WHY WAS RALPH TRESVANT’S BROTHER ON HIS OWN AT 16?
At that time, Ralph had a ton of weight on his shoulders. He had to fulfill his contractual obligations on the road, so he couldn’t be there with Andre. He also needed the money (as a result of their jacked up N.E. contract), and he had three small children to feed with his then-wife, Shelly, whom he was going through a nasty divorce with. FYI: Shelly was apparently referred to as “Zena” in the N.E. biopic.
WHERE WAS HIS DAD?
Andre revealed that he’d “never got to shake my dad’s hand” because he never met him- a reality that became even more real when he had to instantly learn how to survive as a man at only 16. He eventually got a one bedroom apartment at 16 years old and it was there that he leaned on his religious beliefs for guidance:
Andre Tresvant: “I just knew on the inside that God could fill that void and make up for who I lost…so one day I began to go on a 3 day fast and seek God for the HolySpirt fullness, I did this in my 1 bedroom apt., cut off the phone,closed the blinds and began to pray like never before & study the word of God.”
THE GOOD NEWS
The good news is that after the extreme hardships and heartbreak, Andre Tresvant made it through and although Ralph couldn’t physically be there for him when they were both grieving their mother’s death, he was always there in spirit and just a phone call away if Andre ever needed him.
