Black Mafia Family was a drug trafficking and money laundering organization in Southwest Detroit in the 80s. Creator Randy Huggins drew inspiration from the mafia group while developing the eponymous show, also known as ‘BMF.’ In the show, the character of Markisha Taylor is loosely based on Tonesa “Toni” Welch, reportedly the “First Lady” of BMF.
Tonesa married Terry “Tee” Flenory, a drug dealer and investor. Terry was later imprisoned for 30 years, and Tonesa was jailed for nearly 5 years for money laundering. The duo seemed a perfect Bonnie and Clyde couple, but what’s going on with them right now? Let’s find out!
Terry and Tonesa’s BMF Journey
In the series, Markisha is the wife of a drug dealer, and he’s on good terms with Meech and Terry. She observes Terry and feels that he has a sense of purpose that could serve both of them for the better. After a fight breaks out between Kwamé and Terry, Markisha intervenes to stop the fight for good.
The duo initially starts as friends, and Markisha is confident that a romance will blossom between the two. She made less frequent appearances on the show. Such as episode 2 of season 2, titled “Family Business,” where Terry is trying to launch his car-ride business. Markisha is the one who teaches him about high-end customer service. He involves her business talks and seeks her guidance in things she is knowledgeable of. The two speak of adding a third driver to their business. She also teaches him how to secure first-class passengers at the airport and tells him to stock up his car with refreshments to please them.
In the third episode, “Devil’s Night,” you’ll see her again while Terry confronts ruthless gangsters for his business idea. He keeps coming back to her, not just for advice but also because he develops feelings toward Markisha. She once again gives him sound advice about keeping his anger under control and not acting as he did on the streets as a drug dealer. He decides to listen to her and the two share a kiss. In their real lives, this remarked the beginning of a new romance which culminated into a marriage, but how long did it last?
Terry and Tonesa Are Not Together Anymore
No, Terry and Tonesa are no longer together. Their relationship ended long ago, and they had no chance to rekindle their romance after both were convicted. However, the reasons behind their fallout were never stated.
Tonesa accused the writers because they got many of their facts wrong. She expressed her disappointment in an Instagram caption of a post, where she wrote about how the show misrepresented her relationship with Terry, along with several other things.
In an interview with VladTV she briefly spoke about their relationship. She commented, “He was coming back and forth in my life like I really trusted him, he had my back, I was telling basically this is what I’m doing, and this is how I’m doing it. He was always there, and he was always supportive. He was like my friend. He was my homie; he was just like one of my best friends, basically. There was nothing involved at first, me and Terry didn’t have our first kiss until like 1995. She added, “We hung out like literally hung out daily. Even when we were out of town together, we did lots of things.”
She also spoke about helping him monetarily purely because she cared about him. She borrowed money from her contacts for Terry’s business. By 1998, the two were a couple, and she was trying to divorce her then husband, Harold. Tonesa was talking about Terry with the utmost grace, and there seemed to be no hard feelings involved.
He is supposedly participating in youth mentorship and is serving the remaining years of his sentence in home confinement, taking it one day at a time. Tonesa has a diverse portfolio as Exec Producer, Bland Influencer, and Prison reformer. As per reports, she was Terry’s first wife, but the two do not follow each other’s official Instagram accounts, so perhaps they’ve left their relationship in the past. The duo is focused on reforming their thoughts, repenting for their actions, and parenting children.
Read More: Where is BMF Filmed?
