Showcasing their success since leaving the show, Shawniece Jackson and Jephte Pierre are one of the couples featured on the Married at First Sight spin-off Couples Cam.
However, it wasn’t always clear that this couple would stay together. Shawniece and Jephte didn’t start on the strongest terms and were recently compared to current Atlanta couple – Chris Willams and Paige Banks.
Dr. Pepper is facing major backlash for the comparison
If you’ve been watching the current experiment of MAFS, you know who the villain is this season. Chris and Paige have given social media a lot to talk about in their short time together.
Within three days of marriage, Chris told his new bride that not only was he not attracted to her – but also impregnated his ex-fiance weeks before appearing on the show.
The experts have been on the major defense mode as most fans agree that Chris’s recent engagement should’ve been an automatic red flag. With the marriage continuing to become more and more toxic, viewers are calling for the experts to intervene.
However, Dr. Pepper’s latest statement only led to more controversy among fans. In a now-since deleted post, she compares the start of Chris and Paige’s relationship to veteran couple Jephte and Shawniece.
Explaining their reasoning to continue filming, she states “we have seen similar train wrecks turn around.”
Comparing Jephte to Chris, she says, “It is miserable to watch in the beginning but he turns around – breaks down, changes the way approaches his wife and his life, and the changes are both life changing and inspirational.”
Shawniece defends Dr. Pepper’s point
Fans were not here for the comparison of Jephte and Shawniece to Chris and Paige.
One user wrote, “To compare Chris to him, did rub me the wrong way. I think for those who truly followed your journey appreciate your transparency and growth with one another.”
Shawniece took to an instagram live session to address the comparison comments made by Dr. Pepper.
First things first, the mother wants everyone to know that her family is doing well and thriving.
While some alum like to be vocal about the current season, she made it clear that she and Jephte usually like to mind their business.
On Instagram live, she says, “We can’t speak on things that we do not know.” Having been a participant in the process, Shawniece understands that viewers only get to see less than an hour of the marriage every week.
Making it clear that the two couples are both in unique situations, you cannot compare the two as they are their own people.
“When me and Jephte decided to do it. We wanted to be married and I can only speak for myself and my husband,” she told viewers. “It wasn’t the easiest thing, but it wasn’t the worst thing.”
However, she does agree with the point that Dr. Pepper was overall trying to make. She agrees that at the beginning of their marriage, it was hard to watch from the viewer’s point of view.
Shawniece reveals that her husband received death threats and was driven into depression based on viewer reactions.
See what Shawniece had to say in its entirety below.
However, she details that she and Jephte agreed off-camera to not blindside each other when it came to their arguments.
She also notes that the experts are very thorough with their research process but when it comes to the matches “you never know what you’re gonna get.”
What do you think of Dr. Pepper’s controversial comparison comments?
Married at First Sight airs on Wednesdays at 8/7c pm on Lifetime.