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The Creators of OWN's 'Black Love' Series Have A Magical Love Story Of Their Own
In xoNecole's Our First Year series, we take an in-depth look at love and relationships between couples with an emphasis on what their first year of marriage was like.
The real life love story of Tommy and Codie Oliver is just as precious as the ones seen on their OWN series Black Love.
When it comes to love, we've all heard the saying "When you know, you just know" and while some may have their doubts about the validity of that saying, the Olivers' journey to love and marriage proves it to be 100 percent accurate.
The two producers met on September 9, 2013 at The Toronto Film Festival. By March 15, 2014, they were engaged and on February 9, 2015, they were married. All under a span of a year and half, these two strangers met, fell in love, and made their commitment to forever. "It was pretty clear early on that there was no doing better than her, so there was no reason to keep looking," Tommy recalled the beginning stages of life with his now-wife.
As their love grew, their family did too, and a year later, they welcomed their first child in 2016.
The Olivers Plus OnePhoto: Robert Christopher Riley
What some may not know about the co-creators and the husband and wife team is that Black Lovewas actually conceptualized amid the beginning stages of their own black love story four years ago. Within the first six months of dating, Codie shared an idea she had about creating a project focused on black love and showing that it wasn't only possible, but thriving genuine black love out there. "Back in 2007, there was this media portrayal of the black marriage crisis, and me being a single woman at the time, it was particularly damaging to me to hear that black people weren't staying married as long as other ethnicities, and weren't getting married as often," she said. "So, it just made me feel like I wanted to show something else, regardless of the what the data and statistics were. I decided at that time I wanted to create a place where black love stories lived, so we never again had to question whether it were possible."
The two began working on the idea in 2014 and fully completed the project by 2016. Once complete, they teamed up with Oprah and the OWN Network and the rest is history, with the Black Love docuseries making its debut in 2017 on OWN.
When asked what they wanted people to learn from watching the show, the answer was simple: "It's really just about pulling back the curtain on marriage and what it takes to make a marriage last. We wanted to be able to share transparent, honest, highs and lows and how to get through them, specifically how to get through them," Codie shared. "You see the fights on reality TV, you see the highs on social media, trips around the world, you know all the amazing moments, but you don't really see what it takes to get through the lows and to get to those highs. We wanted to capture as much as that as possible so that people can learn from it, apply it to their own lives and normalize some of the hard times that happen in a marriage."
"It's about pulling back the curtain on marriage and what it takes to make a marriage last."
Tommy and Codie represent black love in all its many facets. The highs, the lows but most importantly, the authenticity of black love.
Here's their story:
The One
Photo: Katie Stinnett
Codie: When we met in Toronto, we stayed up until 3 am talking and then 5 am the next night and the following week, we went out Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Tommy called five friends and said, "Unless something goes terribly wrong, I'm marrying this woman." I always approached dating very seriously and when I met Tommy, between the talking all night plus knowing his background (filmmaker with a business degree), I knew this was the type of person I could marry. We also discussed very quickly that having a family was a priority. We were engaged six months after we met, so I'd definitely say we approached our courtship as if marriage was next up.
"Tommy called five friends and said, 'Unless something goes terribly wrong, I'm marrying this woman.'"
Deepest Fears
Photo: Elton Anderson
Tommy: No big fears but the one thing that comes to mind is the old adage of: women go into a marriage expecting men to change and men go into a marriage hoping women don't change. I was afraid there was truth in that. I had to accept that both people changing is inevitable and part of marriage.
Codie: My fear was just the unknown. But three years in (and plenty of arguments) and 100 couples interviewed, I feel so secure in us being able to tackle anything, however difficult or challenging.
Building Together
Photo: Elton Anderson
Tommy: [An early challenge would be] the seeming lack of discretion in picking battles.
Codie: THIS is an ongoing thing. What is an issue to me may not be an issue to him and vice versa and each of us needs to respect that something we may not understand is bothering our partner. We never had issues living together (until like two years in when he says I leave stuff out in the kitchen) and finances aren't stressful though we have different views on savings. It's really just those times when we don't see eye to eye on personal stressors.
Mentors In Love
Tommy: We are pretty fortunate to have created a series featuring married couples who all have one thing in common - they are committed to making it work. So what that has created for us is a village of marriage mentors and people who will not allow us to neglect our marriage. It's pretty great!
Common Goals
Photo: Chika Chukudebelu
Codie: Our common goal is the success of our family. When we met, we both knew we wanted to be married and have children and be active in their lives. So, we're able to prioritize whatever will keep our relationship strong because we know it's what is best for our family.
"When we met, we both knew we wanted to be married and have children and be active in their lives."
Lessons In Love
Tommy and Codie: If you don't have the ability to send and receive honest, well thought out information, you're in trouble. You need to be willing to actually listen and refrain from being defensive. We didn't necessarily grasp this right away, but it stuck with us, and we are getting better at it!
For more on Tommy and Codie follow them at: @Codieco and @Producertommy, or on their joint account @Blacklovedoc. And catch season 2 of Black Love airing on Saturdays at 10pm, only on OWN.
- Tommy Oliver (@ProducerTommy) | Twitter ›
- Exclusive: OWN Docuseries Tell The Truth About 'Black Love' ›
- Codie Elaine Oliver - IMDb ›
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- Meet The Couple Behind Black Love: Codie & Tommy Oliver ... ›
Ashley McDonough is a writer and producer in New York City. When she's not busy writing or producing culturally conscious content, she is patiently waiting for Oprah and Stedman to adopt her. Keep up with her journey via social @Ashley_Milani or check out her work on www.AshleyMcDonough.org.
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
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Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
Photo courtesy
When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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