If you’re a “Married At First Sight’’ fan (like myself), then you know the couples who take the wild risk of marrying a complete stranger have even less of a shot at success without the help of the show’s experts. While the 14th season of the series set in Boston just wrapped its reunion episode, season 15 is soon to premiere, and may feature some unexpected faces in the expert lineup. Does the name DeVon Franklin ring a bell, anybody? If so, it’s more than likely because you’ve heard his name in recent months revolving around his highly publicized divorce from actor Megan Good. And if you’re thinking, “now wait a minute, how in Sam’s name would he be qualified as an expert on marriage?” you’re not the only one. Franklin however is ready to address the side eyes.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Franklin was approached to do the show prior to him filing for divorce in December of 2021, and he made the decision to not let his personal life interfere with business negotiations that were already in motion.
“I was going to tell them ‘No’ because I felt shame and that voice in my head said, ‘you’re a failure, how can you help anybody save their marriage when yours didn’t work out,’” he captioned an Instagram post announcing the news. “That voice in my head also had me thinking about what would ‘people’ say? Would ‘people’ approve or disapprove? And then I had to ask myself: Is this how I’m going to live the rest of my life? In fear about what ‘people’ say? And who are ‘people’ anyway? So I went back to the @mafslifetime [Married at First Sight] team and told them YES, I’ll still come. I REFUSE TO LIVE IN FEAR OR SHAME!”
Legal documents show that Franklin and Good separated due to irreconcilable differences in August of 2021, with the divorce being filed in December. After meeting on the set of the film, “Jumping the Broom,” the former couple were wed in 2012, and have no children together. Harlem star Megan Good has also been vocal about the separation.
“Throughout life, I’ve always approached relationships as understanding that at some point, they’ll get to the place that they’re going to, and then they would be over,” she shared on Instagram. “I’ve always had an attitude of like, ‘All right, next chapter. We’ll see what’s next,’ and being OK with that and appreciating what you give to someone and what they give to you and sharing a moment in time and in life that you never get back regardless of how it ends. In my situation right now, it’s a little bit different because I thought that that would be the last time that I would be doing that and that I would be doing this with that person forever.”
Veteran MAFS experts Dr. Pepper Schwartz, and Pastor Calvin Roberson are not only longtime show favorites, they both have a “rich” personal marital history with long term spouses. The addition of Devon Franklin is raising a few eyebrows for sure, but might be just what the season needs to spice it up a bit. He will be joined by another Married at First Sight rookie, Dr. Pia Holec, a celebrated psychotherapist with a specialty in sex and couples therapy. You can catch season 15 wherever you get your tv fix starting July 6.