Category Archives: Marriage & Divorce
Michelle Williams ends engagement with Chad Johnson – 11Alive.com WXIA
Michelle Williams and her fiancé, Chad Johnson, are calling it quits. The Oprah Winfrey Network reality stars announced their split on Instagram Friday morning.
“I still remain fearless. I still remain single! Things didn’t work out! The healing that needs to take place is a must! I don’t want to destroy another relationship. Blessings to him, his family, and his ministry,” the singer revealed in a post on Instagram.
Williams who is one-third of the Grammy award winning trio Destiny’s Child, was scrutinized by fans after the couple went through a lover’s quarrel on “Chad Loves Michelle,” a docuseries that chronicled the couples journey to marriage.
During a press trip for the show, the couple sat down with the A-Scene’s Francesca Amiker to discuss their love story, plans for the future, and the marriage advice Michelle received from her Destiny’s Child band mates.
WILLIAMS: Well I didn’t think reality TV per se, which of course technically that’s what it is. I thought lets have the cameras roll on a real pre-marital counseling session because so many people we know or so many people that follow us have said me and my husband never did pre-marital counseling. And I’m like, how? I just don’t think we can be successful without all the tools and pre-marital counseling brings up all the topics you need to talk about now.
Johnson was criticized for asking Michelle, “if she took her meds” during a heated counseling session that appeared on the show.
AMIKER: So in this recent episode, it really got heated. You guys have been doing press and of course, you’re talking about it. A lot of people went after Chad when he went after your mental health, and you did come to his defense but why do you think it is important for you to say the thing about the mental health, “did you take your meds?”
JOHNSON: Well it wasn’t important in the moment. That episode is interesting because it captures just a portion of our counseling session and so, that specific episode was on communication, and we were talking about how we communicate, the different nuances that we’re learning to understand one another through. And that was one thing that we failed at and we decided to show our failure, and in showing our failure, the world decided to make a story of it.
WILLIAMS: Take it and run with it! And then the crazy thing is. Yes, he asked me did I take my meds. But in that same episode, if you watched the episode, he says ‘I apologize, I should have never said that.’ But people don’t even know what I was saying in that same disagreement, argument, whatever you want to call it. So, don’t come after Chad. Please don’t do that. I haven’t either in my communication with him. He said it one time. He’s never said anything crazy like that. So, you know, things happen. I just want people at home to search your communication with your parents, with your significant other, with how you treat people at work. I feel like while you’re running your mouth about what Chad said, make sure your communication is crystal clear and perfect too.
In the wake of the breakup, Johnson has not responded to the news publicly. However, Williams is back to hit-making with a new single, “Fearless.”
Why you can no longer enter into a civil union in Canberra – The Canberra Times
As same-sex couples are no longer excluded from marrying, they have not been eligible to enter a new civil union since December 9, 2017, when marriage equality began in Australia.
Couples in registered civil unions and celebrants will soon receive a letter from the government reassuring them their civil partnerships remain legally valid.
“If your civil union ceremony was held prior to 9 December 2017, the ACT government will continue to recognise your union in the same way as a marriage,” Justice Minister Shane Rattenbury said.
“But now that all Australian couples can marry, regardless of gender, no couple meets the eligibility criteria to enter a new civil union.”
Married couples, civil partnership couples and existing civil union couples automatically share the same rights under ACT law.
However, civil unions and civil partnerships are not always automatically recognised for the purposes of some laws made outside the ACT.
There are differences between how couples in marriages, civil unions and civil partnerships ‘prove’ their relationship exists for the purpose of non-ACT laws. Couples who have married do not have to take extra steps to ‘prove’ their relationship status. A marriage certificate will automatically and conclusively serve as evidence of their relationship.
However, civil union and civil partnership couples could be asked to take extra steps to prove the extent of their relationship in certain jurisdictions outside the ACT.
The government last year promised to waive the marriage certificate fee for ACT couples in civil unions who chose to marry after same-sex marriage was legalised, as a celebratory measure. Couples who wed under the ACT’s short-lived period of marriage equality in 2013 are also able to have this fee waived.
There were about 80 couples in registered civil unions this time last year.
Gordon Ramsay announcing the new rainbow number plates. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos
But Mr Barr, who is also the Minister for Social Inclusion and Equality, said the government acknowledged there were couples in existing civil unions who may not want to take this step.
“As Australia’s most inclusive city, the government believes that we shouldn’t interfere with the relationship commitment these couples made to each other,” Mr Barr said.
Couples who do convert their civil unions to marriages have been warned that the transition may affect the validity of legal documents, like wills.
The ACT Public Trustee and Guardian has agreed to waive its fee for updating a will or enduring power of attorney that is, or could be, invalidated as a consequence of converting a civil union into a marriage.
Katie Burgess is a reporter for the Canberra Times, covering ACT politics.
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My friend fell prey to a married man’s lustful advances. He also stole her underwear: Ask Ellie – Toronto Star
Q: During my friend’s three-week stay with a married couple, the husband constantly tried to grab her butt and crotch whenever his wife wasn’t around.
Finally, he stole one of my friend’s underwear and wouldn’t return it unless she went to the basement and modelled thongs that he’d bought her.
My friend repeatedly told him she isn’t interested in him, she has a boyfriend. She’s adamant she won’t ever go back.
Since she didn’t tell her girlfriend (the wife) anything, what should she do? Similar things happened on a previous visit but the forced modelling is new.
Another time, the wife saw her husband grab my friend, then blamed her.
P.S. – Something similar happened when my friend was with another married couple, and when she did tell this wife, he was kicked out … but then the wife took him back and dumped my friend.
Concerned Girlfriend
A: Your friend should avoid that first man’s presence around her anywhere. He has no regard or respect for her, his wife, nor the women’s friendship.
She must refuse any further contact with him, which means not staying with that couple again.
She carries no blame for his behaviour, but she needs to learn to protect herself. Better to lose underwear than to have gone into the basement to satisfy the man’s gawking and lust.
That a similar incident happened to her with another man and cost her a friendship with his wife, is now too many experiences of this kind.
Discuss with her the obvious red flags she needs to recognize: Married men who leer at her or try to get close when she’s alone. She’s been too trusting.
In her case, the main reason she’s visited these married couples was her friendship with the wives. If the men had been true friends of hers, they wouldn’t have come on to her.
Tired of the drama
Q: My friend of 10 years is a drama queen who can be warm and generous, but always steals the “poor-me” limelight even when I’m the one with a serious problem.
Example: I lost my job several months ago so am living on a very reduced budget. She invited me out for a restaurant meal which felt very kind.
However, she whined throughout about being unable to afford the bigger, fancier car she wants and had to settle for another still brand-new car!
She and her live-in boyfriend have booked a two-week vacation south, and she’s also complained repeatedly that it means he won’t be buying the watch she wants for Christmas.
Yet, she calls pretty regularly to see how I’m doing, and brought a warm meal for us to share one recent cold night.
Unfortunately, her goodness comes with her dramas about what’s not perfect in her life.
I’m unsure how long I can take this during my low period. Even when working, my lifestyle’s much simpler.
Tired of Drama
A: You’re both getting something out of this friendship, so decide if it’s worth it to you. Maybe, despite not appreciating her “whining,” you actually like the keyhole view of the seemingly luxurious life she describes.
Or maybe, though you have less access to “stuff,” her neediness for it makes you feel stronger in character. Her complaints indicate that neither her boyfriend nor her accumulation of goodies are ever fully satisfying for her.
Frankly, I don’t know how you’ve put up with her materialistic chatter and hunger this long. Your choices are to either accept it, discuss it or end it.
Ellie’s tip of the day
Avoid a friend’s lustful husband. No free stay is worth risk to you physically/sexually, nor to the friendship.
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Ellie Tesher is an advice columnist for the Star and based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @ellieadvice
