BY: Denver Sean
Published 2 years ago
Meagan Good is giving her Harlem co-stars credit for helping her navigage a difficult time in her life.
via ET:
ET’s Nischelle Turner recently sat down with Good — as well as Shoniqua Shandai, Jerrie Johnson and Grace Byers — to talk about season 2 of their Prime Video comedy series, which debuted Feb 3 — and the actress reflected on how she was able to lean on her castmates amid her emotionally challenging divorce from DeVon Franklin.
“It was interesting because when I was promoting Harlem season 1 last year is when right when everything was happening, and I really hadn’t really told anybody,” Good reflected. “To be honest, I was kinda terrified to go into press [junkets] and have somebody ask me something about him, ’cause I didn’t want to be disingenuous and I didn’t want to pretend like something wasn’t going on, but I didn’t want to tell my business because everything was still in process.”
“So when I told the girls, it was good to be able to just cry and have a moment and be like, ‘Guys, I’m not OK. I’m doing the press and I’m gonna smile and that’s what’s in my heart, ’cause I’m so happy for us,'” she recalled of sharing the divorce news with her castmates.
According to Good, the other reason she didn’t want to bring up the divorce at the time was “because this was our moment, you know?”
“This is our show and this is about Black female empowerment,” she explained. “And to change any type of a narrative to anything that has to do with solely one of us was just completely inconsiderate.”
For their part, the women who play her best friends on screen proved to be just as supportive in her real life.
“They literally rallied around me,” Good said. “We had tons of conversations, each one of us. Tons of prayers, tons of covering, tons of just let [me] cry, and that was just really, really, really amazing. Because I need that.”
“When we came back for Season 2 was like when my divorce was finalized. That was around the week that I was shooting, and would have been my 10-year anniversary. [That] was around the week that I was shooting,” she shared. “There was a lot going on and I was able to pop in to each dressing room or they popped into my dressing room just to check on me and see how my heart was.”
“Because I’m always gonna show up and be professional no matter what is going on,” she added. “But it doesn’t mean that I’m not struggling or hurting or that kind of thing.”
Johnson reiterated Good’s remarks about their growing friendship, sharing, “I just feel like we have, we have all collectively and individually, created these, these bonds.”
“We’re constantly exchanging these words of encouragement and having these deep meaningful moments,” Johnson said.
She was particularly effusive of Good’s friendship and support, sharing, “Anytime I feel like, on set, that like I’m like, ‘Oh, I need this.’ She’s like, ‘OK, let me send the email. Let me figure it out.’ She’s such a momma bear.”
Late last month, Good appeared on The View and had nothing but love and praise for Whoopi Goldberg — who also appears on Harlem — for her support and guidance.
“I have to give you your flowers. You’re so nurturing and amazing and kind and [she] covers you,” Good said of Goldberg. “[She] looks out for me and the other girls on set. It’s been a joy. I feel very, very privileged.”
When asked about the time since her 2021 split from DeVon Franklin after nearly 10 years of marriage, Good once again credited Goldberg for her help during the difficult time.
“I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve rediscovered myself in a lot of ways,” she shared. “I’ve gotta say again, Whoopi was very instrumental in that because we had some really good conversations I needed to have that were illuminating for me and eye-opening for me. I think in this season, I’m just really excited for what’s next.”
The actress and Hollywood producer-author got married on June 16, 2012. They initially met on the set of the 2011 film, Jumping the Broom, and got engaged in May 2012. Their divorce was finalized this past June.
We think Meagan has handled this public divorce exceptionally well.