We all know and love Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson. She has made her mark on social media, specifically TikTok, and in our hearts because of her vulnerability and desire to find true love after a traumatic heartbreak.
Whether we like to admit it or not, we’ve all been there, thinking you’ve found the “one” or “it’s your turn” for love, when it wasn’t the case. From her, “Who TF Did I Marry?” TikTok’s content series inspires women everywhere to share their turbulent bouts with love and deception. Now, her story will be adapted into an upcoming television show thanks to actress, producer, and writer Natasha Rothwell. Johnson has turned her pain into triumph.
Now, she’s passing along sage wisdom and advice to other women who may need it on November 3rd at The BodCon 2024, touted as the ultimate virtual conference designed to empower confidence within women. The highly anticipated virtual conference will feature panels on navigating dating in the digital age, inclusivity in the fashion industry, the clash between body positivity and the Ozempic craze, redefining wellness in a diverse world, embracing your full potential in your professional life, and more.
Gabrielle Richards, Brand Director for The BodCon and certified body confidence coach, said in an email statement, “We’re excited to bring back The BodCon this year and enlighten our attendees with thought-provoking discussions, practical tips & tricks, and a supportive, engaged community to help them unlock their full confidence potential. These authentic and powerful keynotes, workshops, and panels will challenge the status quo, celebrate diversity, and boost confidence in all areas.”
Johnson is slated to speak on the “Love in the Digital Age: Navigating Relationships with Confidence panel alongside Iskra Lawrence, founder of Saltair, which is fitting given her deep experience with previously dating digitally. The fireside chat is about learning how to maintain authentic connections and build lasting relationships in today’s digital world, where “true love” might trick us.
Over a Zoom call, Johnson shared with me that she’s just starting to rebuild her confidence after the debacle her ex-husband put her through and is absorbing the haters’ reactions to her experiences with love online. “My confidence took a huge first, and my confidence is taking a hit. One time, when I got divorced, the world didn’t know what was happening, but I knew when friends and family knew. I also lost my confidence in sharing my story about my ex-husband online because there was a lot of backlash,” she reflected. “A lot of negativity came my way regarding my looks, how I talk, and my size. So, it took a hit. And I feel it is so important, especially for us women, to be our true selves because so often it’s almost like we judge ourselves off social media perception. I want my audience to say, “She doesn’t have it together, but at least she owns it and is trying to put herself back together, get to know, and heal herself.”
We recently caught up with Johnson to discuss how she’s rebuilding her confidence, expanding and deepening her platonic relationships, participating at BodCon, and dating red flags that we should all look out for. Read a snippet of our conversation below and watch the entire video interview.
ESSENCE: What excites you about this conference, specifically the fireside chat you will participate in?
Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson: I’m new to all this, so I’m excited to share the lessons I’ve been learning with people. I’ve been gathering lessons all along the way because that’s been my goal. If I can just help one person learn from my mistakes, that would be great. This is a much bigger platform and an opportunity to help people.
So, what are some things you’ve learned along this kind of turbulent and winding road of taking a chance on love?
First of all, there’s nothing wrong with taking a chance. Life is all about chances. Sometimes it pays off, and sometimes it doesn’t. And I think that what has been shown to us a lot of times, that, you know, romantic comedies and just things that we’ve seen, we always see the fairy tale ending, and I feel like I’m trying to do a better job of showing it’s not always a fairy tale. Sometimes it is a nightmare. But the thing is, it doesn’t have to define you, right? Just because I was unlucky in this relationship does not mean I’m unlucky in love. Just because I’m single does not mean that I will never find someone. It’s a journey, and for me right now, what I’ve decided is I’m simply kind of thinking of it as a road trip. I want to show this healing journey. And sometimes, it’s beautiful, and sometimes very lonely, but I’m trying to be transparent.
Peace is paramount, especially in this age. Whether you’re trying to date or just trying to live and thrive, peace should be the priority, right? We are trying to convey to our readers that taking chances on love and prioritizing your peace first is essential. So, how do we even begin to navigate this dating culture, especially in digital spaces?
So, for me, because I can only really speak about myself, I met my ex-husband on a dating app. I am a big believer, and I’m a big cheerleader for anyone who uses dating apps. I wish them all the best. But it’s not for me.
I’m not even going down that road. However, in this technological, digital age, we must use these tools to our advantage. What I mean by that is I put up that 50-part series about how I didn’t do something as simple as a background check. Background checks are readily available to everyone in this day and age it’s like, I’m such I cannot tell you, Dominique, that I’m such a big proponent or run that background because while social media has opened up the world, the fact of the matter is, you really do not know who you’re talking to.
Listen, you have to run that background check! Do you have any other tips for spotting red flags?
So, I will say this regarding a red flag I missed. So I hope it helps someone else with dating apps if the person you’ve met is on multiple dating apps, but they’re not matching up. The pictures are not quite the same; the name isn’t the same because this happened to me again. I did not pick up on it, where my ex-husband had multiple apps, but they were all under a variation of his name. That is a red flag because it kind of leaned to secrecy. You should also take time to observe your potential partner and see them in all four seasons. How are they when they’re angry? How are they when they don’t get their way? How are they when they like surprises? Or do they belittle you with your effort?
Do we protect ourselves moving forward? I’m a hopeless romantic. I love, love.
So, I agree with you about being a hopeless romantic like I am. I love, love. One of the things I said in that TikTok series resonated with some people: “I thought it was my turn.” I just love growing old and sharing a life with someone. And for me, I will be honest, it completely blew up in my face. I am at a place where I am honest enough to admit I’m still a hopeless romantic struggling not to let herself become a cynic. I’m trying to create boundaries. And what I mean by that is I know I’m a hopeless romantic. If I’m in a relationship, I will give it 150%, which is who I am. But the moment it starts to feel like I’m putting in more than what my investment is returning, I’m out, and that, for me, is a boundary that I can live with. I can still be me, I can still love you, and I can still want to want to be your support system. But the moment it stops feeling like I’m being poured into, I’m gone.Get your free tickets to BodCon 2024 here.
