‘Power Book II’ Actress LaToya Tonodeo Opens Up About Her First s.ᴇ.x Scene ‘It was A Challenge, But A Good Challenge’

‘Power Book II: Ghost’ star LaToya Tonodeo spoke exclusively with ‘Distractify’ about Diana punching Monet, her plans regarding the family, and more.

Most Power Book II: Ghost fans would agree that the crime-drama series comes with many layers — from the drug game to romantic relationships to complicated family bonds.

Case in point: Diana Tejada (LaToya Tonodeo) and Monet Tejada’s (Mary J. Blige) mother-daughter relationship.

It’s no secret that Monet has been disrespecting Diana left and right. And while the Tejada family is attempting to come together in light of Lorenzo’s (Berto Colon) death, Monet is seemingly trying to play nice.

As things normally go from 0 to 100 real quick in the Powerverse, Monet presents Diana with the opportunity to hit her — right after shooting Officer Whitman (Jeff Hephner) to death in the home. And of course, Diana seizes the moment and lays into her.

Now LaToya is spilling the tea. In an exclusive interview with Distractify, LaToya is giving us insight into the epic scene, Diana’s plans to distance herself from the family, and more. Here’s the scoop.

LaToya shares that it felt great for Diana to punch Monet as revenge for the ill-treatment she’s experienced.

It’s no secret that Monet has seemingly used Diana as a human punching bag. From the minute Diana worked her magic to free Papi from prison to revealing the tea about Mecca (Daniel Sunjata) being Zeke’s (Daniel Bellomy) father, Monet has been coming hard at Diana.

So, now that the dust has seemingly settled and the family is grieving the loss of Lorenzo, Monet has shown a more soft side to Diana. Since the Tejada family was in danger of going to jail, Monet concocted a plot to kill Officer Whitman, unbeknownst to Diana.

During the murder, Monet tells Diana to punch her, and of course, Diana immediately obliges. And LaToya says that the punch was a bit of payback for the ill-treatment she experiences at the hands of Monet.

“Yes, yes, yes,” LaToya exclusively told Distractify about Diana getting her payback. “She choked me. She called me out of my name. Anything I do is not good enough for her. So yes. It felt great. Even if she wanted [Diana] to do it, at least [Diana] still got to do it.”

And while social media users are calling Diana “Baby Mayweather,” the actor explained that the appropriate safety measures were taken.

“We had a stunt coordinator there,” LaToya told us. “I was over there being extra safe and extra careful because things happen. You can accidentally hit someone. I’ve heard many stories. I’m not trying to hit anybody — Mary or not. She has tours she has to do.”

LaToya also shared that while she had her nerves about the scene, Mary J. Blige was very encouraging.

LaToya shares that Diana will find difficulty walking away from the Tejada family despite the heinous revelations.

In Season 2, Diana made it very clear that finding her independence as a young woman separate from her family was essential. But, despite her reservations, her relationship with her father was the glue that kept her in the Tejada family unit.

Now, things are starting to change due to Monet’s constant disrespect. Not to mention, it’s only a matter of time before the Tejada siblings discover Monet’s role in Lorenzo’s murder.

And while most folks would believe that the emotional and physical turmoil Diana has endured is enough for her to cut the cord for good, LaToys explains it’s not as easy as it seems.

“It will only be difficult because it’s still family and that’s still her mother,” LaToya told us. “I feel like it’s a very sticky situation to be in and I wouldn’t like that. How do you know? It’s not necessarily choosing but in a way it is because she’s daddy’s girl. But at the same time, it’s still family. It’s going to be rough to see how that whole story unfolds.”

With only a few episodes left in Season 3, it’ll be interesting to see how Diana’s relationship with the family unfolds.