DeVon Franklin opens up about divorce and new love in one-man show: “Still healing, but better than I was”

Franklin also talks to theGrio about his BET acting debut in Divorced Sistas, his upcoming Netflix film Ruth & Boaz, and what it really takes to heal—and find love again—after divorce.

DeVon Franklin is not afraid to be real about healing after divorce.

In an interview with theGrio’s Natasha S. Alford, the producer, author, and motivational speaker sat down to talk about how his journey has given him inspiration for a trio of projects that tap into his struggles and triumphs.

Franklin, who first gained widespread recognition as a New York Times bestselling author and Hollywood producer, is now adding actor and playwright to his resume. He currently stars in BET+’s Divorced Sistas, is performing a one-man theater show Be True :My Journey from Breakdown to Breakthrough in New York City this weekend (July 18–19), and is gearing up for the Netflix premiere of Ruth and Boaz—a love story he co-produced with Tyler Perry, set to debut on September 26.

Behind all is professional success is a deeper personal story about heartbreak, faith, and healing.

From heartbreak to healing

Franklin’s 2021 divorce from actress Meagan Good was high-profile and painful. In Be True, a 90-minute show that he wrote himself, Franklin channels that hurtful experience into something deeply reflective and redemptive. “Really the key to life is success and healing,” he tells theGrio. “So often we focus on success, but we don’t focus on healing. And if we don’t work on healing… we will never be able to enjoy the fruits of our success.”

Be True, a collaboration with Audible, is a raw and honest stage production that explores his emotional journey from heartbreak to rebirth. “I really wanted to just articulate, you know, how do you go from a breakdown to a breakthrough? How do you go from heartbreak to remarry?” Franklin said. “My healing process is still ongoing, but I’m way better than where I was.”

When asked whether men experience pressure to move on quickly after breakups and divorces, Franklin responded by saying there’s often pressure for men not to express any emotion at all in the aftermath.

“As men, we don’t really articulate the pain we go through and have been through. I think that is something that I want to change,” he tells TheGrio. “There are so many broken men and women walking around because of heartbreak… and as a result, they’re walking around wounded and unhealed.”

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In Divorced Sistas, Franklin plays Pastor Jefferson, a man struggling to balance his calling with his crumbling marriage. It’s a character that challenges the typical portrayals of faith leaders, and one where Franklin tapped into a well of his own emotion.

“I play a character who is really trying to live in the light but is dealing with his own internal darkness,” Franklin said. “It’s not me…[but] I have a reservoir of emotion and pain to draw from, which helps me render this character, I think, more authentically.”

The show, a spinoff of Tyler Perry’s successful Sistas franchise, dives into the nuance of marriage, breakups, and everything in between. Franklin says it’s a chance to shift the narrative, especially within faith communities, where divorce is often viewed as taboo.

“So often, divorce is the scarlet letter, especially in our faith community,” he tells TheGrio. “We all have moments that we never thought would happen. So then what do you do? How do you put your life back together?”

A new kind of love story, personally and professionally

While Franklin is helping destigmatize divorce in faith communities, his upcoming film Ruth and Boaz is also tapping into a biblical love story for modern times, with a message that transcends religion.

Partnering again with Tyler Perry, the film stars Tyler Lepley as Boaz, and Serayah McNeill as Ruth, alongside Felicia Rashad. The story is steeped in faith and humility, but Franklin says the universal theme is love.

“We haven’t had a love story in the culture in a long time,” he said. “The essence of their love is so strong, and the idea that he, as a man, is looking to give to her, not take from her. That dynamic I thought was so powerful.”

With Netflix’s global platform, Franklin believes Ruth and Boaz could be a defining love story for a new generation. “Netflix is in over 190 million homes in the world,” he said. “I’m crazy enough to believe Ruth and Boaz can be this movie for our generation.”

While Franklin is hoping for a hit love story, he has also found love in his personal life too. The actor-producer is now engaged to celebrity fitness trainer Maria Castillo. “I do believe if you look in the dictionary and you see the word love, you’re going to see her picture,” he tells TheGrio with a smile.

Whether it’s on screen, on stage, or behind the scenes, Franklin says he’s moving through life with intention—and with purpose.

“I believe that God has given me this life and these experiences, not just for myself. For others as well.I feel a responsibility to not only live, but to teach when I can,” he tells theGrio.

“When I say teach, that doesn’t mean that I am the teacher. I’m just one person with life experience trying to help anybody else with life experience.”

Watch the full conversation with DeVon Franklin above and learn more about “Be True” on Audible Minetta Lane Theater’s website.