In this KARAMO episode, host Karamo mediates a volatile relationship dispute between Retta and JJ. Retta recounts meeting JJ on Facebook six years ago, quickly moving him from Georgia to Delaware, and entering a committed partnership. She describes discovering JJ’s infidelity when he vanished after a weekend trip, learning from an ex‑girlfriend that he had a quick sexual encounter. Retta later saw on Facebook that JJ (referred to as Jerome) married another woman in November 2021, despite repeatedly denying it when confronted. Over the next years Retta sold her home, moved to Augusta, Georgia, and financially supported JJ, while he shuttled between her and his wife. Their relationship remained ambiguous: they continued intimate contact into August 2024, Retta bought JJ groceries, and they claimed to be “still in love.” Karamo presents a timeline of events, attempts to unlock JJ’s phone, and brings JJ onto the show. JJ denies ongoing involvement, claims the relationship ended in 2021, and refuses to unlock his phone. The host shifts focus to Retta’s self‑esteem, highlighting her pattern of sacrificing security for love, urging her to journal and work on her self‑worth. The episode ends with Retta promising to do the work, while the status of the relationship remains unresolved.
Chapters
6 years ago, I met JJ through social media, Facebook.
Okay.
We hit it off real good. It was like love at first sight. We continued to talk over 3 months. Within 3 months, I moved JJ from Rensselaer, Georgia to Wilmington, Delaware where I resigned at. We were in a full-blown committed relationship that quick.
And when did you realize JJ was cheating on you?
He shared with me, 'cause he never asked me anything, he shared with me that he was gonna go home for the weekend. And you know, me being a girl from out of town too, I miss my family, I get it, you got kids, hey, you moved way up here with me, sure, you know, so I got him a ticket and I sent him home. The plan was to go be with his kids for the weekend and lo and behold, JJ disappeared the first night he got there. And that set me off.
Okay, no communication?
None. After a few hours, he fell off the face of the earth on me.
Did you think something would happen? Did you think he was—
No, I didn't think anything happened. So you knew he was just playing games? I said, "Oh, he's down there with some girl." Okay. Two days later, he got back. We had a wonderful time when he came back home. You know, he showed me he missed me. Well, lo and behold, he fell asleep and there go the cell phone. Facebook Messenger. So I was like, I'm not the type of girl that mess with the phone 'cause I'm scared of it. So this night I picked the phone up and I answered it. I answered it.
Who you talk to?
His ex.
His ex.
One of his exes.
Okay.
She pursued to tell me, I was like, why are you calling him? What's going on? And she said, well, he was just here with me. We slept together.
So he went home and slept with her?
Yeah, and she gave me all the little grimy details. It happened outside the mom house, outside of the car. He just wanted a quickie.
So why didn't you kick him out your house right then and there?
Because I loved him and I wanted something different for myself, Karamo, because I was just getting getting out of a three-way relationship with a married couple. And I grabbed onto him, I held onto him, 'cause I didn't wanna go back where I just came from.
Got it. But it sounds like that in saying that you didn't wanna go back to where you came from, it sound like you just repeated where you already were.
It feels like it now. I didn't see it then.
I hear that. What did you discover on Facebook Live?
Soon as I opened up Facebook, there was Jerome getting married to some woman I never seen, never knew, never knew existed because by then we were 3 years in strong.
3 years in?
Strong.
And he's getting married to another woman?
We got in an argument on October the 15th of 2021. He left to go home. For a few days to give us time to cool off. Well, October 15th, 2021, he left. In the midst of those little days and weeks he was gone, we continued to talk. I am kind of close with his mom. I communicated with her and then something went left because the mom came in my inbox and said, you keep thinking, Jerome be staying here at night and he don't be here, he be with his girlfriend and he finna get married. And I asked him, I called him after the mom shared that with me and I said, are you getting married? And he told me no, Karamo. He told me no a thousand times.
So when you saw the marriage on Facebook, did you confront him immediately?
Reached out to him, he wouldn't answer me. He then called my sister and told my sister, "Tell that B to stop calling my phone 'cause I'm married now." What?
And you said y'all 3 years in at this point?
Yeah.
And this little boy 38?
Yeah.
And you 60?
Yes.
Okay, I understand. When you say you gave your everything, what do you mean by that?
I met him, he had nothing.
Mm-hmm, I heard you moved him out, you bought him a ticket back, uh-huh.
Yeah, and after he got married, we continued to see each other. I never, never, never left.
Why?
'Cause I love him, I'm in love with him.
Okay.
I'm in love with him.
Okay, still?
I'm in love with him.
Right now?
Right now.
Okay. Okay. So what'd you do?
I sold my home and moved to Augusta, Georgia while he was still married to this girl off of the account that he would get a divorce when I got there.
And when you moved there, what did he do?
He continued to go back and forth between me and her.
So he didn't get the divorce?
He never got a divorce until the very end of it.
And how long ago was that?
He's been divorced now, I wanna say about 5 or 6 months.
Did you ever hear from his wife?
Me and his wife are best friends today.
Girl, you playing now.
No, I'm not.
You just said you was in a situationship, a throuple before. I'm still confused why you friends with either of them. I am, I'm confused why you friends with either of them. He got married. He got married while he was in a relationship. You do know that, right? No? Okay, girl. So when was the last time you and JJ were intimate?
August the 24th, 2024.
So a couple months ago. Mm-hmm. And when was the last time you saw him?
August 24th of 2024.
So are y'all in a relationship right now?
I don't know what the hell you, I mean, I don't know what to call it.
Now you can be real 'cause I don't know what the hell to call it either. You can be real.
I don't know what the hell to call this, Karamo.
Okay. 'Cause there is so much to unpack here. My producers who can be shady sometimes said they made a timeline. Let me see this timeline y'all done made. Okay, so this is what happened. JJ moves in after meeting online. October, he visits his family in Georgia. Then November 2021 is when he marries another woman. Then 2022 is when you sell the house to be with him. August 24th, you two are intimate. And then 3 weeks ago, you visit JJ and buy him groceries.
Yeah, when I left Augusta, Georgia, I just couldn't take it no more. I was like, I'm the hell outta here. This is it. So I left Augusta, Georgia August the 28th and I came back to Wilmington, Delaware where I reside now. He then left Rensselaer, Georgia and moved to Hampton, Virginia with his cousin. We continued to talk. He asked me to come see him. I agreed to go down and see him 'cause I'm still there, I'm still in, I'm not out. So I go down there and I buy him groceries I buy him clothes, I get his haircut, I get him groomed.
Okay, so you asked our Unlock the Phone investigator to unlock JJ's phone 'cause you want to know if JJ was talking to other women, how JJ really feels about you, and if JJ will take this relationship seriously, correct?
Correct.
I think it's time to welcome JJ to the show to hear his side of the story. So everyone, please welcome JJ.
How y'all doing?
Hey, JJ, what's up? What's going on?
I don't know. Why am I on this show anyway?
Because y'all called. I ain't call. Well, she called and you accepted the invite. So what's going on?
I don't know what's going on.
Do you agree with the way Retta describes your relationship? That you were in a healthy, you were not healthy, excuse me, misspoke. That you were in a relationship for 3 years, then you lied and got married to another woman, and then you left that woman to be back with her?
I mean, I ain't lie about anything.
Okay, so you were telling her that you're not together?
I mean, yeah, I done told her that.
Okay. Did you ever have feelings for her?
Yeah, in the beginning.
Okay. And what happened?
I mean, we separated and I moved on.
Okay.
That's not true. What? That's not true.
Well, give me your version then.
What happened was—
Well, not your version. I know your version. I need JJ version.
I mean, she was tearing all my stuff up, kicking me out, just doing all kind of crazy stuff, so I moved on.
Were you doing that?
Yeah, 'cause he was in my house cheating on me.
Okay.
And I had evidence to prove it.
Got it. So did you see this timeline that we have of y'all relationship? You agree with this timeline? 'Cause it sound like you're saying that that's not accurate. So did you move in after meeting online in 2019?
Hold on, so who?
2019, at the top.
2019.
Did you move in?
Yeah, 2019, y'all moved in.
Okay, and then October 2021, you visit your family in Georgia? No.
Yes, you did.
I moved home.
You moved home.
You went to visit.
I ain't went to visit, how you gonna tell me?
You still had clothes at my house.
Hold on, we got moving graphics up? Yeah. Okay, hold on. They don't tell me what's happening here, 'cause I'm like, "What?" We broke up. So you broke up in October 2021? Yes.
So you telling me when you left my home on October 15th, 2021, that me and you was not in a committed relationship?
Yes, we were, and you know why we were, because I called and asked you, "Was you getting married?" And you told me no.
I ain't talk to you.
You did! Stop lying, that's why we're here today.
That ain't why we're here today, you here—
It's okay!
But stop leading me on and stop playing with me, my money, my heart.
I ain't leading you on nothing.
Yes, you are.
Well, November 2021, you married another woman?
Yes.
Okay. And then May 2022, she sold her house to be near you? Yes. Okay. And then August 2024, were y'all intimate?
No, sir. I don't know nothing about that. We wasn't together.
Whoever's in the booth, y'all quick with the red lines and everything. I appreciate it. Okay, so what happened in 2024?
What happened?
Yeah, what happened? August 2024 then, so y'all weren't intimate. Did y'all see each other during that time?
No, sir.
Okay, and so then 3 weeks ago, did she buy you groceries?
Yeah, she came down to visit.
Okay, okay. Did you ask her for money?
I mean—
Every day.
Every day. And you better not lie. Every day.
I don't know nothing about that right now.
Every day I give you. Every day you call me, I'm there for you. Anytime you need anything, I'm there for you. Don't you dare act like I ain't your backbone. Don't you dare.
This the thing right here. I can already track behavior. I know you do use women. So I already know that. Listen, we unlocked your phone, JJ. So, well actually, hold on, actually, my producer tell me we actually did not unlock it. You gonna unlock 'cause you have a confession.
Red, I'm not unlocking my phone, period. We are just friends. Our relationship ended 2021. We will never be in a relationship ever again. I appreciate everything you done for me, but I'm moving on.
Ooh.
You already did. You already did. JJ, what has been happening the last 3 years?
I mean, we wasn't together in the last 3 years.
Okay. You got your answers?
Yes, I do.
Okay, so I'm gonna ask you this, 'cause this whole thing right now, talking about you in love with this little boy right here is silly. I'm gonna ask you really quickly. So at what point did your self-esteem get broken that you felt like this is what you deserve? Because that's the real question we gotta talk about here. Because all these antics, all I heard was either a young woman that was hurt, never healed, and also you think you're his mama. That's what I heard both times. Like, don't do this. I'm not on your side.
I'm just saying, I'm just like—
I ain't on your side. I ain't on your side. You use women and you do some deceitful stuff and you gotta grow through that. You understand?
I'm saying I don't use 'em.
So I'm gonna ask you again, at what point Did your self-esteem break that you stopped understanding what you deserve?
I don't know.
Okay, so that's the first place we gotta start.
I don't know.
Because for any grown woman who, I see the passion, I understand the hurt, but the choice to sell your house was not a JJ choice, that was a you choice. And that is a choice, that is a choice of somebody who doesn't understand their own worth, their own security, what they have to do for themselves. If you could easily give up your own security for a man because you love him, that tells me something about your emotional and mental state. And that's what needs to be fixed. And until you face up and say you gotta do that work, this gonna keep happening. And I really need you to buy a journal and journal from the age 5 and up. What were the moments that you felt that life told you you didn't deserve better? Can you promise me you'll leave here and go do the work?
I promise you.
Please.
I promise you.
Well, I wish you the best of luck, seriously. And you need to get it together, and you know you do. I wish you the best of luck. Thank you. All right, everyone, thank you for being with us. Make sure to come back next time, friends, so we can keep talking and growing. I love you all.
Goodbye.
Oh, yeah, there we go. Goodbye. I actually believed. Did y'all feel it? You felt it, right? It was like the calmness and clarity. She said goodbye. I believed it.
