Lori Harvey is a certified “It Girl” and that’s been made clear time and time again by the presence she commands whenever she walks into a room and the headlines her name is constantly attached to.
But according to Lori, a lot of those gossip headlines – which typically focus on who she’s dating at the time – couldn’t be further from the truth. In a new interview for Essence‘s Black Love issue, Lori opened up about maintaining her privacy and why she decided to focus on herself.
“Because I’ve been so quiet this whole time, the Internet has created narratives for me,” Lori told Essence. “People are just taking whatever bits of gossip and rumors that they have, and then creating that as a truth. In reality, the majority of the time it’s so far from the truth.”
Thanks to solid advice from her mother, Lori has been able to ignore most of the chatter and remain grounded, without letting outside opinions affect her internally.
Instead, the 25-year-old SKN by LH founder used that energy for self-love. While the gossip mills focused on who they thought she was dating, Lori revealed she’s been engrossed with the relationship she has with herself.
“This time, it’s about me. Self-love, self-care, self-reflection. I’m being a little selfish right now. It’s my time.”
“What I would love for people to know is that I am a young woman just trying to figure it out — but I’m trying to figure it out in the public eye.”
“That magnifies everything. It magnifies your mistakes. It magnifies the ups and downs of just navigating your life and figuring it out for yourself.”
Although she’s experienced her share of obstacles, Lori is enjoying her journey of self-exploration and doesn’t regret any decision she’s made along the way – that includes letting go of things and people that no longer serve her.
“It’s not about being arrogant or about feeling like I’m too good, or too this or too that,” Lori clarified. “I know my worth, and I know my value. I’m not going to compromise that, or settle, or accept anything less than what I know I deserve.”
Lori revealed her past dating history – which includes Michael B. Jordan and Future – taught her about the type of man she wants in her life. A family-oriented, supportive, God-fearing man who respects her are just a few of the characteristics she refuses to compromise on. And if she notices any red flags in those categories, she chucks up the deuce!
But for now, Lori is just “praying to better my life for myself —growing my businesses and brand, growing my relationship with God, growing into a stronger, better woman every day.”
To learn more about Lori, be sure to check her out on the cover of Essence‘s Black Love issue.
