DeVon Franklin is expert in new ‘Married at First Sight’ season despite 'shame' of divorce
Hollywood filmmaker and preacher DeVon Franklin says he was recruited as a celebrity expert for the hit show "Married at First Sight" amid his recent divorce.
The Christian preacher, who recently got divorced from actress Meagan Good after nine years of marriage, has frequently spoken publicly about relationships.
Along with sharing his faith on social media, Franklin has often offered advice for couples and singles on prayerfully staying in God's will when it comes to relationships. He and Good co-authored the relationship book The Truth About Men: What Men and Women Need to Know and The Wait.
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According to Essence.com, Franklin was recruited to replace Dr. Viviana Coles on the new season of "Married at First Sight." Coles has served as a celebrity expert along with Dr. Pepper Schwartz and Pastor Calvin Roberson for the last few seasons of the series.
Franklin will be joined by expert Dr. Pia Holec, a celebrated sex and couples psychotherapist who will make her debut on Season 15 of the show.
"Married at First Sight" is a social experiment that brings together compatible singles who are willing to marry a stranger in hopes of living happily ever after. This season of the reality series will take place in San Diego, California.
In an Instagram post about his involvement in the new season, Franklin revealed that he almost turned the opportunity down.
"Moment of Truth: Last year, Married At First Sight (@mafslifetime) invited me to come on the show. I agreed to do it … and then the divorce hit," he wrote. "They came to me and said that didn't matter to them because they still felt like I could help their couples. 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?'"
Franklin disclosed that the voice in his head had him focusing on public opinion.
"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 team and told them YES, I'll still come. I REFUSE TO LIVE IN FEAR OR SHAME!'"
He maintained that he would draw from his own life experiences to help couples have successful relationships.
"A lot of times, that voice in our heads is our worst enemy. It tries to talk us out of what God is trying to talk us into," Franklin continued.
"I was trying to get through this life perfect, and without failure, now I'm just living to get through it truthfully and if what I've learned about love and relationships can help someone, then I'm here for it," he concluded.
Franklin and Good announced their divorce in December in an Instagram post. They shared a photo of themselves embracing while sitting down together outdoors with their backs turned away from the camera.
"After much prayer and consideration, we have decided to go into our futures separately but forever connected," Franklin and Good shared in the joint statement.
"We celebrate almost a decade of marriage together and a love that is eternal," they continued.
The couple met while filming the 2011 movie "Jumping the Broom" and got engaged in May 2012. They were married one month after their engagement.
"There's no one at fault," the two shared of their split, adding: "We believe this is the next best chapter in the evolution of our love."
"We are incredibly grateful for the life-changing years we've spent together as husband and wife. We are also extremely thankful to God for the testimony being created inside us both and for blessing our lives with each other," the statement concluded.
The news of their divorce comes as a shock to many because, in 2019, Good revealed that she and Franklin were ready to start a family.
Jeannie Ortega Law is a reporter for The Christian Post. Reach her at: jeannie.law@christianpost.com She's also the author of the book, What Is Happening to Me? How to Defeat Your Unseen Enemy Follow her on Twitter: @jlawcp Facebook: JeannieOMusic
