By Tisha Johnson // Relationships // EEW Magazine Online

*Photo Credit: Tayo Kuku/Essence—Illustration: EEW Magazine Online*

When actress Meagan Good split with ex DeVon Franklin in 2021 after nine years of marriage, the divorce shattered her world and left her unsure of how to move forward.

In a recent interview with Essence, the publication’s digital cover star who posed for stunning photos, said, “I was devastated,” while also revealing that the decision to end the union was not hers.

“It’s nothing that I would have ever chosen, and when I realized that it was happening, I was devastated. I was like, ‘This is me, Lord. I did everything that I could do to the best of my ability,’” explained the Shazam! Fury of the Gods co-star whose divorce was finalized June 23, 2022—seven days before the ex-couple marked their 10-year wedding anniversary.

According to Barna research, Christians are just as likely to get divorced as non-Christians. Harvard-trained social researcher and author Shaunti Feldhahn estimates that the overall divorce rate hovers around 33 percent. Even so, Good, like many others, never imagined that she would be personally represented in this statistical data.

Yet, her best efforts to save the marriage failed, leaving the co-author of The Wait saying to God, “‘I don’t understand why I did all these things, and then this is my end result.’”

In the beginning, things looked promising as the former lovebirds wed in Malibu, CA, in June 2012 before 400 guests. Their headline-grabbing Spanish and bayou-themed celebration was filled with joy, as the couple vowed to love and cherish each other forever.

So then, what happened? Well, Good, spells out what didn’t happen.

The divorcée, who still describes her Sony executive ex as “an incredible and beautiful person,” told Essence that neither spouse did anything malicious to hurt the other. Furthermore, regardless of widespread speculation, the rift in the relationship was not caused by her lack of desire to bear children which she does want.

It appears that things simply didn’t work out. Therefore, the “Harlem” co-star is navigating the single and saved life again but confessed that she has “struggled” to define her beliefs in this new phase.

“I was like, ‘I don’t know if I should be celibate now. I don’t know what I should do.’ I even was at a point early on when I felt, obviously, I still believe in Jesus, but I’m not sure what to believe about anything else anymore,” she said.

The formerly optimistic Good was confident that her relationship would stand the test of time, so when it didn’t, the reality shook her to her core while bringing to life one of her greatest fears. “That was rough because my biggest fear was what happened between my mom and my dad would to happen to me, which is you’ve been with your husband for 10 years and you break up. I would say, ‘I’m never getting divorced. I’m in it forever, good, bad, whatever it is, I’m never going to give up. You’re my person, I’m your person, that’s it.’”

Good continued, “It took me a long time to understand that God didn’t do divorce. DeVon and I both have free will. So, I had to accept that God didn’t lie when He told me that was my husband. That was my husband. But He didn’t say we’d be together forever. God’s word remains true no matter what happens to you and if anything changes, it’s because sometimes life deals you cards you don’t expect or anticipate, but He’ll still bring you through it and He still has an incredible plan for your life.”

Nowadays, Good is doing much better and looking optimistically toward the future. “Once I accepted everything, I felt grateful for the time we had together and the beautiful journey. Then there was an excitement. I get to start life all over again, in my prime, with so many incredible things happening in my life and in my career. I get to do this again.”

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