‘Little Women: LA’ Star Tonya Reneé Banks Explains Why Black Girl Moscato Offended Her Plus Chats About Her Own Delicious Wine, L'Tonya Renee

Bosses come in all sizes is the mantra actress and reality television personality Tonya Reneé Banks lives on and no words can be said truer for the entrepreneur who is now expanding her empire to the wine business.

Tonya Reneé Banks’ start in the entertainment industry stemmed from an encouraging father who lovingly called her “Bug” and insisted that she needed to get on television. Her career has since expanded from TV to film appearing in projects like: Martin, “Bad Santa,” “Death to Smoochy,” and “The Internship Games;” also making her the only black, female little person in the Screen Actors Guild. “Being a little person, it was hard. Then being a black little person it made it double hard,” she said. “At the same time being the only black woman for roles for little people I would always get a part because of that “black ticket” as they call it.” Tonya would stand out, but in the best way because her performance would always get her bumped up from extra to principle.

Photo Credit: Courtesy Lifetime

Banks’ credentials expand to the stage too having met her Little Women: LA co-star Terra Jolie while performing in a Las Vegas show called “Little Legends” as mini Tina Turner. While watching Real Housewives of Atlanta, a light bulb went off for Tonya and Terra; they could star in their own reality. “You could be the “Kim” and I could be the “Ne Ne,” Tonya joked, but the show was the real deal. A sizzle reel, a bidding war, and production days later, Little Women: LA premiered in 2014 and is still going strong 7 seasons later.

In reality TV there’s bound to be drama and this season some of the drama hit a little too close to home for Tonya and her pal Terra. During an episode that aired in April, Tonya was blindsided by a business venture Terra wanted her to “partner” on. “The way she approached me with it, or told everybody, she was like, ‘Tonya I wanted to partner up with you and do this wine. I was suggested to do a Moscato, a Black Girl Moscato.’ Before she even came out with the Black Girl Moscato, she’s like I’m doing a wine and Tonya I’d like to partner up with you and you be the face of it.'”

Of course Tonya was a little taken back about the idea because at the time she had her own wine, L’Tonya Renee, that was a few weeks away from being on the market. Terra wanted Tonya to ditch her wine business and join her venture for 33% of the profits. “I’m not doing that” was the simple response. And then there was the name of the product that definitely got the side eye from Tonya.

“I was upset with the word ‘Black Girl Moscato’ one. Moscato is a dessert wine. It’s a sweet wine. It’s a cheap wine. Then she [Terra] went forth and said ‘70% of black women drink Moscato.’ OK, where did you get your research from? So you’re saying black women we drink cheap wine? Everybody drinks it. It could be an all girls wine. The whole thing rubbed me the wrong way. If you want me to be apart of something and back up something I should have been apart of the process beginning to end.”

So could this issue ever be resolved between the friends? “We came to a point to agree to disagree. Let our business be our business and our personal life or friendship be separate ’cause I would never be able to agree with that no matter how she tries to decorate it,” Tonya said on the wine drama, then she went on to beam about her own, L’Tonya Renee red blend.

Photo: TonyaReneeBanks.com

“I’m originally a sweet wine drinker, but I know a majority of the people don’t drink sweet wine, so I came up with a blend that kind of met in the middle. It’s where sweet red wine drinkers can drink it and dry wine drinkers will like it. It’s 48% Merlot, 32% Syrah (Shiraz), and 23% Zinfandel, and it’s 16.8 alc vol. so it has a little kick.” YUM. It’s a wine meant to sip and enjoy the flavors. Right now it’s only online and ships to limited locations, but Banks is looking for other distribution options so her fans all over the world can enjoy her red blend of wine.

Up next, Banks is prepping for a play that will take her bi-coastal from Los Angeles to New York in the fall.

To purchase Tonya’s wine, L’Tonya Renee, or her athletic clothing line, Boss Body, head over to www.TonyaReneeBanks.com. In the meantime keep up with her on social by following @1lilboss7 on Instagram and @TonyaBanks on Twitter/YouTube. Be sure to watch Tonya Reneé Banks on Little Women” LA Wednesdays at 9/8c on Lifetime.

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Photo: Lifetime TV