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702’s LeMisha and Irish Grinstead reflect on losing their sister and former group member, Orish

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Courtesy of BET

Sisters LeMisha and Irish Grinstead of R&B singing group 702 admit they were apprehensive about joining the new series BET Presents The Encore.

“I was thinking about the editing like how authentic it will be,” Irish tells ABC Audio of the series, which follows nine singers from the 1990s and early 2000s who form the ultimate supergroup.

“I hope it really shows my sister in her true light. I hope it shows me in my true light, and I hope the audience gets to really understand what was going on,” she continues. “I hope everything is as it happens…as it unfolds.”

On the first episode Wednesday, Irish and LeMisha opened up about their sister and former group member, Orish Grinstead, who passed away in 2008 from kidney failure. 

“It was hard for me to hold that in for so long, and it was kind of relieving to be able to speak about it and to finally let it out my heart,” says Irish as Orish’s twin.

LeMisha adds, “I struggled with it just as equally, probably not as rough as Irish did, but it was just as bad for me losing Orish.” She then recalls watching Irish deal with the early “warning signs” of “depression” while taking care of her newborn son, Bryce, at the time. 

Irish says the loss of their sister changed the “dynamic” of their entire family, adding that herself, Orish, and LeMisha were “literally like triplets.” 

702 sang hits like “Steelo” and “Where My Girls At” before disbanding over internal issues in the mid-2000s. The group consisted of LeMisha, Irish and Orish Grinstead, and lead singer Kameelah Williams. Orish left the group just before the release of their 1996 debut album, No Doubt. 

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