Fantasia Goes on 'Oprah,' Talks Reality Show

By olivia on

'American Idol' winner Fantasia Barrino appears on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' at the NBC Studios, on on May 27, 2004 in Burbank, California. (Getty Images)more pics »American Idol alum Fantasia Barrino appeared on Oprah today, where she spilled details about her new reality show Fantastia for Real. After missing performances of her Broadway debut The Color Purple and undergoing surgery on her vocal chords, the singer is trying to get back to the top -- and VH1 is following her there.

Fantasia on Oprah (Oprah.com)
According to Oprah.com, the main focus of the series is the singer's tough financial situation, which is exacerbated by Fantasia supporting her daughter "lavishly" as well as other family members. She said, "When I won [Idol], I just wanted to see all of my family happy. And I created that monster. When I began to give, give, give, everybody was like: 'Hey, this is the good life. I can sit back home.' "

But thanks to the reality show, her family has become more aware of the pressure she's under. She added, "So as they sit and watch, some of them have come up and said: 'Man, I'm sorry. I didn't even know. You work real hard.'"

These days, Fantasia isn't afraid to say "no." With a new album coming out in the spring, she feels like she's finally taken control of her life.

More pictures of Fantasia (click any photo):