Relationship expert Dr. Stacii Jae Johnson believes both partners can be 'cheaters,' leveling the playing field.
Allowing couples to date former flings creates 'pressure' for meaningful change, not just temporary revenge.
Honest communication about emotional needs, not just problems, is key to rebuilding trust and finding safety.
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Who’s the villain when everyone’s been caught creeping? That’s the question being asked by Dr. Stacii Jae Johnson on OWN’sPut A Ring On It: Cheathab.
The new relationship series that premiered Friday, July 31, at 9 p.m. ET/PT before settling into its regular Friday time slot at 8 p.m. ET/PT beginning Aug. 14, follows three couples whose relationships have all been rocked by infidelity and puts them to the test to see if marriage is the ultimate goal.
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Will Packer Warns Fans: “It’s Messy, It’s Drama.”
BOSSIP’s very own Lauryn Bass attended the Atlanta premiere of Put A Ring On It: Cheathab at Morehouse College’s Bank of America Auditorium, where media, influencers, and guests gathered for an advance screening of the first episode followed by a live Q&A with relationship expert Dr. Stacii Jae Johnson, hosted by Kenya Cabine.
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The Atlanta premiere also drew a star-studded crowd of entertainers, television personalities and influencers, including:
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Will Packer — Executive producer of Put A Ring On It: Cheathab and Atlanta Falcons co-owner (appeared via prerecorded welcome message)
Dr. Stacii Jae Johnson — Relationship expert and host of the evening’s post-screening Q&A
Monyetta Shaw-Carter — Television personality and entrepreneur
Dr. Contessa Metcalfe — Married to Medicine star
Nicci Gilbert — Brownstone singer, producer and television personality
Funky Dineva — Media personality and commentator
Ernestine Johnson Morrison — Spoken word artist, actress and author
Kiana Dancie — Comedian, actress and radio personality
Lori Hanford — The Later Daters cast member
Mike Jackson — HGTV’s Married to Real Estate
Michael Anthony — Television personality and influencer
AND MORE!
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Before the lights dimmed, executive producer and Atlanta Falcons co-owner Will Packer appeared in a prerecorded message to welcome the audience.
“Put A Ring On It: Cheathab. It’s new, and it’s a whole nother world,” Packer said. “It’s messy. It’s drama. I apologize in advance.”
The warning drew laughs from the audience, but after watching the first episode, it became clear the series offers more than reality TV chaos.
Dr. Stacii Says There Are No Villains
During the post-screening audience discussion, Dr. Stacii explained why this version of Put A Ring On It feels different from nearly every infidelity series viewers have seen before.
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“What I love is that the women in this show are also cheaters,” she told the audience. “It levels the playing field and stops the watchers from looking for the villain because they both are.”
Rather than focusing on blame, she said the series centers accountability and whether both partners are willing to do the work required to rebuild trust.
She also shared that much of the healing audiences will witness happened during hours of conversations that never made the final edit.
“We have hours of talks that you don’t see,” she said. “We spent hours building trust, and we talked about everything, which is the only way I can help.”
Although she admitted there is plenty of humor throughout the process, she believes the one-on-one coaching sessions are where the show’s biggest breakthroughs happen.
“It’s a lot of laughter, but once we get into the one-on-one, it’s groundbreaking what OWN is doing,” she said. “I really dropped some gems. I’m proud of the work I was able to do.”
When asked what surprised her most over the course of the season, Dr. Stacii said she admired every couple’s willingness to participate in such a vulnerable social experiment.
“I honor every couple on this show,” she said. “I think they are equal. It takes a lot to do this. I honor their journey.”
She did, however, admit one participant’s actions caught her off guard.
“I was shocked that Josh didn’t stand up for his relationship with Mi-Mi,” she said. “I was devastated with his behavior.”
When asked what advice she would give couples trying to maintain healthy relationships, Dr. Stacii kept her answer simple.
“Be courageous. Be honest. Tell the truth, and don’t feel like you’re protecting someone by not telling the truth.”
Dr. Stacii Explains WhyCheathabLevels The Playing Field
Following the premiere, Bass caught up with Dr. Stacii for an exclusive conversation, where she expanded on why the show’s premise stood out to her.
“You’ve never really seen two people cheating in one relationship,” she said. “It’s usually we villainize either the man or the woman, but in this relationship, in all of our couples, everyone is a cheater.”
According to Dr. Stacii, removing the obvious victim-versus-villain dynamic allows couples to confront what caused both partners to betray the relationship.
“You’re not spending a lot of time pointing the finger at the other person,” she said. “So we can really get some real work done to really see what happened in this relationship to make both people feel like they needed to make such a horrible choice.”
She added that while infidelity is painful, she doesn’t believe one mistake should permanently define someone’s character.
“A horrible choice doesn’t make them a bad person,” she said. “But a horrible choice to betray the commitment that they once had.”
Meet The Put A Ring On It: Cheathab Couples
DOMINIQUE & TRAVIS
Dominique and Travis’s instant chemistry turned into a passionate long-distance romance built on deep connection and late-night talks. But cracks appeared when Travis grew distant and later admitted to a brief Vegas fling, shattering Dominique’s trust. Now, their relationship is consumed by mistrust. Dominique wants commitment and security, while Travis craves faith and freedom from suspicion. Unless they rebuild trust, they risk losing the love they once thought was forever.
MIA AND JARRON
Mia and Jarron’s love story began like a fairytale when they met on Facebook in 2022, bonding instantly over their shared faith and long, late-night conversations that bridged the distance between Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale. Mia was drawn to Jarron’s confidence and humor, while Jarron admired Mia’s warmth and vibrant spirit. But what began in faith and laughter has since been fractured by betrayal and mistrust: Mia discovered Jarron had been texting and sleeping with other women, shattering the foundation she thought they’d built. Though she later sought comfort from one of his friends, deepening the rift, both remain entangled in love, pain, and unanswered questions. Now, they must face the truth: can Jarron take real accountability and fight for Mia’s trust, or will she finally accept that love alone isn’t enough to put a ring on it?
MI-MI AND JOSHUA
Mi-Mi, a physician assistant and boutique owner, and Joshua, a forklift driver and aspiring photographer, met through a friend and quickly fell in love. Despite sharing a fun, adventurous bond, their relationship is strained after Joshua cheated with his ex, and Mi-Mi emotionally reconnected with hers. Joshua proposed twice – most memorably at Walmart – but Mi-Mi won’t say yes until trust is rebuilt. Now, their future hangs in the balance as they confront secrets that could make or break them.
Why Dating Former Flings Is Actually Therapy
One of the show’s biggest twists asks each participant to date former flings and past love interests, a concept that immediately sparked conversation during the premiere.
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Dr. Stacii says the exercise is less about temptation than transformation.
“Diamonds are made how? Pressure.”
She said meaningful change rarely happens inside someone’s comfort zone.
“I’m a change person. I’m a coach. If we start at A, we’ve got to get to B.”
The experience also allows both partners, not just one, to honestly determine whether they’re truly meant to stay together.
“Let’s see if the person you cheated with is a better match,” she said. “Guess what? It’s okay if they are, because your partner now knows the truth and can go on with their lives through dating people too.”
She said the process differs from the retaliatory dating that can happen after betrayal because both partners are given permission to explore what they want.
“Everyone is dating,” she said. “Each person is dating. It’s not the man or the woman. That usually never happens.”
Dr. Stacii also connected the experiment to her own experience of being cheated on.
“I was crying at home trying to figure out how could somebody who I know loved me, and I loved them, make such a horrible decision and betrayal in our relationship,” she said.
She admitted that “get-back dating” may provide a temporary sense of revenge, but it does not necessarily produce clarity or healing.
Beyond The Drama, She Wants Black Couples To Heal
While Cheathab undoubtedly delivers dramatic television, Dr. Stacii hopes viewers focus on the conversations happening beneath the surface.
“I hope they really look at themselves,” she said.
She wants couples to begin communicating honestly before secrecy grows into betrayal.
“It doesn’t have to be that either you or your partner are dealing with cheating. It’s hopefully pre-cheating, pre something like that even ever happening. Secrecy should not be in our relationship.”
She encouraged couples to stop leading conversations with complaints and instead express their emotional needs.
“We’re not really talking to the need. We’re talking more to the problem.”
According to Dr. Stacii, emotional safety (not perfection) is ultimately the goal.
“I feel like everyone deserves emotional safety.”
She added that her greatest hope is for viewers to walk away with the courage to communicate honestly before a relationship reaches a breaking point.
“I hope this starts a new sense of communication and fearlessness with people.”
Stop Listing Problems And Start Expressing Needs
Dr. Stacii also shared several warning signs that may point to emotional disconnection or dishonesty.
“If the stories aren’t adding up, that’s because they don’t,” she said.
She advised partners to ask the questions they genuinely want answered rather than communicating passively or circling around their concerns.
“We’re not really talking to the need. We’re talking to more of the problem.”
Instead of approaching a partner with a list of complaints, she recommended clearly identifying the emotional need underneath the frustration.
“I have a need to feel more cared for, and this is what would make me feel more cared for,” she offered as an example.
That wording, she said, gives a partner a clear opportunity to respond rather than making them feel as though they are only being criticized.
“Delivering your need and not looking at the problem is what I would say.”
The Woman Behind The Tough Love
Dr. Stacii’s coaching philosophy is rooted in both education and lived experience.
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Her mother was married five times while her grandmother was married three times. According to Dr. Stacii, her mother married for love, while her grandmother pursued financial security. This left Dr. Stacii searching for answers about what actually makes a relationship last.
“You got this little girl in the middle trying to figure out, ‘Well, how does it work?’”
Her mother died at age 56 while going through her fifth divorce. Years later, Dr. Stacii began examining her own relationship patterns.
“I realized that I was toxic.”
That realization inspired years of self-work before she earned her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy after graduating from Spelman College. She also spent nearly two years driving for Uber, using conversations with approximately 2,300 passengers as an opportunity to better understand how people from different backgrounds experience love and relationships.
“I give experience and education an equal value,” she said.
Those experiences ultimately reinforced one of her biggest beliefs.
“Both men and women can be toxic.”
Rather than assigning blame based on gender, Dr. Stacii believes lasting relationships begin with personal accountability and emotional safety.
“I’m kind of an equal-opportunity person with this love thing,” she said. “I’m more for emotional safety, period.”
Love Coach, Bride-To-Be
While Dr. Stacii is helping couples decide whether they’re ready to put a ring on it, she’s also preparing to walk down the aisle herself.
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During her exclusive conversation with BOSSIP, the relationship expert shared that she’s planning her upcoming wedding aboard a Virgin Voyages cruise, a celebration she hopes reflects the same hope and possibility she encourages in others.
She laughed while recalling her fiancé’s reaction after she began inviting supporters she’s met throughout her career.
“My fiancé thinks I’m crazy inviting all these strangers to the wedding,” she said. “I’m like, ‘These aren’t strangers. These people believe in possibility. They believe in hope, like me.’”
For Dr. Stacii, the wedding represents more than exchanging vows. It’s a reminder that healthy love is possible after doing the work.
“They’re coming to see hope and possibility. It’s real,” she said.
With a laugh, she alludes that the adults-only cruise may even create a few unexpected romances among guests.
“There may be some love connections too.”
As she prepares for her own next chapter, Dr. Stacii says the same philosophy guiding the couples on Put A Ring On It: Cheathab continues to shape her own relationship: emotional safety, honest communication, accountability and the courage to choose love intentionally.
OWN’s Put A Ring On It: Cheathab premiered Friday, July 31, at 9 p.m. ET/PT before settling into its regular Friday time slot at 8 p.m. ET/PT beginning Aug. 14.
