Biography

Later became a choreographer of music videos and stage shows for such performers as Bobby Brown, Diana Ross, LL Cool J, and The Boys.

Was a Soul Train (1971) dancer during the 1980s.

Practices kung fu.

Suffered serious neck and hip injuries while filming Hardwired (2009). She accepted an honor from President Barack Obama in a wheelchair and neck brace weeks after having surgery.

(January 6, 2000) Arrested for disorderly conduct in New York City following a rally to protest United States Navy bomb tests on Vieques, a small island off the coast of Puerto Rico.

Most of the criticism I got early in my career was from the Latin community. They used to take me out to lunch and tell me, "Can you go and take lessons to lessen your accent?". Or, "When you're on a talk show, can you not be so funny and loud?". People gave me so much crap about my voice, and I tried. I really did try to change, but it was the way I spoke. As I got older, the octaves dropped, thank God. Now I find it flattering if a sixteen-year-old comes up and starts imitating me.

Boxing is about pushing through your fears. It's more about fighting yourself. Floyd Mayweather could get punched - like clean shot down the middle to his face - and he wouldn't flinch. And I understand what he's doing.

[Who talked about Don Cornelius watching her dance]: Don Cornelius did not want to see how I really danced - I was doing hip-hop, and it was foreign to people out in California. They only knew about popping and locking, so they were not keen on hip-hop dancing. Don was like, "No, no, no. You're a girl." I was like, What? This is really weird. Then I had to dance in high heels, and I never danced in high heels before, and I had this little tiny short dress, and it's riding up my ass and I'm like, Oh my God. I couldn't move. As you can see from the tapes, I had absolutely no style whatsoever on that show. The first couple of times, I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I was just excited and nervous and scared and just elated. That was my style. A bunch of nerves just oozing out of my body.

[on her on- and off-camera feud with Don Cornelius, who was Soul Train (1971)'s original host]: That was a clue that I needed help. I thought, "I'm so together. I'm in college. I'm going for my major in biochemistry. I'm fantastic," you know? "I'm on 'Soul Train.'" And if you just pressed the wrong button, it was, like, just a nuclear explosion would occur in me. That's what happened with Don Cornelius. He touched me, and pulled me, and yanked me inappropriately. I freaked out, and I just started swinging, and started grabbing things. The first thing I grabbed was a two-piece Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was a low point. I was beyond embarrassed. I was still walking out with this pathetic bravado like, "So? I don't care. I don't care." By the time I get in the car, I start crying. I felt like an idiot.

[Of Don Cornelius]: Don Cornelius was very angry and he kept wanting me to go down the Soul Train Line just, you know, pumping my body, and I didn't want to. And it just got heated. Don got physical and I got physical back, and he's a very tall, strong man and the only way I could defend myself was to grab something and throw it at him. And the only thing I could grab was the two-piece Kentucky Fried Chicken dinner that they provided us as payment. And a greasy chicken wing hit him in the forehead and I was mortified.