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What would you do if your family didn’t like the person you were about to marry?
With the help of relationship expert, television writer, and author, Tracy McMillan, eight engaged couples are about to find out the hard way by bringing their disapproving families together with their fiancés on OWN’S new series Family or Fiancé.
McMillan is the host and the “voice of reason” for the newlyweds-to-be, offering advice that will help them “strengthen their bond, unpack their differences, and reveal their true selves to their families and friends.”
After spending three days in a house in the hills of Bel-air, the couples hope to get the blessings of their family and some peace of mind for their futures.
“I’m here to help people have better relationships, McMillan tells theGrio. “And there was something about watching real people go through a process with their families that I was really attracted to, because real people have real problems, things that everybody can identify with. And I want to help walk people through that process.”
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Throughout the season, the couples will be faced with tasks that shake things up in the house. These tasks cause emotions to unravel and reveal some pretty harsh realities. The toughest thing for McMillian as a relationship expert in this scenarios is to watch someone have a relationship that she doesn’t think is very healthy.
“I’m in the same position in some ways as the families,” says McMillan. “As we all know, if you have ever had a friend in a bad relationship, you can not talk somebody out of their relationship. They have to get to that knowledge that it’s not the right place for them to be on their own. You can only lead a person to water. You can’t make them drink. That’s it.
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“It can be very difficult to watch people do that,” she continues. “But then at the same time, you can hope that you plant a seed that maybe grows [and] at some point in the future, they think back to that time like, ‘you know what… I’ve kind of known ever since I was on Family or Fiancé that this relationship wasn’t good for me.'”
Love can be filled with ups and downs and sometimes failed relationships are a direct result of pressure from loved ones, but McMillan doesn’t want anyone to give up on the possibilities of wedded bliss.
“The advice that I would give to somebody who is giving up on love or thinking about giving up on love is..don’t. Rather than going out there and trying to find a partner to love you, you kind of have to start by loving yourself and that doesn’t mean mani or pedi’s and bubble baths.”
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McMillian encourages individuals to be comfortable enough with themselves that it becomes easy to use that same sense of adoration upon a potential partner. She believes finding a path within yourself will ultimately help you find a path to the right person.
“If you’re in a relationship and it’s not a great relationship , you need to look at the one you’re having with yourself because whatever you’re seeing out there is like a snapshot of what you have going on inside.”
Clip #1 – Chris Can’t Handle the Heat During 21 Questions | Family or Fiance | Oprah Winfrey Network
Clip #2 – Chris Addresses the Eyelashes Ashaki Found | Family or Fiance | Oprah Winfrey Network
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