ET chats with 'Divorce in Black' star Meagan Good about her new Tyler Perry movie. She is currently dating Jonathan Majors.
As Meagan Good gears up for the release of her latest film, Divorce in Black, the actress looks forward to another highly anticipated project -- her "second act" in life.
Speaking with ET's Nischelle Turner about the Tyler Perry-directed, produced and written film, Good shared how working on the thriller alongside co-star Cory Hardrict while they navigated their respective divorces was "extremely therapeutic."
"Here's the thing, neither one of us has had bad marriages, we're both friends with our exes and we love them, we care about them, we want the best for them and they want the best for us," Good says of her and Hardrict's relationships with their exes, DeVon Franklin and Tia Mowry.
"But no matter what... divorce is traumatizing and tough, and I think that what I really wanted to do with [my character] Ava was create the space and say, 'OK, this happened, but this is my second act of life and I'm going to get excited about that and I'm going to do my work and I'm going to heal, but I'm also going to rediscover myself and I'm going to remember things about myself and I'm just going to be excited for the next part of my journey.'"
The 42-year-old has a new lease on life since finalizing her divorce from producer and author, DeVon Franklin, in June 2022 after nine years of marriage. The former couple met on the set of their 2011 film, Jumping the Broom, and got engaged in May 2012. Franklin filed for divorce in December 2022, citing "irreconcilable differences," and the pair had no children together.
In May 2023, Good began dating Jonathan Majors, of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Creed III fame. The duo have been nearly inseparable since going public. Good was a frequent sight by Majors' side during his assault trial and conviction.
The Harlem star explains that she wanted to ensure that Ava's journey wasn't "only her being the victim," but her choosing to take control of her life and "be incredible instead of being a victim."
"I think, in a way, I am having a second act of life -- professionally as well," Good tells ET. "I feel like even though it's been 30-something years, in a lot of ways I'm just starting out and crossing into a completely different act, a completely different space that I'm excited about, you know? And I think that everything we go through brings something completely different out of us, which makes us better along the way and gives us a deeper well to draw from."
She continues, "I could definitely relate to [that part of it] because I still want to have kids and I'm still going to have kids. And one day I would like to get remarried and all the things. So, you definitely think about that, I mean, I'm going to be 43 in about a month now. But I think that society often does make you feel like you pass your prime... but I'm like, 'You know what? Nobody's in control but God.''
"And so all we can do is do everything in our power for the things that we want in this life: take care of ourselves, love on ourselves, believe in our journey, all of it, you know? Then what's supposed to come will come," Good adds. "To me, there is no past my prime, I'm just getting better, you know? And I'm excited about that."
Good stars alongside Hardrict, 44, who finalized his divorce with Mowry in April 2023. In Divorce in Black, Hardrict plays Dallas, a man who is having a hard time letting go of his failed relationship with his ex-wife, Ava (Good), and will go to any lengths (sometimes dangerous) to get her back.
"Listen, when I read the script, I knew I had to be apart of it cause it was Mr. [Tyler] Perry and he's changed the culture a lot, it's impactful. The world resonates with his material and it was always a dream come true to work with Mr. Perry," Hardrict tells ET about taking on the role. "Whether it rather be in Divorce [in Black] or not, this one was getting done by me. I loved the character and I loved everything about the suspense, the arcs of the family, and I left it all there. And that was the therapy of relieving everything that I've been through in my whole life, you know? Losing my mom, everything."
He adds, "I put it all there to honor her I bring out my emotions in real feelings, honor my loved ones. That's how I give them the homage."
In October 2022, Mowry, 46, announced that she and Hardrict would be ending their marriage. ET obtained the divorce filing in which Mowry cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for her divorce filing -- signed on Sept. 30. Together, the exes are parents of Cree, 13, and Cairo, 6. The divorce was finalized six months later.
Channeling his raw emotions helped Hardrict take a darker approach when he came to playing Dallas.
"He's a wild boy, he's a wild boy, he's a wild boy," he adds about his character. "I like to serve as my characters. I like to do all of my characters. I like to be authentic and I like to give it a thousand."
Still, there's a lesson and a deeper conversation about mental health that the All American star hopes viewers maintain after watching the film.
"Mental health -- it doesn't get checked or if it's not in order, it definitely can ruin relationships moving on in your future, your past," he tells ET. "Definitely seek help, ask for some guidance, for some counsel. Maybe a hug will help you because he had a lot of childhood trauma. Dallas didn't have the tools or the people there for him to kind of help him out along that journey. I would say seek help, especially as a Black man, we all need someone to tell us that you love them. And that can save lives and save other peoples lives in the process."
Divorce in Black is on Prime Video July 11.
RELATED CONTENT:
