Gloria Estefan and her 25-year-old daughter, Emily, aren't afraid to have a candid, emotional conversation about sexuality on the family's new Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk: The Estefans.
In one of the show's first episodes, Emily confronts Gloria about her famous mother's reaction to her coming out as gay.
Noting she was "really nervous," when she finally came out to her mother, Emily added, "I was like, 'Hey, I'm in love with this girl.' The first thing you said was, 'If you tell your grandma and she dies, her blood is on your hands.' I just wasn't ready for that. I understand my grandma was old, but it already made it feel like, whatever it is, hide it. It's not OK. So that's where my hurt started. I'm never going to forget that."
Gloria said that her daughter was remembering the conversation "in a different way."
"My mother and I had a complicated relationship. She was controlling and set in her ways. At one point, we were even estranged for two years," Gloria said of her mother and Emily's grandmother. "I was trying to protect both my ailing mother from a shock that could affect her health and Emily from anything that could harm their relationship."
The legendary singer said that she'd suggested to her daughter that she introduce her girlfriend to her grandmother without sharing that their relationship was romantic to get the older woman used to Emily's girlfriend.
"I know that it was coming from love, from protection," Emily said, adding, "We needed to protect Abuela, but I needed you guys."
"I know but I really thought that you were much stronger. All your life, you've done what you wanted every step of the way," Gloria explained of her daughter. "In my mind and heart, I thought you were the biggest badass."
"Joke's on you," Emily replied.
"Listen, this is what I thought," Gloria said.
Emily went on to describe herself as "a very ashamed person," and her singer-producer mom replied, "But we had no clue!"
"We love unconditionally. What we try to do sometimes to protect you ends up hurting you, which kills me," Gloria told Emily. "I hate that that happened."
Gloria went on to note that this came when Emily was kickstarting her own music career.
"You're talking about my career? I was suicidal!" Emily said. "The things I was facing in the moment were so crippling that I couldn't see anything but the hurt."
Emily still struggles with the fact that she never got to tell her grandmother about her sexuality before she died.
"Funnily enough, I think she would have been better than all of y'all," Emily said of her family.
She also shared how her father, Emilio Estefan, reacted to the news, jokingly imitating the famous music producer.
"He went, 'Baby, listen, I don't care, it doesn't matter. This country's about dreams,'" she quipped. "The thing about Dad is you know him. He doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I think he was trying to make sure that his women were both OK."
The concerned mom went on to reassure her daughter, saying, "You do know that I accept and love you?"
"Yes, absolutely. You've always loved me and been that force," Emily told her mom.
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