A priest and an actress walk into a bar. It sounds like the beginning of some old-timey humor, but for Deception’s Meagan Good and her husband DeVon Franklin, the joke could actually describe the surprising beginning of their relationship. Well...minus the bar, of course.
Since Franklin is a Seventh Day Adventist preacher, his courtship of the actress and model deviated a lot from typical Hollywood dating. For one thing, the couple actually remained celibate before tying the knot in a 2012 ceremony, according to International Business Times. On top of that, the two stay away from booze; Franklin because of his position in the church, and Good because of her “destructive” past.
The couple’s lifestyle choices have some fans wondering how a Christian marriage fits with the Los Angeles movie scene. What kinds of conflicts has the pair confronted while trying to reconcile Good’s religion with her career? And how have they worked through it all? Let’s take a peek at the inside scoop:
When Good ‘Got’ God
Some fans may be surprised to know that Good was religious long before Franklin was the in the picture. Because of this, Good has been negotiating issues of faith and film for more than a decade. In 2009, when she was filming The Unborn, the actress expressed that she had initially been concerned about accepting the role due to her faith. Good even opened up about her internal conflict regarding the horror film in conversation with Dallas Black:
“Because of the content, I had to do a lot of praying even before I accepted the role. Then, once I got on set, I prayed every single morning before we started shooting. And I’d pray again in the afternoons... I pretty much prayed for everyone on set. You definitely have to take it seriously, spiritually,” Good told the outlet.
The fact that Good was enthusiastically defending her faith in the Hollywood environment was actually one of the reasons that Franklin was attracted to her in the first place.
According to The New York Post, Good decided to become celibate in 2010 after a string of lousy boyfriends. When she met Franklin in 2011 and confessed her decision, the pastor admitted that he himself had been celibate for a decade. Their shared lifestyle allowed them to create a special bond and fall in love.
A Blended Wedding
If Good’s career has at times posed challenges to her faith, her wedding to Franklin showed just how well the actress has managed to blend the two worlds. While the ceremony was indeed religious, the guest list included some big names.
Ebony Magazine reports that Tracey Edmonds was in attendance. The producer and former television host even tweeted about the wedding: “Beautiful day/evening sharing & celebrating love at @MeaganGood & @DeVon_Franklin wedding...Congratulations, love and blessings.” How sweet!
Will Packer, who produced Jumping The Broom, was also reportedly in attendance. The media executive called the pair’s vows, “the most beautiful I’ve ever heard.”
In addition to celebrity guests, the wedding boasted a Hollywood-level theme with the decor to match. Good told the outlet that her party would be, “a bayou-themed kind of Spanish mosque. A very enchanted-y Twilight feel.”
The Church & Controversy
However, just because Good has made an effort to manage the competing forces in her life does not mean she has not faced her share of critics. In 2013, the actress was chosen for the honor of presenting at the BET Awards. Unfortunately, the public seemed to focus more on her choice of clothing than on her poise in front of the cameras.
HuffPost reports that Good rocked her “signature sexy style” in a floor-length Michael Costello gown with a plunging neckline. According to the outlet, not all of her fans were pleased, especially since she was presenting the Best Gospel Artist award: “that’s right—the night’s holiest honor came with a side of cleavage, which definitely got people talking.” Scandalous!
Despite the wave of criticism, Good wants folks to know that she was an actress before she was a preacher’s wife. As far as she is concerned, her choice of attire has nothing to do with her faith. The New York Post even quotes the actress as she defends her wardrobe choices:
“Me being married to a man of ministry, people saw me as a first lady of the church and said I should now conduct myself in that manner. (But) I’ve been acting since I was four, so wearing sexy dresses on the red carpet is never going to change,” Good revealed.
While the world of religion and the world of Hollywood movies may see, incompatible Good has made an effort to be herself, despite the pressures she has faced to choose one sphere or the other.