez, where she specialized in lashes, false lashes, minks and normals, the big ones that all the kids love to wear, and stuff like that. And then Phebe actually is going to start, coming soon, her own lip gloss business, Pretty Like Phebe Lip Gloss.
That's so exciting.
She's going to hand-make them herself.
That sounds like a lot of work.
That's how we're going to do it. Yeah, I want her to really know what it takes. Now, eventually, of course, because we know if everything is going to pop, she won't do it herself. But starting off, I think she needs to learn that footwork.
I think that's really smart and really good mom advice. Do you have a launch date at all for your personal brand?
No, I don't, actually. No. That right there, that and the album, I'm holding on to those dates because I feel like those are going to be something special. I've had fans looking out for that, so I want to make it a big rooha when I do announce the dates.
Abira Greene wants to normalize dwarfism
So, I just have one more question. How you're balancing all of this. You have so much going on.
It's hard. I meditate in the morning. I listen to motivational speakers. I have a glass of wine or two. Yeah, it's hard to balance it all, but I know I'm not the only one in the world doing this. So it's like if I can push forward, maybe I'll be able to inspire and motivate someone else to also push forward who's going through something similar, multiple kids, home all day, shooting a show, going through the drama, trying to start businesses, all of that, plus the pandemic. So hopefully, my story and my situation will inspire someone else to keep going for their dreams.
I honestly need more coffee just even hearing you list that out. Is there anything else that you wanted before we go to talk about or promote that I didn't cover?
Yeah. Actually, it's normalize dwarfism. You guys will see that. That's a movement that I have going on. It's about basically when I say "normalize dwarfism," I know a lot of people say, "Well, we do see you guys as normal." And on a surface level, that may be true. But when it comes to capabilities, or you thinking that we're competent enough, or things like that, that's what I mean also with normalize dwarfism.
On so many planes, like even getting normal roles, not only being cast as trolls or elves, but maybe we can be the mafia or we can be the president or something in the movie to where it shows a normalized role for a person with dwarfism. So I do have a movement. You guys will see it on the show. It will be on the website as well. And it's just about me doing public speaking to everyone, not just people with dwarfism, but people without dwarfism, and educating them on just proper knowledge when coming towards a person with dwarfism or coming at a person with dwarfism.
You can catch Abira Greene on Season 6 of Little Women: Atlanta, currently airing on Lifetime.