Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin seemed like a match made in heaven when they first met, literally. Not only did they look good together, but they seemed to share common values like embracing celibacy and waiting to become intimate until they got married. They tied the knot in June 2012 and soon became couple goals. Despite a fairytale-looking marriage, there was no happily ever after because Meagan and DeVon announced they were splitting in December 2021.
As one of our favorite #BlackLove couples, of course, we wondered what went wrong. Looking back during the course of their relationship there were quite a few signs that their marriage was doomed from the start.
Opposites attract, but differences drive them apart
When Meagan and DeVon became official, there were some heads that turned because they seemed to be such opposites. After all, she was known as the vixen who hopped from relationship to relationship, including 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, Jamie Foxx, and more, according to The New York Post.
She also admitted that she was rebellious and would drink and smoke to feel better. She said, “I am a very free-spirited person. I do not feel like there is anything wrong with clubbing, drinking and having a good time.”
On the other hand, DeVon was a Seventh-day Adventist pastor who was all about the faith and preaching since he was a teen. Meagan was a little weary of church folk and said they “tend to be very judgmental, religious and narrow-minded.”
When they met, Meagan didn’t realize how religious DeVon was and said, “So if I had known that DeVon was a preacher beforehand, I would have assumed the same about him.”
Though they were different, they found common ground. In 2010, Meagan decided to become celibate and leaned more towards faith, and DeVon had been practicing celibacy for 10 years prior. Since they were at different stages in their celibacy journey, it wasn’t always easy for Meagan.
According to The New York Post, there were times that she wanted to succumb to her urges, and she had to learn to deal. DeVon kept them on the right path, “I did not want to jeopardize us not having the strongest foundation possible.”
Things moved too fast
Another clue that Meagan’s and DeVon’s relationship was doomed is that the two moved at lightning-fast speed and didn’t know each other all that well. According to The Christian Post, the two only dated for 10 months before getting married after working together in the movie, Jumping the Broom.
A source told People Magazine, “They moved really quickly when they first got together, and DeVon fell super hard for her.” The same was true for Meagan. She said on The Wendy Williams Show (via The Christian Post), “It was one of those things where I knew he was my husband nine months before he even asked me on a date.”
Many folks thought Meagan was desperate to land a good man and get married after a string of failed relationships. She was coming out of a bad situation with a guy when she and DeVon started connecting, according to People Magazine. According to The New York Post, Meagan said, “I no longer wanted to be a girlfriend, I wanted a husband.”
Meagan was never a big fan of marriage
If you do a little digging, Meagan confirmed in January 2021 that marriage had never been one of her biggest priorities. She told Romper that she was never the girl who said, “I can’t wait to get married.” She started her career as a child actress and had always worked and put business as her priority.
Her upbringing also played a role since she said that growing up, “There wasn’t a man in the house and it was like, you’ve got to take care of yourself.” From her environment, she learned not to depend on men and “lived a very independent lifestyle.” Maybe those feelings never completely left her and she carried them into the marriage.
Absence doesn’t make the heart grow fonder
By the end of 2021, Meagan and DeVon appeared to be living two separate lives. In fact, fans noticed that Meagan and DeVon had stopped appearing together in photos on social media.
By December, Media Takeout pointed out that it had been a good six months since they were seen on each other’s pages.
The year prior, their photos reflected they were inseparable as they went on a nationwide book and lecture tour. Speculation began that their marriage wasn’t as rock-solid as it once was.
When word came out that the couple was splitting after nine years of marriage, sources pointed out that the two had indeed been spending a lot of time apart. According to People Magazine, one source said their work schedules conflicted, and they hadn’t been around each other much in 2021.
When they did manage some quality time, it was never more than a few hours at a time. Sources say “they barely saw each other.”
Less clothes and no ring
There was another sign that Meagan and DeVon were over. According to Media Takeout, a person with “knowledge” said that Meagan was out partying on Halloween without her wedding ring. If that wasn’t enough, she was shown to be wearing skimpy clothes at two separate parties that her devout husband probably wouldn’t approve of.
While she was out and about in Los Angeles, DeVon was across the country in Atlanta. Besides the Halloween outings, there were additional reports that Meagan had been partying a lot with no DeVon in sight.
They had different ideas about starting a family
While the couple never had kids together, Meagan was open about her decision to freeze her eggs. She told Romper that in 2018, she went through the process in case she ever wanted to have children in the future. Meagan admitted she was never a girl who said, “I can’t wait to be a mother.” However, when she and DeVon first got married, Megan said she was more open to the idea, but “it was never right now or soon.”
While Meagan said that they both wanted to wait and “really grow as a couple, solidify the marriage,” DeVon wanted to move sooner. Eventually, they had some tough, up-front conversations about it. Meagan said, “Even though he was ready, he didn’t pressure me or make me feel bad because I wasn’t there yet.” In January 2021, she said, “I want to be a mom and I want a family and I’m just now to a place where I think it’s about that time.” However, she stated that the pandemic ruined those plans.
Some mixed messages
DeVon Franklin was the one who filed for divorce on December 21, citing irreconcilable differences. However, according to Atlanta Black Star, when the paparazzi asked if he was good four days after the divorce announcement, DeVon said, “Man, that’s the love of my life.” Wait, what? Many people were questioning if Meagan was the love of his life, was divorce the only answer? Couldn’t they work things out? Folks were just trying to make it make sense.
Another mixed message was their actual breakup post. Meagan wrote on Instagram that they would go into their futures separately “but forever connected” and they share “a love that is eternal.” She wrote that they both agreed “this is the next best chapter in the evolution of our love.” If all that isn’t puzzling enough, DeVon posted the exact same photo and message on his separate account. So, both kept expressing they’re still in love and will continue to be in love but are divorcing. Talk about mixed messages.
Miscommunication + chicken + Will & Jada = disaster
In May 2021, DeVon Franklin spoke to ET and said that communication is the key to a good marriage. Like most couples, he and Meagan weren’t always on the same page and one of those issues involved chicken. DeVon stated that Meagan would often cook him a chicken dish he loved and soon came to expect it. When Meagan went to work on a show in New York for six months and returned, she no longer made the dish. DeVon was disappointed, “Every day I come home from work, I’m going to microwave, I ain’t smell nothing.”
Tension built and DeVon revealed his anger. However, by this time, making the dish had turned into a task she once “did out of love into something joyless.” DeVon said, “You set your expectations by control and by communication. If something is out of your control, I’d argue it’s unrealistic to expect.”
The couple realized that their communication problem was something to work on, so they turned to therapy, both individually and as a couple. The choice to see a therapist was DeVon’s idea and inspired by one of his mentors, Will Smith. So, he took Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s philosophy to redefine their marriage and not “to place the responsibility for your happiness on anybody other than yourself.”
Will and Jada for marriage advice? ‘Nuff said.
Meagan’s not the only actor in the family
When news hit the fan that Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin were headed for divorce, DeVon decided to take it to Instagram. Well, folks saw a whole new side of him and thought that maybe he was the spark for the breakup.
He posted a photo of himself on January 2, eyes closed with tears streaking his face. In the lengthy post, DeVon wrote that he had taken the picture months ago and although he wasn’t a crier, it was a “moment of deep pain and peace.”
He said the photo was his truth and part of his “Happy True Year.” DeVon admitted that he carried around a feeling of “I didn’t do enough last year” or “I’m not enough so I must do…more.” DeVon then said he would be gone ‘til November and would take a break from social media.
Of course, everybody just knew he was talking about the Meagan situation, and instead of sympathy, people accused him of acting and posting for attention. According to Yahoo!, one commenter posted, “Pastor Devon, leave the acting to Meagan. Bye Sir.”
Self-evaluation and reflection
When you take a deep dive into Meagan’s Instagram, it seems to tell a story of a woman entering a new chapter…on her own. In the months where she wasn’t posting DeVon, she was focusing on her personal growth and embracing her authentic self. August 18 was her 40th birthday, and she’s done a lot of self-evaluation since then.
In September, Meagan posted, “I ain’t even my best me yet.” Soon after, she posted, “Your future is not ahead of you, it’s trapped inside of you.” She then posted, “I will never have this version of me again. Let me slow down and be with her.”
An October post seemed to reveal more depths, “As you heal, your attractions change too. Toxicity stops looking like excitement, and peace stops feeling like boredom.”
Meagan seemed to have a lot to think about, but there was never any mention of DeVon.
What’s Next?
Although Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin seem to be at peace with their decision to divorce, supporters of the couple hope this is just a phase that they will work out. Folks aren’t ready to see them apart yet, but we’ll have to wait and see what’s next for the couple.
We wish both Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin all the best with the new direction of their lives.
For now, we leave you with this old-school video we posted back in August 2019 of their love story.