I doubt any of us were really feeling sorry for Chad “OchoCinco” Johnson being sentenced to 30 days in jail. Even though we could argue that the sentencing didn’t fit the probation violation and the butt slap, he’s done enough to warrant a little sit down. And judging by his interview on today’s “Good Morning America” interview, Chad seems to agree.

In his interview with Robin Roberts, he said that the seven days he spent in jail were just what he needed. In fact, he called it “one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.”

On the judge’s sentencing and whether he thought it was fair

“I think that Judge McHugh was able to get me do something many people have tried to get me to do for a long time: slow down, just at life in general. She was able to get me to do that. maybe not in the best circumstances for those on the outside but I see being able to sit down and think about life and where I’m going from this point was probably one of the best things that could happen to me right now.”

What he’s learned from the situation

“Usually, situations like this break people…but I wouldn’t allow anything to break me. I going to be my same positive self.  I think with me being Chad it kind of made the judge feel that I wasn’t being serious about the situation but, trust me, I understood exactly what I did. I lost two of the things in life that I loved the most at the time. Football and my now beautiful, I did say beautiful, ex-wife.”

On playing football again

“I think everyone deserves a second chance. Many would say I might not deserve it. I would like to finish my career off the right way. I don’t want the last thing to be remembered you know, well, Chad was cut from the Dolphins for an incident he had with his wife. I would love to grace the football field one more time and to help some team. I’m not injured. There’s nothing wrong with me.”

I find it very interesting that Chad does this interview the day pictures of Evelyn from the almost year-old domestic violence incident are released. Tres bizarre. And the emphasis on the word beautiful was oddly interesting as well. It’s clear Chad is trying to rebuild, professionally in the eyes of the NFL as well as in the eyes of the public. Just like Robin said, we’ll certainly be watching to see what happens to this character. You never know how the cookie will crumble.

Watch the full interview on the next page.

Source: WENN

It appears that former Miami Dolphins star Chad Ochocino just might be losing it. Now we won’t totally jump to conclusions since we don’t know what may have happened behind the scenes to set him off, but the reality star began taking shots at his ex-wife yesterday via Twitter and even somewhat defended his violent actions that ultimately led to the couple’s divorce. He began with tweets implying that Evelyn was only with him for monetary gain.

When a follower informed him that he was the one who messed up when he decided to cheat and put his hands on Evelyn, it seems as if he almost tried to justify his actions and imply that Ev should’ve stuck around anyway.

Chad then went on to attack her publicist, who seemingly had nothing to do with the quarrel, but again, we don’t know if anything transpired behind the scenes. He also implied that Evelyn is a Christian hypocrite and that she cheated on him while they were together.

Evelyn, who appeared to remain pretty calm about what was going on, sent out a tweet letting her followers and Chad know that she was paying him no mind.

Although Evelyn may have decided to take the high road, her daughter Shanience was not too pleased with Chad’s behavior.

We’re going to have to give Chad the severe side-eye.

What are your thoughts on this?

Source: WENN/Jimmy Louis

Former Miami Dolphins player, Chad Johnson and ex-wife Evelyn Lozada made their first public appearance together since their extremely ugly divorce yesterday in court. Why were they in court you ask? Thankfully, they weren’t there pressing assault charges against each other. Instead, they were doing something remotely opposite. They were there to lift the restraining order that was put in place after the two had a fallout over Chad’s infidelity, which ended in a head-butt lifted.

A video recovered by TMZ depicts Evelyn and Chad standing before a judge in a Florida courtroom as the judge proceeds to ask Evelyn if she feels threatened by Chad or is afraid of him. Evelyn responds “no” each time and the judge honored her request and lifted the restraining order.

Now Im sure that while some are in shock after hearing this news, others aren’t as Ev has been hinting to multiple media outlets that she would like to begin talking to Chad again and how she believes he deserves a second chance. One can’t say for sure that Evelyn’s request to lift her restraining order against Chad will result in a romantic reunion between the two, but then again, the possibility is certainly there.

Just last week, Evelyn told Radar Online that it was difficult having a “no contact clause” with Chad because he still wears his wedding ring and expresses that he wants her back.

“I haven’t spoken to Chad, we can’t – we have a ‘no contact’ clause, but I hear things. He recently did an interview on ESPN and I saw clips of it but it wasn’t easy to watch because he is still wearing his wedding ring, and says he still wants to be married.”

Ironically though, she also told Rumor Fix that although she had some questions for him, she didn’t think that reconnecting the lines of communication was a good idea.

“He hasn’t tried to speak to me directly and I don’t think he is going to risk his freedom, I also don’t think it would be good for us.”

I guess she’s had a change of heart since then.

Check out Evelyn and Chad’s courtroom footage on the next page. Do you think it was a good idea to drop the restraining order?

Source: WENN

About four months have passed since “Basketball Wives” star Evelyn Lozada and then new husband Chad Ochocinco made headlines for a domestic violence dispute that ended in Chad being arrested, dropped from his contract with the Miami Dolphins, and an end to the couple’s 42-day marriage. With the exception of Evelyn’s appearance on Iyanla Vanzant’s “Fix My Life” and ABC News, the two pretty much refrained from discussing the incident. Until now, that is.

Last Wednesday, we reported on an interview that Chad did with ESPN’s First Take where he opened up about what went down between him and Lozada and getting help for his issues with domestic violence. He also admitted to cheating on Evelyn, but not without stating that he believed he deserved a second chance.

Since the interview aired, Evelyn has also opened up just a teeny bit more on her feelings about Chad and how she’s dealing in the aftermath of her public divorce.

In an interview with Rumor Fix, the reality star was asked how she felt about second chances and if she believed Chad deserved another chance. Here’s what she had to say:

“I do believe in second chances. I actually had someone ask me that recently, and I do. I’m not bitter, things happen and yeah, I do believe in second chances. I would want somebody to give me a second chances, and you never know.”

Interesting. Lozada also revealed in an exclusive interview with Radar Online that she would like to sit down and have a conversation with Chad someday.

“At some point a conversation needs to take place, I have questions about everything and that will happen when it’s supposed to happen,” Evelyn confides. “I would definitely like to sit down and talk to him down the road – I would just really like to get up in his head and ask, ‘Why?’

“Obviously he wasn’t thinking, but as a woman, there are certain things I needed closure with like why he cheated? It is hard for me to wrap my head around why someone would put everything at risk.”

“But I am not a man either so I don’t get that at all. Obviously that is wrong, I feel like we were both a lesson to each other, I have learned so many things… things that I will never tolerate again.”

“I haven’t spoken to Chad, we can’t – we have a ‘no contact’ clause, but I hear things. He recently did an interview on ESPN and I saw clips of it but it wasn’t easy to watch because he is still wearing his wedding ring, and says he still wants to be married.

“He hasn’t tried to speak to me directly and I don’t think he is going to risk his freedom, I also don’t think it would be good for us.”

Source: Getty Images

Some girls dream about that special sacred union since they’re very small; hopeful that one day they’ll be clad in a long white gown, adorned with jewels and flowers, and surrounded by a plethora of family and friends . This ceremony is hoped to be beautiful and magical, and the love between the two who are marrying is supposed to last forever.

Maybe.

One thing that Hollywood has made abundantly clear is that marriage is not meant for eternity, in fact, some marriages are over before the credits, on a feature length film, can roll.

Is The Ev and Ocho Show really going to happen? Considering that their once-fairy-tale-esque relationship went poof at the revelation of serious domestic abuse, it was all but a given that VH1 would pull the plug on the show and the wedding special which were both already taped. But…Evelyn is saying something different. In response to a fan tweeting her about the likelihood of ever seeing the show on air, Evelyn responded with a maybe.

Personally, I don’t think it’s in poor taste to air the show. If anything, it may give viewers a better understanding on the illusion between edited/scripted reality shows and reality. I myself was completely surprised by Chad Ochocinco’s violent ways. On Basketball Wives, he always came off as the gentle one in the relationship while Evelyn came off as the angry one. Although I didn’t believe that they could be truly in love after such a short and public courtship, I would never have imagined Chad to be the aggressive man that we now know he is capable of being.

VH1 will certainly get its fair share of criticism if it moves ahead with airing the show but I hope they move forward as it will be another fascinating record in the history of reality TV.

Source: Twitter.com/ochocinco

After three weeks of uncharacteristically sporadic tweeting and a full seven days of silence, Chad Johnson returned to Twitter:

Source: twitter.com/ochocinco

Since the headbutting incident that ended his marriage to Evelyn Lozada after only forty-one days, Chad has been losing everything from his football career, to endorsements and possibly even his house. Now, the maligned football player may be facing prison time.

According to The Christian Post:

Evelyn pressed charges against the football player after the domestic dispute took place. While Johnson was reportedly facing a misdemeanor charge initially, the free agent may now face one year in prison for felony charges because of a past domestic dispute with an ex-girlfriend 12 years ago.

Since Chad’s arrest, many have been taking sides. Some blame Evelyn for the dispute citing her violent action on Basketball Wives while others have blamed Chad saying he wouldn’t have been arrested if he was not at fault.

Now, Chad is speaking out for himself (via Twitter, of course). After blaming MetroPCS (a prepaid cell phone service) for his lack of tweets, the former football player rejected sympathy and took responsibility for the fight and the subsequent demise of his professional life.

Source: twitter.com/ochocinco

Unlike others who have showed absolutely no remorse in the wake of such a highly-publicized and damaging incident, Chad is definitely using his Twitter account to express his regret. It’s unclear when his profile picture was taken, but in it, he’s sitting in front of a Bugatti with his head in his hands and wearing his wedding ring. When someone asked him why he erased his bio, he answered.

Source: twitter.com/ochocinco

It’s unclear what that new life will look like. Anything could be up next for him — from another football team picking him up to prison time. Even though Chad doesn’t want sympathy, it’s difficult not to feel at least a little bit sorry for him.

Evelyn hasn’t tweeted since the incident.

What do you think? Are you surprised Chad took responsibility for what happened? Do you think he is sincere? What do you think he’ll do next?

Follow Alissa on Twitter @AlissaInPink or check out her blog This Cannot Be My Life

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usatoday.com

“Would you leave your husband if he cheated on you?”
“If it was only once, I’d stay.”
“And if he hit you?”
“Oh, no. I am outta there. You hear me? Gone.”
“Only if it was once?”
“If he hits you once, he’ll hit you again.”
“If he cheated more than once?”
“I don’t know if I could stay, but I don’t know that I’d leave right away. We’d have to talk about it, go through some counseling. Work it out.”

This, my friends, is a composite conversation of overheard chats between women and a few I’ve had myself. I wondered about this discourse recently as the blogosphere swelled with commentary about Evelyn Lozada’s divorce filing from Chad Johnson. Upon learning that the couple was calling it quits after Johnson allegedly head-butted Lozada (she had reportedly confronted him about finding condom receipts), the Internet was replete with discussions on domestic abuse, the sanctity of marriage, and whether the boisterous “Basketball Wives” cast member had it coming.

Then there were the ostensibly apt Kim Kardashian comparisions: Lozada and Johnson’s union of 41 days trumped Kardashian’s 72-day marriage to NBA player Kris Humprhies, knocking it from the top spot of the shortest reality TV-boosted marriages in recent pop history. While viewers and Twitter pundits love the tabloid fodder for all its gloss and DVR-worthy glass throwing, I thought about how we common folk assess the value of marriage in our own lives.

“Quit comparing Evelyn to Kim Kardashian! Evelyn was abused ,” one Facebook friend chimed. It appeared that in the court of public opinion, Kardashian, who was fervent in her denial that Humphries ever abused her, didn’t have a “good enough” reason to leave her marriage after less than three months. As she told Oprah Winfrey in June, “You know when you just have that feeling that he’s the one? When we moved in, I had the feeling he was not the one.”

What if you know that he’s not the one for you? Some folks may not subscribe to the concept of kismet, while others don’t discount the “knowing.” (I’ll say that I’ve never talked to a long-term married couple about relationships without hearing a “When ya know, ya know” thrown into the conversation.) The reasons why a woman lets a relationship get to the altar without “knowing” that her betrothed is “the one” are as subjective and varied as the very concept as everyone having a “one.” In Kardashian’s case, she is a woman who is ready to drop an “I just want my fairy tale” in front of any interviewer and camera keeping up with her. Kismet conversations aside, perhaps when Kim realized that a multi-million dollar wedding did not make a fairy tale and that she would actually have to live with this guy, she decided to salvage her life from her hefty decision, schadenfreude-subscribing naysayers be damned. It all depressed her, she said. Leaving a marriage, no matter how brief and no matter how famous the couple, surely can’t be easy.

The alleged head-butting incident that led Lozada to seek a divorce lawyer caused a problematic chatter all its own. Never mind the 41-day marriage; some folk rendered the abuse karma for Lozada’s reality-flavored TV ruthlessness against other “Basketball Wives” cast members. Reminiscent of the dialogue surrounding the Rihanna-Chris Brown drama of 2009, the competing public narratives of  “Did she incite him?” and  “Why are we blaming the victim?” came to the surface once more. As the divorce news hit, I was expecting to hear digital applause, because a woman should leave an abusive marriage, right? Or is her filing just plain bad for the preservation of a holy union? Should she have stuck it out? Reading the comments of I-told-you-so finger waggers, I wondered this: How sacrosanct can a marriage be if your husband is head-butting you?

Going to the altar without being sure of your lifetime commitment (sans the clichéd cold feet and jitters), as with Kardashian and likely many other unnamed, non-famous women, is not ideal. And, not that the following is true in Evelyn’s case (because not one of us knows what really happened), it’s unlikely that abuse will cease just because your man puts a ring on it.

When does staying together trump the acknowledgement of our human foibles, the very ones that can often leave us dangerously in lust or committed to the hope that things will get better once we jump the broom? Does preserving the sanctity of marriage mean that you must stay bound not only to the man you married, but also to a poor choice?

I’d be remiss not to mention the idea of staying together for the kids. While neither Kardashian nor Humphries has children together, Johnson and Lozada each have children from previous relationships. Is staying together for the kids good for anyone, the kids included?

One thing I’m learning through pop culture watching, eavesdropping and chatting with my girlfriends is this: While marriage tethers a couple through “for better” and “for worse,” one woman’s “for worse” may constitute another’s absolute deal breaker.

Readers, I’m asking you like I’ve asked my friends: What reason is “good enough” to leave a marriage, and who decides that? How soon is too soon to dip out if you realize you shouldn’t have married him in the first place? What determines due diligence in keeping a marriage together? How bad does the “for worse” have to be before you bounce?

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vh1.com

by Shari Wright

Last night on Love & Hip Hop ATL, Mimi told Stevie J that she had to take some responsibility in their turbulent relationship because she had allowed it to go on. After seven or so episodes of using her child as the reason to want to work it out with Stevie, Mimi finally admitted to the world(and prayerfully herself) that their two-year old daughter was not the reason for the continuous acceptance of unfaithfulness and pseudo-commitment for more than 13 years. No. Mimi alone kept herself in that situation. However, she is not alone when it comes making horrible emotional concessions in one’s relationships, just to have a significant other. It is possibly something we all have done at some juncture in our lives, whether as a stint in time or a staple over many moons.

To be clear, there is no single definition for how two people should decide to live through their connection; still, there are certain components that are a given. Relationships are built on trust, they require healthy communication, and are forged with compromises, like: where to live; weekly budget; marriage- now, later or never; two kids or four; Nationwide or State Farm; not how or how much cheating is allowed. Unless we are in an open relationship(and for the sake of this particular article we are not) I can not fathom why there would be a point where my partner and I are bending the confines of exclusivity. If you do not wish to live monogamous, don’t be in a monogamous relationship. Simple? No? Yes, compromise is a big part of being with someone, but I do not think this is what it means to compromise in an exclusive arrangement, especially when you have to leverage your comfort and bargain your trust.

We have seen variations of Mimis in the different reality shows bombarding us today, from Housewives to Basketball Wives ( read: Evelyn Lozada). I cringe at the thought of Evelyn telling Chad on last season’s BBW that she understood he would be away from home most of the time and that she preferred he told her if he was going to cheat and further instructed him about condoms for the affair. (This is in no way victim blaming/shaming for their current situation, I believe domestic violence is low and vile. I am speaking on that one conversation only.) You would rather he use protection than to just find a man willing to forgo cheating all together??

You do not have to settle. We should negotiate prices, not commitment.

When you tell yourself things like, “all I know is what he tells me,” you are settling. When you tell yourself you are in this for the baby, and remain in a hurtful, dishonest place, you are settling. When you say “we don’t care for titles, they complicate stuff,” and in fact you are partial to having stated claims…yes, you are settling. When you have to speak through tears about the fatiguing accommodations you have made because this is the first person you’ve felt ever truly cared for you…you have indeed, settled.

We take vows to promise our best to another person, I believe we may need to start taking vows of self-preservation; we need to promise not to offer ourselves at minimum value…ever…for anyone.

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Source: allindustryaccess.com

Evelyn and Chad disregarded their marriage contract after a mere 41 days, but the couple might have a tougher time getting out of the contract they signed for their wedding venue.

Reportedly, Chad Johnson and Evelyn Lozada signed a contract with the government of St. Maarten and obtained approximately $90,000 for their wedding on July 4th. The agreement was that VH1 would air their wedding on the reality show “Ev and Ocho” and the island would get publicity and a boost in tourism as a result. If the couple doesn’t hold up their end of the contract, the island can be sued.

Well, after the alleged assault, VH1 canceled the show without airing a single episode and now the couple may have to pay up.

According to St. Maartin News Network:

SMN News learned that two Members of Parliament, one of which is supporting the current coalition government practically forced the current coalition government to make the monies available to Johnson and Lozada since they were busy negotiating with the couple prior to the fall of the UP/DP government. SMN News also learned via our sources that the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams objected to the investment but her concerns were not taken into consideration and the Council of Ministers went ahead with the investment which they placed under “strategic advertising” for the island.

Reliable sources within the government apparatus said that the two MPs were supposedly getting a kick back from the monies government invested in the wedding of NFL player Chad Johnson. The source said one particular MP has connections in the United States and that Member of Parliament made commitments with the couple and other political heads in the US.

When SMN News reporter asked members of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers’ press briefing if government intends to retrieve the tax-payers monies they invested in the wedding if the contract is not upheld, Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs at first deferred the question to the Minister of Finance but then she later said that the media was asked not to publish previously mentioned information on the couple’s wedding locally because the series is scheduled to air in September 2012.

Finance Minister Roland Tuitt confirmed that St. Maarten invested approximately $90,000.00 in the wedding. However, he explained that the contributions St. Maarten made to the wedding is like investing in any other business. “When someone is investing in business it’s a risk they are taking and if something happens then they will have to deal with the consequences. Naturally, we have a contract with Johnson and Lozada and that contract has some clauses inside of it and St. Maarten will use those clauses if necessary.” Tuitt also confirmed that if the series is not aired that St. Maarten will go ahead and retrieve the monies they invested in Johnson’s wedding.

It would be surprising if Chad and Evelyn were personally sued and not VH1 considering that VH1 is likely who St. Maarten actually did business with. Also, it was VH1′s decision to cancel the show not necessarily Evelyn or Chad’s. However, if the couple is sued personally, then maybe they can pawn their wedding rings for the money. That may be all the assets that Chad has left.

Of course, some are comparing this situation to Kim Kardashian’s blink-and-you-missed it reality show wedding. The major difference here is that Kim didn’t file for divorce until after the wedding episode aired. Therefore, E! nor any of her vendors had a legitimate reason to sue her because they got their promised publicity. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she (or her mother) planned it that way. If Evelyn was trying to take a page out of Kim’s book, she certainly should have taken better notes. Kim and Kris walked away from their marriage relatively unscathed compared to the utter trainwreck that is Evelyn and Chad’s situation.

I (almost) feel sorry for this couple.

What do you think? Shouldn’t VH1 be the ones getting sued and not Chad and Evelyn?

Follow Alissa on Twitter @AlissaInPink

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