Tamera Mowry-Housley has enjoyed longevity in her career from being a child star on “Sister, Sister” to co-hosting popular daytime talk show, “The Real.” However, the veteran actress recently opened up on an episode of “The School of Greatness” podcast revealing parts of her career that were challenging, Essence reports.

“Being on a talk show, and you can take it or leave it, is not a safe place,” the actress said alongside host Lewis Howes. “And I wish someone would have told me that because I would have been prepared, and I was not.” The former talk-show host got “real” about how the gig required a lot of her emotionally, criticism she endured, and being engulfed in misleading scenarios during her time on the show.

“They will take what you say and they’ll use it out of context to fit their narrative of who they think you are,” she said. “And that’s what happened for years on that show,” she described, adding it was like “going to battle, but you don’t know you’re going to battle. And then people come and they start fighting and have to do all these things to [protect yourself].”

Mowry-Housley said she didn’t feel “armed” until nearly the end of her time on the show. “You can literally watch the beginning of the season to the end season and [by the end] you see this strong warrior,” as she self reflected. However, the mother of two was actually thankful for her lack of awareness.

“I wasn’t supposed to know it wasn’t a safe place, because I wouldn’t be who I am now,” she said. “I learned so much about myself doing that show.” In a nod to her growth, the entertainer said she feels a lot freer to be herself. “I learned that it’s okay not to be perfect,” the actress said. “I learned that it’s okay to be vulnerable. And it is okay to speak your truth.”

The actress joined “The Real” since its debut in 2013 up until 2020 along with original hosts Jeannie Mai Jenkins, comedian Loni Love, 3LW alum Adrienne Houghton and recording artist Tamar Braxton.