Source: MTV / MTV
When in a relationship, most people want to love out loud. But on MTV’s new docuseries, Help! I’m in a Secret Relationship!, these couples are hiding the world from their lover. Hosts Rahne Jones and Travis Mills help some folks who are desperate to find out why their spouse won’t tell people that they are in a relationship.
While many of them suspected infidelity, host Rahne Jones told MADAMENOIRE that the partners in question had an interesting array of reasons to keep their love under wraps.
“I think cheating is obviously the most egregious thing people can think of like, oh, cheating, it’s the ultimate betrayal,” Jones said. “But then you have other types of betrayal like financial … it’s just a lot that can go into why someone feels the need to hide the person that they love. I think this show does a good job of showing the gamut of what the reasonings could be.”
Jones could relate to some of the show’s participants. In an early relationship, she said she was hidden in plain sight by someone who hadn’t told their family that she was lesbian.
“I was kind of kept to the side,” she said. “I couldn’t meet friends. I wouldn’t come around all that often. But it was like, dipping my toe in. But in certain situations, like in front of parents and in front of family, you are my friend. The romantic aspect was definitely buried … not necessarily hiding you physically. It was 100% hiding the fact that [she was dating me].”
While filming the show, Jones and Mills had a front row seat to how being hidden puts a dent in people’s confidence.
“You feel for them because the hiding is bringing up even more insecurity. The questioning of am I not good enough? Can I not be enough? Am I not smart enough? Am I not successful enough? Like, what is the deal? And I think what people are going to see in this season is what speculation can do to a person’s psyche and how they feel about themselves.”
For couples watching at home, Jones said Help! I’m in a Secret Relationship! may help shed light on issues in their own relationship.
“It’s definitely an eye opener to how relationships work when the communication is off,” she continued. It could be a situation where you might see some red flags on the show that you might see in your relationship. So I think for any couple watching, just keep an eye out. I think it’s a good case study in obviously what not to do and also a case study in how to better situation just by communicating.”
Help! I’m in a Secret Relationship! airs every Tuesday at 9:00 p.m EST on MTV.
