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The star opens up about her blissful relationship in this week’s issue of PEOPLE
When it comes to Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas and Matthew Lawrence’s relationship, love has been both patient and kind.
The TLC singer, 52, opens up to PEOPLE about her life and new love in this week’s issue, ahead of Lifetime’s new documentary TLC Forever. Chilli says that she and the actor, 43, are still on cloud nine, nearing a year into their relationship.
“I never thought the name ‘Matthew’ would make me blush so much,” says Chilli with a laugh. Though she wasn’t a big Boy Meets World fan, she’d seen him in other projects and “I always thought he was cute.”
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The pair first met in passing at ’90s Con in 2022. Following his divorce from Dancing with the Stars’ Cheryl Burke, they began dating and it’s been smooth sailing ever since.
“To this day we have not had one argument,” she says. “I’m like ‘Matthew, it’s gonna happen one day, cause we’re going to be together forever.’”
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Even as they navigate a long-distance relationship — with her in Atlanta and Lawrence in Los Angeles — “we know how to communicate very well with each other,” she tells PEOPLE. “And I didn’t want a relationship that I had to work so hard in.”
In their conversations, the two have reflected on finding love when they did. “Obviously we both are like, ‘Man if we had met years ago’ and all that.” But, says Chilli, “there’s our time and then there’s God’s time. When you go through more stuff you really appreciate that person so much more. You cherish the relationship in a different way. I’ve never experienced anything like this.”
