“Married at First Sight” star Shawn Best has opened up about a recent controversy he caused. The contestant drew widespread condemnation following comments he made to his wife Nikki Jefferson about physical intimacy.
The season 20 couple hit a difficult moment when Jefferson revealed to Best that she wanted to take things slowly. This led to a heated discussion about intimacy. Best essentially suggested that it was Jefferson’s role as a wife to be intimate with him to keep him satisfied.
Now, Best has spoken out about these comments, admitting that he got it wrong. Speaking in an interview with People, he described his comments to Jefferson as “never okay.” He also revealed that he understood putting that kind of pressure on his wife was uncomfortable and inappropriate.
Shawn Best Takes Accountability for ‘Wifely Duties’ Comment
During one episode of the 20th season of the reality series, Best caused a stir saying Jefferson had “wifely duties.” As part of the conversation he said that fulfilling a husband’s needs were part of “showing up as a wife.” He later went on to say to suggest that sexual acts were a duty expected of wives.
Jefferson pushed back against the comments and later brought up how they had made her feel pressurized. Best denied putting any expectations on her at the time. However, he has now looked back at the comments and admitted he made a serious error.
“The truth is, saying those words was never okay. It’s never okay to put someone in a pressure situation,” he says. “From my mentorship and my big brothers and my friends that I’ve been trained up around, it’s never okay to go at a pace that’s different than your wife’s pace or a partner’s pace.”
In the interview, Best also revealed that some of the original conversation was cut from the final broadcast. He believes this removed some context to what he said. Although Best then explains that he did feel like being more intimate was a logical next step for the couple.
Shawn Best Says His Choice of Words Was ‘Terrible’
Best also described the words he chose on the dating show as “terrible” and makes a plea for men to always respect boundaries. He said, “I want to take accountability for that because I do believe that a lot of women have been in that situation before.”
The reality star added, “For every wife out there and every person who’s a partner, or a female, or a partner to whoever you love, please always go at your own pace and express that to your partner.”
“Know that this part of my journey happened for me on purpose so that I can now be part of aiding and healing in relationships to help people figure out how to communicate more effectively,” he concluded.
Shawn Best & Nikki Jefferson Faced Decision Day
Best and Jefferson were one of seven couples that were matched together for “Married at First Sight.” Like the other participants, they were married when they met for the first time. With the help of experts, they then began to build their relationship and navigate problems they encountered.
However, the disagreement over intimacy was just one of several problems that proved too much for the pair. In the final episode of the season, the relationship came to an end in spectacular fashion.
Jefferson broke off the marriage after an argument erupted between them about the negatives they saw in their relationship.
