

We both entered our relationship broken, but we seemed to agree that I was worse off. I had daddy issues, mama issues, heartbreak, you name it. And he came along and accepted it all.
Later, he introduced me to the Watchtower Society, also known as Jehovah's Witnesses. I had always valued spiritual things and sought out God, but felt overwhelmed and jaded with the idea of churches. The Kingdom Hall seemed like a breath of fresh air and I thought it was exactly what I needed to truly make my spiritual walk real.
But that never happened for me.
For those who are unfamiliar with Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs), here are a few facts: 1) Jehovah is God's name and JWs primary goal is to make that known to the world, hence Jehovah's Witnesses; 2) JWs believe in Jesus and that he is Jehovah's son, and consider themselves true Christians; 3) JWs do not celebrate holidays, birthdays, or take/accept blood transfusions. This is by no means the full scope of the organization and my article is not intended to bash it in any way, it is to simply share my experience with it in my life.
I was blessed with exceptional comprehension and communication skills, so I was able to retain the doctrines, memorize scriptures, bible accounts, etc. enough to go out in the field ministry and preach. I was also surrounded by other witnesses who were extremely talented, loving, and passionate about helping people find Jehovah. When I tried to tap into that passion for preaching and going in the ministry and just living as a JW overall, I always came up short.
The feeling like this was where I was supposed to be never really came.
My heart wasn't in it because this was not my path.
Reflecting back on the early years of my relationship with my husband (then boyfriend), we were making typical young adult mistakes. But when we started to deal with the outcome of those mistakes, that's when it really hit, and it was more than we could handle. One in particular was miscarrying our first child. We were both young, crazy in love, and enjoying one another so much that we threw caution to the wind. And then came the positive pregnancy test. Next came panic, stress, and anxiety. Finally, bleeding, and no more baby.
It was heartbreaking for both of us. The response we both had was to cling to Jehovah by means of "his organization" and speed up the timeline on getting married. And that's exactly what we did.
I was 22 when we got married, he was 23.
We had no money saved, no plan to get out of debt, no solid career goals, and we were pretty spotty even when it came to spiritual things. We were stuck in auto-pilot. Going to work, to bible meetings, in field service and home. Occasionally we had date nights, but we never really nurtured or developed ourselves or each other. Our focus was on appearances (even if we never admit it) and because we did pretty well at keeping our appearance shiny and new, no one could see how broken we really were.
In my reflection of that time, I can see that we made leaps and bounds to change the things that are apparent at the surface level. We quit watching horror films or even movies that were excessively violent, had any magic in them, or were rated R. We stopped celebrating our birthdays and holidays and we rarely missed bible meetings or field service. But we weren't consistent in praying together as a family, we went through our weekly studies very casually. It was obvious that even though we wanted to be good JWs and allow "the truth" to touch our hearts, it never really did. .
To clarify, I do believe a lot of what JWs preach. There are just some issues with interpretation that I couldn't move past and that is the same with any religion.
I can remember smiling through awkward conversations about why I didn't vote or why I refused to take blood, or why I wouldn't sign someone's birthday card. It was exhausting, but I was convinced that this was what I needed to develop a relationship with God and sincerely know Him.
Eventually, I stopped believing that.
I started to see that no matter how much I prayed to build that desire to be a dedicated to the ministry and being one of Jehovah's Witnesses, something was holding me back. My heart wasn't in it because this was not my path. I went through the appropriate processes to get help from the elders when the issues in marriage became too much to deal with, but to no avail. The disintegration that I was now seeing in my marriage was parallel to the distance I felt from my newfound religion.
It was then that I knew I had to leave him and the organization in order to be free and finally find peace for myself. I decided that I would not return to the Kingdom Hall shortly after realizing I no longer wanted to be married.
For a few weeks, I felt guilty when I would get text messages from concerned "friends" wondering why I had abruptly stopped attending meetings, but I also questioned where that concern was when I was figuratively drowning.
I knew that as a JW, I could not seek to leave my marriage unless one of us cheated, which we had not. But in my heart and mind, I could not accept that the Creator I believed in would make me remain in a situation that had become toxic for all parties involved.
I have not been to a Kingdom Hall in about nine months and I feel closer to God than I ever have.
This past March, I celebrated my birthday for the first time in seven years. It was amazing to say the least. I was surrounded by new friends and enveloped in a community of love, support, and empowerment. That weekend confirmed my choice to uproot my life and make a sharp turn in the opposite direction -- not only leaving my husband but also leaving the organization we worshipped through.
I meditate on a consistent basis and am more in tune with my energy, as well as how it affects those around me (also vice versa). I'm also more in tune to God and how He is directing my life. I'm doing creative work that I love and making a name for myself. I'm building genuine relationships with strong like-minded women, and learning more about what I want from a future romantic relationship.
The best part of it is, this journey has been more spiritually enlightening than any time I've spent as a JW, or any church for that matter.
xoNecole is always looking for new voices and empowering stories to add to our platform. If you have an interesting story or personal essay that you'd love to share, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us at submissons@xonecole.com
Featured image by Prince Akachi on Unsplash
Keisha Marie is a twenty-something writer and digital content creator from Denver, Co. She is a mother of two sour patch kids and an OG naturalista who is obsessed with connections, collaboration, and creativity. You can find her on Instagram @keishamarieco sharing gems about motherhood, life after separation, and more!
Claudia Jordan, Demetria McKinney & Jill Marie Jones On 'Games Women Play' & Dating Over 40
What do you get when you mix unfiltered truths, high-stakes romance, and a few well-timed one-liners? You get Games Women Play—the sizzling new stage play by Je’Caryous Johnson that’s part relationship rollercoaster, part grown-woman group chat.
With a powerhouse cast that includes Claudia Jordan, Demetria McKinney, Jill Marie Jones, Carl Payne, Chico Bean, and Brian J. White, the play dives headfirst into the messy, hilarious, and heart-wrenching games people play for love, power, and peace of mind. And the women leading this story? They’re bringing their whole selves to the stage—and leaving nothing behind.
From Script to Spotlight
The road to Games Women Play started over 20 years ago—literally.
“This script was written 20 years ago,” Jill Marie Jones said with a smile. “It was originally called Men, Money & Gold Diggers, and I was in the film version. So when Je’Caryous called me to bring it to the stage, I was like, ‘Let’s go.’” Now reimagined for 2025, the play is updated with sharp dialogue and modern relationship dynamics that feel all too real.
Demetria McKinney, no stranger to Je’Caryous Johnson’s productions, jumped at the opportunity to join the cast once again. “This is my third time working with him,” she shared. “It was an opportunity to stretch. I’d never been directed by Carl Payne before, and the chance to work with talent I admire—Jill, Claudia, Chico—it was a no-brainer.”
Claudia Jordan joked that she originally saw the role as just another check. “I didn’t take it that seriously at first,” she admitted. “But this is my first full-on tour—and now I’ve got a whole new respect for how hard people work in theater. This ain’t easy.”
Modern Love, Stage Left
The play doesn’t hold back when it comes to the messier parts of love. One jaw-dropping moment comes when a live podcast proposal flips into a prenup bombshell—leaving the audience (and the characters) gasping.
Demetria broke it down with honesty. “People don’t ask the real questions when they date. Like, ‘Do you want kids? How do you feel about money?’ These convos aren’t happening, and then everyone’s confused. That moment in the play—it’s real. That happens all the time.”
Jill chimed in, noting how the play speaks to emotional disconnect. “We’re giving each other different tokens of love. Men might offer security and money. Women, we’re giving our hearts. But there’s a disconnect—and that’s where things fall apart.”
And then Claudia, of course, took it all the way there. “These men don’t even want to sign our prenups now!” she laughed. “They want to live the soft life, too. Wearing units, gloss, getting their brows done. We can’t have nothing! Y’all want to be like us? Then get a damn period and go through menopause.”
Dating Over 40: “You Better Come Correct”
When the conversation turned to real-life relationships, all three women lit up. Their experiences dating in their 40s and 50s have given them both clarity—and zero tolerance for games.
“I feel sexier than I’ve ever felt,” said Jill, who proudly turned 50 in January. “I say what I want. I mean what I say. I’m inside my woman, and I’m not apologizing for it.”
Demetria added that dating now comes with deeper self-awareness. “Anybody in my life is there because I want them there. I’ve worked hard to need nobody. But I’m open to love—as long as you keep doing what got me there in the first place.”
For Claudia, the bar is high—and the peace is priceless. “I’ve worked hard for my peace,” she said. “I’m not dating for food. I’m dating because I want to spend time with you. And honestly, if being with you isn’t better than being alone with my candles and fountains and cats? Then no thanks.”
Channeling Strength & Icon Status
Each actress brings something different to the play—but all of them deliver.
“I actually wish I could be messier on stage,” Claudia joked. “But I think about my grandmother—she was born in 1929, couldn’t even vote or buy a house without a man, and didn’t give a damn. She was fearless. That’s where my strength comes from.”
For Jill, the comparisons to her iconic Girlfriends character Toni Childs aren’t far off—but this role gave her a chance to dig deeper. “If you really understood Toni, you’d see how layered she was. And Paisley is the same—misunderstood, but strong. There’s more to her than people see at first glance.”
Demetria, who juggles singing and acting seamlessly, shared that live theater pushes her in a new way. “Every moment on stage counts. You can’t redo anything. It’s a different kind of love and discipline. You have to give the performance away—live, in the moment—and trust that it lands.”
Laughter, Lessons & Black Girl Gems
The show has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments—and the cast isn’t shy about who steals scenes.
“Chico Bean gets a lot of gasps and laughs,” Claudia said. “And Naomi Booker? Every scene she’s in—she’s hilarious.”
But the play isn’t just about humor. It leaves space for reflection—especially for Black women.
“I hope we get back to the foundation of love and communication,” said Demetria. “A lot of us are in protector mode. But that’s turned into survival mode. We’ve lost softness. We’ve lost connection.”
Claudia agreed. “We’re doing it all—but it’s not because we want to be strong all the time. It’s because we have to be. And I just want women to know: You can have peace, you can be soft. But stop bringing your old pain into new love. Don’t let past heartbreak build walls so high that the right person can’t climb over.”
Final Act: Pack the House
If there’s one thing this cast agrees on, it’s that this play isn’t just entertainment—it’s necessary.
“Atlanta is the Black entertainment hub,” Claudia said. “We need y’all to show up for this play. Support the arts. Support each other. Because when we pack the house, we make space for more stories like this.”
Games Women Play is more than a play—it’s a mirror. You’ll see yourself, your friends, your exes, and maybe even your next chapter. So get ready to laugh, reflect, and maybe even heal—because the games are on.
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Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Relationship Timeline
Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathe are one of our favorite Hollywood couples. We can't get over their adorable moments together on the red carpet and on social media. While they're both from St. Louis, they didn't meet until college, which they both attended Stanford. And the rest is as they say, history. Read below as we dive into their decades-long relationship.
Mid to Late1990s: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Meet
Sterling and Ryan met as freshmen at Stanford University. "We were in the same dorm freshman year...that's kind of how we met," Ryan said in an interview with ET. "I was mesmerized," she said after watching him audition for the school play, Joe Turner's Come and Gone. Sterling revealed that The First Wives Club star was dating someone else, so they started off as friends.
"She got cast in the play as well, and we would ride bikes to rehearsal, and we would just talk. We found out that we were both from St. Louis. We didn't know that we were both from St. Louis, like, our parents went to rival high schools. We were born in the same hospital. Like, we were friends," he said.
The first few years of their relationship involved many breakups and makeups. However, they ended up graduating and attended NYU's Tisch Grad Acting Program together.
Early 2000s: Sterling K. Brown Tells Ryan Michelle Bathe She's 'The Love Of My Life'
The Paradise star opened up about telling Ryan that she was the one. "We broke up for three and a half years before we came back into each other's lives," he said. "She was on the treadmill working out, and I had this epiphany, 'I have to go tell this woman she's the love of my life.'"
"I go to her apartment, I tell her, and she's like, 'Well, I'm working out right now,' and I was like, 'No, I can see that—I'll just talk to you while you're on the treadmill,' and she's like, 'Well, I feel like going outside. So I'm gonna go on a run,'" he continued. "So I'm like dressed [in a suit], and she starts running through Koreatown, and I start running along with her. Brother had to work, but it was well worthwhile."
2006: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Tie The Knot
The St. Louis natives eloped in 2006 and a year later held a larger ceremony. According to the bride, the best part of their wedding was the food. "The best thing about it was the food," she told ET.
"Can I just say, sometimes you go to weddings, and you get the winner-winner chicken dinner and you're like, 'I pay. OK, it's fine.' But I wanted people to remember their experience -- their culinary experience. So I was happy about that. The food was good."
2011: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Welcome Their First Child
In 2011, Sterling and The Endgame actress welcomed their first son, Andrew. In a 2017 tweet, Sterling revealed they had a home birth. "An unexpected home delivery is something my wife and I went through ourselves with our first born, so this was round 2 for me!" he wrote while referring to a scene involving his character Randall, in This Is Us.
2012: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Appear On-screen Together
A year later, the couple acted together on the Lifetime series Army Wives.
2015: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Welcome Their Second Child
In 2015, Sterling and Ryan welcomed another son, Amaré. Sterling shared an Instagram post about their latest addition to the family. "1st post. 2nd child. All good! #imoninstagram," the Atlas star wrote.
2016: Ryan Michelle Bathe Joins Sterling K. Brown On 'This Is Us'
Ryan guest appears on her hubby's show, This Is Us.
Sterling K. Brown Reveals Ryan Michelle Bathe's Mother Didn't Like Him At First
During their sit-down interview for the Black Love series, Sterling revealed that Ryan's mother wasn't a fan of him, which caused friction in their relationship.
2024: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Explain How Jennifer Lopez Once Broke Them Up
While visiting The Jennifer Hudson Show, Sterling and Ryan share their hilarious Jennifer Lopez break-up story. "We had just gone out, we were living in New York City, we were in grad school, and we had gone to see a Broadway play and we came back to my place and my roommate was playing the ["Love Don't Cost A Thing"] video on MTV," Sterling said.
"Now I'm a fan of Jennifer Lopez's dancing, and I was watching the video and I knew my young...21, 22-year-old girlfriend was looking at me watch the video. And I know I'm not supposed to have a reaction. In trying NOT to have a reaction, what had happened was, my eyes began to water."
Ryan jumped in, "Otherwise known as, TEARS! I turn around and my boyfriend is weeping, tears like big fat [tears]. And I'm looking and she's just a shakin' and a shimming, and he's just crying. I said 'Oh no, I got to go.' "
2024: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Launch Their Podcast, We Don't Always Agree
The couple launched their podcast, We Don't Always Agree, where they disclose more intimate details about their love story.
Feature image by Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock