Open Marriages, Can They Really Work?

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 Written by Empress Magazine /// Find in The Wrap Up

OK, so its kind of a known fact that more and more black couples are embracing and admitting to open marriages/relationships. There is Jada & Will, Monique & her husband and countless other non celebrities or celebrities keeping things on the hush about whats really going on in their relationships.

Monique had a couple on her show recently who spoke about their open marriage. I found them to be very refreshing and real about what made their relationship work. Check out the video below and after watching, lets have an open discussion.

Can open marriages really work? Towards the end of the clip, the wife talks about evolving to an advanced relationship "Learn how to relate in general first then you can evolve into these higher more evolved relationships". That is such a powerful statement, I know for myself, the thought of an open relationship scares the hell out of me, I would be too jealous and my partner would be as well - maybe we are not evolved enough?

But what about just being happy with one person and that's it? Or maybe its that when you are not true to yourself about your real thoughts and feelings that the cheating and lying occurs. So my question is, can open marriages/relationships truly work? and are the women in the open marriages able to date other men? Often times it seems that its just the man who gets to step outside the relationship. I think it would be harder for a man to accept his woman being with another man because of the territorial and testosterone driven nature of men, but I could be wrong.

The couple in the video are Kenya & Rakhem and they have been married 14 years. Check them out discussing their open relationship below.