Apryl Jones Reveals Cincinnati Upbringing in Carlos King Interview

World Premiere Private Screening Of "Incarnation" — Source: Leon Bennett / Getty

Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood star Apryl Jones sat down with reality TV powerhouse Carlos King this week. She opened up about everything from her sobriety journey to her high-profile relationships with Omarion, Lil Fizz, and actor Taye Diggs. But what really caught local ears was her candid reflection on her childhood, and the fact that part of it was spent right here in Greater Cincinnati.

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Jones, a singer-songwriter originally from Chicago, revealed that after her father’s incarceration and her mother’s struggles, she and one of her sisters were sent to live with their paternal grandmother in Lincoln Heights, Ohio.

Apryl says it was her first time meeting her grandmother at just five years old, and she stayed with her in the historic Black community until the age of 11.

She described the move to Chicago later as a “culture shock” after being surrounded by an all-Black neighborhood in Lincoln Heights; one of the first self-governing African American communities north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Jones admitted she didn’t fully understand her mother’s decisions at the time and held resentment, but as an adult has grown to see things differently.

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During the conversation, she also reflected on her move to Los Angeles in 2012 as an aspiring singer. Jones never expected or planned to become a reality star until her relationship with Omarion (whom she met at a California gym) brought her into the spotlight. Jones even opened up that she and actor Taye Diggs once tried therapy to navigate their relationship, which unfortunately ended in 2023.