'Marriage Boot Camp' host Dr Ish Major says 'we did the right thing' by sending rapper Kurupt and Toni home
The recently concluded season of 'Marriage Boot Camp: Hip Hop Edition' can best be described as explosive. The celebrity couples featured on the show had issues ranging from alcoholism to infidelity, among many others. The hosts of the show, Dr Ish Major and Judge Lynn Toler guided these troubled couples through their myriad of issues with their expertise and compassion. Despite their best efforts, the show was still heavily criticized for the way the situation between Tahiry Jose and Vado was dealt with. In an exclusive interview with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), Dr Ish explained his view on Tahiry and Jose's situation, while also sharing his thoughts on the season.
As a board-certified psychiatrist and the host of WeTV's hit show 'Marriage Boot Camp', Dr Ish has certainly seen a lot in life. But even that didn't stop him from labeling the recently concluded season as the "hardest season" he has ever been part of. When asked about his thoughts on the season, Dr Ish said, " I think it was the hardest season of TV I’ve ever been a part of. Every person in that house had their own unique unhealed childhood wounds and extraordinary levels of shame, guilt and anger that manifested in breathtaking emotional ways over those 10 days. Every day felt like I was on call at the hospital simply waiting for the next emergency to come in. Without Judge Lynn Toler as a partner, it would have been impossible to complete with any level of success or sanity."
During the filming of the show, things took an ugly turn between Vado and Tahiry. After a small fight, Tahiry threw apples at Vado. Later that evening, in a fit of rage, Vado tried choking her. Everybody was left feeling shocked by Vado's aggressive behavior. The showrunners made sure that Vado understood the gravity of the situation and his actions. He had to seek her forgiveness and work on his anger, while Tahiry had to learn that violence of any form isn't acceptable in any relationship. While fans were glad to see Vado paying the price for his behavior, they were also dissatisfied with how Tahiry wasn't held up to the same standard.
So, we asked Dr Ish his thoughts on it. He explained, "My thoughts are I did what I spent 15 years in school training to do. Protect the victim. Remove the aggressor. Secure the safety of the premises. Report to the proper authorities per the victim’s request or state mandate. The cycle of domestic violence requires two people to participate. The ugly underbelly of our culture has more than a hint of victim blame and shame and that’s the absolute last thing a medical doctor, such as I am, is trained to do.
"But I am trained to point out to the victim, in this case Tahiry, her role in the cycle of violence with compassion and when the time is appropriate and that was done while she was in the house as well. Both Tahiry and Vado were victims of emotional, verbal and physical abuse by each other and that was addressed with each of them separately and the larger group as a whole as some of them were traumatized by what they saw as well," added Dr Ish. "Any discussion about her provoking him is also a discussion about acceptable levels of violence towards women and that is a disgusting conversation that I will not have. They were equally in the wrong in their assaults on each other but on no day does being hit with fruit rise to the same level of force as having hands around your throat in anger," he pointed.
Another couple that raised eyebrows was none other than legendary rapper Kurupt and his girlfriend Toni. Kurupt's heavy drinking left everybody concerned for his health. Despite Dr Ish's best efforts when the rapper's consumption of alcohol didn't come down and he began behaving erratically, Kurupt and Toni were sent back home. So, we never got to see how things panned out between the couple, so we asked Dr Ish if he had any updates about them. Dr Ish shared, "I schedule 2 follow up appointments with each person after they leave the show and often times they choose to continue therapy sessions with me privately after that. Toni and Kurupt are no longer romantically linked but they are linked as co-parents as she delivered a bouncing baby boy this past June. She’s focusing on herself and her new son and we both wish Kurupt the best in his future endeavors. We did the right thing."
We finally asked Dr Ish what according to him is the key to a healthy relationship. "In a relationship we all want to be seen, heard and understood. It helps us feel these things called love, connection and belonging. If you can communicate to your partner on a daily basis in their preferred love language that they are the most important person in your life and how much you need them you will be in love together for a very long time," he revealed.