“Hello, beloved.”
Iyanla Vanzant returns to OWN on Friday with a new television special focused on the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters and the emotional wounds that can pass from one generation to the next.
“Mothers & Daughters: Torn Apart with Iyanla Vanzant” airs Friday, Oct. 9, at 9 p.m. ET/PT as part of the network’s OWN Spotlight series. The special places Vanzant before a live studio audience of women as she works with three generations of mothers and daughters seeking to confront painful experiences and change patterns affecting their relationships.
The program arrives during Emotional Wellness Month and focuses on communication, family conflict, unresolved pain, and generational trauma. Rather than keeping those struggles behind closed doors, the special gives participants an opportunity to discuss them openly while Vanzant guides the conversations.
“The wounds between mothers and daughters, and the disconnect between men and women, are rarely about what happened in a single moment,” Vanzant said in a statement released by OWN. She added that such conflicts can develop through “generations of unmet needs, unspoken truths, and unheard hearts.”
A preview from the special shows Vanzant helping a woman examine pain connected to her childhood and how those experiences continue to influence her relationship with her daughter. The exchange reflects the program’s broader theme: understanding how unresolved experiences can shape the way family members communicate with one another.
For women who have spent years serving as the emotional foundation of their families, “Mothers & Daughters: Torn Apart” creates space for experiences that are often endured privately. Through conversations about accountability, understanding, and forgiveness, Vanzant encourages participants to examine where their pain began and what may be required to move forward.
The special also marks Vanzant’s return to a live-audience format after several years. It is one of two new OWN Spotlight programs featuring the author and spiritual teacher. “What Black Men Say vs. What Black Women Hear with Iyanla Vanzant,” which examines communication between Black men and women, is scheduled to air Oct. 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
“Mothers & Daughters: Torn Apart with Iyanla Vanzant” airs Friday, Oct. 9, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on OWN. The special is scheduled to become available for streaming the following day on Discovery+ and HBO Max.
Watch the trailer now on YouTube!
