Meagan Good’s Empowering Journey: From Screen to Real Life
Meagan Good, the star of Tyler Perry’s new Amazon Prime film “Divorce in the Black,” out July 11, opens up about her latest role and her relationship with boyfriend Jonathan Majors. With over 30 years in Hollywood, Good has made a life-changing promise to herself.
“I’m going to take this part of my life and make it wonderful,” says the actress, moments after dancing barefoot in the Los Angeles sunshine during her PEOPLE photo shoot for this week’s issue. “Every single part of my life is going to matter, and I’m not going to regret things. However old I make it to, I want to look back and be like, ‘Yeah, I did that.’”
This mindset resonates deeply with her character, Ava, a battered wife who becomes an empowered divorcee in Tyler Perry’s new film. “I felt in some ways it would be therapeutic,” Good says, reflecting on her own divorce from pastor DeVon Franklin in 2021.
Unlike her onscreen husband, chillingly portrayed by Cory Hardrict, Good clarifies that Franklin is a “wonderful, beautiful human being” and that abuse was never a factor in their marriage or split. “But I do understand the devastation of divorce. There’s this complete grief, then denial, then eventual acceptance.”
Another parallel with her character is the unexpected discovery of love. Good made headlines last year when she went public with actor Jonathan Majors, just as he faced misdemeanor charges of domestic assault against his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari. Despite the legal challenges, Good stood by Majors, who was later found guilty of assault and harassment, leading to his enrollment in a domestic violence intervention program.
Addressing the complex connection to her character, Good says she and Majors were focused on surviving their season of life and did not initially draw comparisons to her role. “I understand the comparison, but what I can say is this, I don’t condone domestic violence at all. And I just have to leave it there.”
Good emphasizes that “Divorce in the Black” is not just about domestic violence but also about empowerment. “I hope women who see that feel empowered in that.”
