Comedian, author, actress, and entrepreneur Daphnique Springs spoke to Our Weekly with some thoughts about her comedic takes on relationships, career and more. Los Angeles Based, the starlet has been making a name for herself as a “relationship realist” for contemporary dating.
With over 835,000 instagram followers, 2.6 million TikTok followers, her new comedy special on Tubi “Daphnique Springs: Single & Female,” and a matte lipstick line, Springs has made presence in the entertainment industry known. She has worked with the likes of fellow comedians such as Katt Williams, Martin Lawrence; and Hartbeat Productions — Kevin Hart’s company — which produced Hulu’s “LOL Live” comedy series.
Springs is paving her way through Hollywood on her own terms while also remaining true to her roots and identity.
What do you think people are getting most wrong about dating and relationships right now? What are some of the issues people hold onto most of the time?
Everyone thinks that they can always do better so it creates these bad dynamics in dating because people are no longer looking for the ‘good’ in the person that they’re with. They are always looking for the next best thing. For example, (on the scale of physical looks) someone is seen as a five who thinks they can get an eight or a 10. Or women who say that they want to date a man who doesn’t have a stomach and I think to myself ‘girl, you have a stomach.’ I have a little stomach too. I don’t mind somebody with a stomach. I actually prefer it.
Back when I grew up, as a millennial, if a person was seven, they dated a five, that’s it. Basically, date within your weight class. The whole dynamic is all over the place. My grandmother came from a different generation and she once told me, ‘Baby, you had to learn the love.’
That makes sense! I think nowadays, due to women being so independent, we don’t have to ‘learn the love.’ We’re no longer quickly choosing men but that’s now creating a lot of incels.
Through your comedic work, how do you help people learn what they are going through as they deal with relationships and dating?
I help people realize that by simply being a truthteller through my storytelling. Telling the truth, speaking my mind because sometimes our subconscious is always speaking to us, but our consciousness takes over because we also all want to hear what we want.
Also as a truth storyteller, I’ve mastered being funny about it. In comedy there is always truth, and then it can help people self-reflect because the things that I’m speaking of are not just made up out of the air. It’s things that I’m actually experiencing because we’re all living life and its relatable.
How do you maintain balance with your career and life as you are also an entrepreneur?
Someone once took me for a drive through Beverly Hills. They said, ‘You see all these houses over here? These homes are not really owned by a lot of actors, they are owned by industry people like producers, directors, and writers.’
I thought to myself ‘that’s real,’ because being creative isn’t enough. The people that really own the real intellectual property and are truly able to capitalize and build generational wealth work behind the scenes. Being able to hear that early on in my career made me really think about what I’m currently doing.
By being an artist, comedian, actress, producer and entrepreneur I’ve learned to really incorporate that mode of thought and I started to build myself in order to complete my goals as I get older. I’ve had experiences with actors in L.A.— who we all have grown up watching them on tv — ask “Hey, could you drop me off at home?” I’d agree and ask them what street they lived on and they’d say, “I live in that little tent over there.” I was shocked! That showed me that I want to create sustainability for myself and be able to look back and know that it was all worth it.
How do you balance turning real-life relationship struggles into comedy without losing your authenticity?
I remain authentic to myself by being honest. I’m honest with myself and my audience. I let them get to know the true me and how I feel. I never waver from that. I also do that without punching down on other groups of people.
At times, due to our religion, environment, and how we grew up, we as people may have certain opinions on certain topics. But is that uplifting? Is that helping people by just harping on certain views or dynamics that differ from yours?
At the end of the day, I’m living my life as a straight, single Black woman, and while my experience may differ from that of others, I don’t feel the need to punch down for it. I stick to my truth without being a mean girl, and I think that’s what people relate to. For more information about Daphnique Springs, visit iamdsprings.com.