Taye Diggs & Apryl Jones On How They Met, Taking Things Slow & Navigating Conflict
Ever seen a couple that doesn't make sense on paper but the moment you see them together, you understand why they work? That's Taye Diggs and Apryl Jones for me. Despite being from two different walks of life, the love birds radiate "for life" energy and I completely believe them when they say that they are in this for the long haul. And not just because the chemistry and endless laughter the two seem to share act as an indication.
The pair made a soft launch as "just friends" virtually out of nowhere, appearing in one another's hilarious TikToks in 2021. And despite making several appearances together in public outings and on the red carpet, they seemed to duck and dodge, "are they or aren't they" questions for a while. Last year though, Taye seemingly confirmed his not-so-secret romance with Apryl and loved her out loud in a vulnerable Instagram post.
Taye Diggs and Apryl Jones Open Up About Their Relationship
Taye and Apryl are taking being public about their relationship a step further in a recent appearance in the podcast, Unconsciously Coupled with Erinn and Oliver Hudson. In the episode, the couple spilled the tea on their love, how they met, and navigating conflict, and everything in between.
Taye Diggs & Apryl Jones on How They Met
In a meet-cute that is pretty common in the digital age, Taye explained to listeners that he and Apryl met on Instagram. "Not on purpose," he clarified before explaining that his single days post-divorce involved him scrolling on the app and looking at women in a way that he describes was like "porn a little bit. But just for the eyes." On one particular day, he came across a IG Reel and described Apryl as this "beautiful girl" that popped up on his Explore page lip-synching to an audio as a mother making fun of being a mother.
From there, he sent a message of, "You're hilarious." And thought that would be the end of it because, in his words, he felt that she and any of the girls he came across during his single days on IG were "out of his league." But not for the reasons you think.
Taye explained that he thought that he was "not what 'those types of girls' were looking for. That was my thing. I'm cool, but if I stay in my lane." He added that he imagined Apryl going for "rappers, ball players, other influencers." He joked that his musical theater background wasn't something he thought she'd be checking for.
And Apryl lowkey confirmed that later by mentioning that Taye was not the type of guy that she or people in her circle would bring up if they are talking about dating pursuits. But luckily the actor took a chance by sliding in her DMs with a genuine remark that had nothing to do with her beauty because it was enough to capture Apryl's eye and a couple of days later prompt a response. Apryl gave him her number and the rest was history.
On Their First Date & Taking It Slow
After exchanging numbers, Taye and Apryl took things relatively slow. Thanks to Apryl being away due to filming in Atlanta, they were able to get to know each other offline and long-distance for a month and a half. Taye said that it gave him space which he needed because he was very nervous in his pursuit of her. They described the getting-to-know-each-other phase of theirs before meeting as a fun time where they texted, called, and sent videos back and forth to one another.
When they were finally ready to meet in person, Apryl made it known that Taye stood her up twice for plans on the same day. Taye's son Walker would be the reason for standing her up both times, which Apryl understood because she also has kids. Taye said it was a "test" and that he was impressed that she was "super cool about it" both times. "I was like, 'It's all cool.' Like, I have kids, I know what this is like. Cool, whatever. And then, he asked me for another date."
The third time would be the charm as they finally made their first date happen. Taye was late to the dinner date but Apryl absolved him of his sins because of how good he looked and how "chocolate" he was. Apparently, the date was well worth the wait in more ways than one because they ended up talking for hours up until they were the only two people left in the restaurant.
"It felt really easy," Apryl noted. "In my mind, I was hoping he'd say, 'Let's continue this somewhere.' And he was just like, 'I have to go back to my dog.' And I was like, your fucking dog? Your fucking dog?" Taye commented that in reality he was "petrified" of what was unfolding between them which is something Apryl said he would confess to her months into their relationship. "When you wait, you can't go wrong. You only go wrong when you rush," he said. "But, I was petrified."
Speaking of not being in a rush, Taye had the "taking it slow" phase on lock. Apryl revealed that they didn't touch for months, not even a kiss. They nurtured a friendship before entering a relationship. The moment of truth would eventually come when Taye invited her to a Christmas party that he said held a lot of significance for him. He had a lot of nerves about it but was blown away by how well "she held the room." It would be a turning point for their budding relationship.
On Learning to Navigate Conflict in a Healthy Way & Being Comitted No Matter What
Taye said that she intimidated him then and she still intimidates him now, which is what he feels he needs. "I think I need someone to keep me occupied. Not that it's game playing but I feel like I'm boxing above my weight. So I'm always on, I'm always on guard, you know what I mean?"
Apryl later said, "I know what I want. I know what I want. And I'm very clear on that. And I tell him all the time, like, I want you. Now get your fucking shit together or... I'm very stern on that." She added, "It's the mere fact that he knows, I don't play with my emotions."
In a very real way, the couple eventually segued into how they navigate conflict in their relationship and Apryl pointed to therapy, communication, and understanding being cornerstones of how they hold space for one another in the relationship during disagreements. Taye noted that the work was worth it because the relationship is worth it. "With him, the reason why we work is because we have a willingness to work at whatever it is," she explained.
"We talk a lot about things so also his trauma I can see in his movements and vice versa so I have a deeper understanding and love and patience with him because of why I see his habits are a particular way... We're going to do these things together or I'm going to help you get through these [things], you know what I mean? Because I don't want to change who he is."
Taye said that one of their big issues is a small issue and that is channeling vulnerability. Also, learning to accept the fact that they have different perspectives sometimes is a game changer when broaching difficult topics that come up in their relationship. That's how she feels, he said, and I have to accept that.
Before they got to that place though, Taye admitted that they would often shut the relationship down during conflict, threaten to leave, and sometimes actually leave the relationship. While they noted that there is no cheating or other people in their relationship, a lot of their arguments are rooted in the past and fear and would sometimes blow up due to mismanaging conflict when they encountered it.
Taye counted a total of three times that they broke up and made up again during their relationship (some of which we the people might have caught wind of from Instagram un-follows and re-follows). Now the couple has made the conscious decision to not activate that trigger during disagreements and to instead be "committed" to the relationship "no matter what."
On Waiting to Have Sex & How It Helped Their Relationship
In the episode, Taye and Apryl shouted out the fact that taking it slow ultimately benefitted their relationship in a number of ways. Apryl said the sex was amazing, she was happy they didn't start off with sex because they were able to create a healthy relationship with sex versus it becoming a foundation that a relationship is built on.
She said that sometimes starting off a relationship with sex makes it all that matters. "But with him, waiting scared me, number one. But number two, it was appreciated because it wasn't the first go-to for me with him. I don't fall on the sex. Although that is the most incredible thing, it is everything before that."
Apryl even recounted a trip to Mexico that they took around the holidays and the fact that she and Taye slept in the same bed together but still didn't do anything physical. It's the build-up for us. It wouldn't be until New Year's Eve when they were at dinner together sometime later, on shrooms and unable to keep their hands off of each other that they would solidify the physical aspect of their romance.
"The night was just so awesome," she recalled. After such an incredible night, Apryl said they woke up and decided they were officially together.
On Realizing They Were Each Other's "One"
Feeling like they were out of each other's leagues was something Taye and Apryl both expressed in different ways while on the podcast. Taye also touched on how becoming more in touch with his spirituality as a form of healing after his divorce opened him to see a life for himself with someone in a way that a past version of him might have not been open to.
"Meeting Apryl on Instagram and having her be... like, I saw her as a thing that didn't fit. She wasn't supposed to be with me, you know what I mean? But there was some-... I thought. But there was something inside me- the universe or spirit or whatever, God- that was like, 'Don't do what you always do. Just go with it. Just go with it...'" He continued, "And every time I took a step [in the relationship], it was great."
Taye also described signs that happened throughout their courtship that told him that Apryl was the one, including a psychic who had no idea they were dating pointing Apryl out as "the one." The conversation eventually shifts into their humor and the fact that the co-hosts knew Apryl was someone special to Taye because of the way she was able to make him laugh.
"That's the thing for me," Apryl said about their humor, "I always prayed for someone I could laugh with all the time because I feel like life is supposed to be light."
On the night before they became official, the two had a shroom ceremony on New Year's Eve where they learned that their relationship was "ordained by God," they knew each other in past lives, and that they are together for a reason and for a purpose that is beyond them to help other people see love. If their bond is any indication, Taye and Apryl are most definitely succeeding in that purpose.
Listen to the episode in full below:
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Eva Marcille On Starring In 'Jason’s Lyric Live' & Being An Audacious Black Woman
Eva Marcille has taken her talents to the stage. The model-turned-actress is starring in her first play, Jason’s Lyric Live alongside Allen Payne, K. Michelle, Treach, and others.
The play, produced by Je’Caryous Johnson, is an adaptation of the film, which starred Allen Payne as Jason and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lyric. Allen reprised his role as Jason for the play and Eva plays Lyric.
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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'Leave Quicker': Keri Hilson Opens Up About Learning When To Walk Away In Love
What you might call Black love goals, Keri Hilson is kindly saying, “Nah.”
In a recent appearance on Cam Newton’s Funky Friday podcast, the We Need to Talk: Love singer opened up about a past relationship that once had the public rooting for her and former NBA star Serge Ibaka. According to Cam, the pair looked “immaculate” together. Keri agreed, admitting, “We looked good.” But her demeanor made it clear that everything that looks good isn't always a good look for you.
That was all but confirmed when Cam asked what the relationship taught her. Keri sighed deeply before replying, “Whew. Leave quicker.”
It was the kind of answer that doesn’t need to be packaged to be received, just raw truth from someone who’s done the work. “Ten months in, I should have [left],” she continued. “But I was believing. I was wanting to not believe [the signs].”
Keri revealed to Cam that despite their efforts to repair the relationship at the time, including couples counseling, individual therapy, and even sitting with Serge’s pastor, it just wasn’t meant to be. A large part of that, she said, was the seven-year age gap. “He was [in his] mid-twenties,” she said, attributing a lot of their misalignment to his youth and the temptations that came with fame, money, and status.
“There were happenings,” she shared, choosing her words carefully. “He deserved to live that… I want what you want. I don’t want anything different. So if I would’ve told him how to love me better, it would’ve denied him the experience of being ‘the man’ in the world.”
But she also made it clear that just because you understand someone’s path doesn’t mean you have to ride it out with them. Instead, you can practice compassionate detachment like our girl Keri. “You can have what you want, but you may not have me and that.”
When Cam jokingly questioned what if there was a reality where a man wanted to have both “you and a dab of that,” Keri didn’t hesitate with her stance: “No,” adding, “I can remove myself and [then you] have it. Enjoy it.” Sis said what she said.
Still, she shared that they dated for a couple of years and remain cool to this day. For Keri, being on good terms with an ex isn’t a sign of weakness; it's a reflection of where she is in her healing. In a time when blocking an ex is often seen as the ultimate sign of growth, Keri offers an alternate route: one where healing looks like resolution, not resentment. “I think because I have such a disgust for ugliness in my life. Like, I don't do well without peace between me and everyone in my life. Like, I really try to resolve issues,” she explained to Cam.
Adding, “I think that's what makes things difficult when you're like sweeping things under the rug or harboring ill feelings towards someone. When you're healed, when you've done your work, you can speak to anybody when you've healed from things. I think maybe that's the bottom line.”
Watch Keri's appearance on Funky Friday in full here.
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