Earlier this month, Kyle Norman, who is one-fourth of R&B group Jagged Edge, appeared on Steve Harvey’s daytime talk show alongside his wife, Marikka Maria Norman, to discuss their 2015 domestic violence incident. Last January, the singer was arrested for aggravated assault against Marikka, who was his fiancée at the time. Marikka suffered black eyes, golf ball-sized lumps and even memory loss in the wake of the attack. As for why she returned to such a toxic relationship, Marikka says that she knows Kyle wasn’t himself when he attacked her and that he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Both Kyle and Marikka insist that the attack was a one-time thing and that he had never put his hands on her before that day.
The Steve Harvey Show
According to Marikka, several relatives—including her father—have cut her off due to her decision to go back to Kyle after he so brutally beat her.
“[Going back] cost me my career. It cost me relationships with my family, close friends and of course, my father,” Marikka shared. “My father has been in prison before and so, when he got wind of this, it was just something that he couldn’t accept. When we talked, it was just one of those things. He was willing to go back to prison. I told my family that I was not going to take Kyle back. It was something that I hid, but I knew in my mind that I was still in love with Kyle. So they just don’t really deal with me because I took him back.”
It’s understandable that Marrika’s family and friends did not want to sit by and watch her be someone’s punching bag. However, one would think that someone going through such a difficult situation would need the support of her family—regardless of whether she chose to stay or not. And this leads us to the question of the day: Is it wrong to disown a relative in an abusive relationship?
Noirettes, please weigh in.
