Beloved host and comedian Loni Love has often shown her family-oriented nature. Although she has one biological brother she talked about in her memoir, Loni has referred to many of her colleagues as her family.
In 2020, comedian Loni Love released her memoir, "I Tried to Change So You Don't Have To: True Life Lessons," chronicling growing up in the '80s, navigating the "crack era" as a young black girl.
She was raised by a single mother alongside her brother, Bruce, growing up in the Brewster Housing Projects in Detroit. Although Loni Love found a way to look at her humble beginnings with good-natured humor, it was not without acknowledging how challenging they were.
Loni Love at the world premiere of "Big George Foreman" on April 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
Loni Love's Brother, Bruce, Is the Elder Sibling
Bruce was born six years before Loni arrived. The siblings had different fathers but were cared for by their mother, Frances, who worked as a Nurse's Aide. They struggled to make ends meet and sometimes went hungry, as Loni revealed:
"We got government cheese, my mom didn't have money, at times we only ate potatoes, at times we did go hungry."
Loni Love at the Apple TV+'s "Ted Lasso" Season Three FYC Red Carpet on June 10, 2023, in North Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
Loni's father walked out on her mother when she was a baby. Her brother's dad was also not in the picture, but he showed up one Christmas dressed as Santa Claus. Although they often struggled for food, her family once afforded a turkey dinner to celebrate the holiday.
Loni was excited to see Santa and raced to embrace him. "Then Santa walked right past me, making a beeline for my brother," Loni recalled. It was a sad moment that stayed with her as a child.
Loni Love at Habitat LA's 2023 Los Angeles Builders Ball on March 8, 2023, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
Loni Love's Brother, Bruce, Was Kicked Out at 18
Although Loni was intelligent in school and was especially good with numbers (she was an engineer before going into entertainment), she noticed Bruce struggled. They eventually found that he had learning disabilities that slowed his academic progress.
However, that was only one of Bruce's challenges. When he was 18, his mother kicked him out because he was unemployed. Loni feared she would suffer the same fate, and in her brother's absence, her relationship with her mother deteriorated.
Loni Love performs onstage during the 13th Annual Root 100 Gala at The Apollo Theater on December 8, 2022, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
There is little information about Bruce beyond his famous sister's anecdotes about their upbringing, but it appears Loni mended her relationship with her mom. In March 2020, as Covid-19 took hold of the globe, she posted a screengrab of her FaceTime call with Frances, writing:
"My 78-year-old Mother wants everyone to know that she is fine, and she asks that y'all please check on the senior citizens.. she also wants me to stop wearing high heels on The Real until I learn how to walk in them... yeah, she's fine…"
Loni Love Often Calls Her Friends and Colleagues Her Brothers and Sisters
Loni said she learned much about stand-up from the late comedian and would miss him dearly. In 2020, she sent condolences to another brother in comedy, Mike Epps, who had lost his mother that December.
On a brighter note, Loni wished a sister in comedy, Vanessa Graddick, a happy 40th birthday in August 2020. The following year in July, she celebrated Nick Jones Jr.'s engagement to Bresha Webb.
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