The article that follows makes reference to drug abuse, domestic abuse, and issues with mental health.
The reality TV genre has embraced “Love After Lockup” since it made its debut in January 2018. The programme follows the lives of couples who started dating while one of them was incarcerated. When the prison partner is freed, the challenge for these couples is to attempt and manage their budding romance in the real world. According to a press release from the WEtv network, the breakout series was the “fastest-growing new cable reality series for 2018.”
The popularity of the programme has increased even after the emergence of two spinoffs, “Love During Lockup” in January 2022 and “Life After Lockup” in June 2019. Season 4 of the programme will premiere in March 2022. Which couple will succeed and which couple won’t? may be the question viewers ask themselves most frequently because the original series’ principal draw is the unusual circumstances under which the couples met.
To find out where some of the most well-known couples from “Love After Lockup” are today, let’s look back at their pasts.
Amber Eggers, Vincent Gonzalez, and Puppy Deaton
When Amber Eggers began dating Vince Gonzalez, they were both detained together with Michelle “Puppy” Deaton (pictured). At first, they appeared to be a promising and compatible match, but following her release, Amber and Vincent’s first kiss, which they both agreed was “awkward,” and their lack of chemistry in person painted a different tale. Additionally, according to Heavy, Amber’s seeming ambivalence regarding Vincent was apparently brought on by a sophisticated ruse she devised on him with her mother and her on-and-off companion, Puppy. Vince was aware of Puppy and how she and Amber called each other “wifey,” but he had no idea what they were planning.
Screen Rant summarised what happened: “After using Vincent to buy a new mattress and even secure a comfortable life for herself and her former captive, Puppy, the two split.”
After Vincent was gone, Amber went on, finding a job, getting an apartment of her own, and working hard to stay on the right path. Following her release, she was reunited with Puppy, but Puppy’s attempts to mend their bond outside of prison proved difficult. Amber ended her relationship with Puppy as a result of Puppy’s apparent lack of desire to avoid trouble and her refusal to report herself for breaking her parole.
Amber is content these days to lead a moral life, but Puppy was regrettably detained in 2021 on suspicion of stealing and drug trafficking. Vincent continued his relationship with Jerita and declared their engagement in 2020. However, they broke up after a domestic violence episode that fall, which led to Vincent’s incarceration.
Angela Ables and Tony Wood
From Grenada, Mississippi, comes the mental health therapist Angela Ables. She and her partner, prisoner Tony Wood, were among the first characters the audience met in the first season of “Love After Lockup.” The two didn’t begin dating in the real world until Season 2 after Tony’s official release from jail, despite the fact that they remained in touch throughout Season 1 as Angela prepared for Tony’s entrance into society. Many of Angela’s family and friends had doubts about Tony because they thought he was taking advantage of her for financial gain. Nevertheless, Angela and Tony were wed in a “Life After Lockup” episode despite the objections.
The joy of their marriage, however, was regrettably short-lived because of Tony’s alleged infidelity and deception. Angela frequently questioned her partner about alleged affairs. They have subsequently broken up, but as of this writing, they are still not legally married. In January 2022, the on-again, off-again pair provided WE tv with an update on their relationship, at which point Tony said that he was “currently separated from Angela and working on a divorce.” According to Angela, she paid off more than $10,000 of Tony’s debt both while he was imprisoned and afterwards “Tony has received enough of my money. Tony can afford the darn divorce if he so chooses.”
Andrea Edwards and Lamar Jackson
During Season 1, audiences first encountered Andrea Edwards and Lamar Jackson, who were similar to Angela Ables and Tony Wood. While Lamar was serving a sentence for armed robbery, this “Love After Lockup” couple first corresponded via letters. They had a daughter together, Priscilla, who was born in a jail broom closet because the couple wasn’t wed at the time. Because of her fervent Mormon beliefs, Andrea kept this a secret from her family and friends for many years. She and Lamar were formally married in a conventional ceremony at their home in Los Angeles once he was released from jail and went on to appear on “Life After Lockup.”
The family relocated to Los Angeles, which Andrea seemed to dislike a lot, as a result of Lamar’s refusal to go to Andrea’s home state of Utah owing to his parole terms and his concerns that there weren’t enough Black people in the area. They have overcome a number of difficulties—from Andrea’s lack of feeling safe in Los Angeles to her problems with Lamar’s oldest daughter from a previous relationship to their differing religious beliefs and relationship expectations—and have made progress with their communication and trust concerns.
Andrea and Lamar, who are still together as of the time of this writing in 2020, spoke to Screen Rant about how they were handling the COVID-19 lockdown. Lamar stated that their relationship’s difficulties were overcome via “effort, patience, and time” and that the length of their union in comparison to other “Love After Lockup” couples made them feel “like a success.”
Caitlin Gainer and Matt Frasier
Caitlin Gainer and Matt Frasier seem to best represent the challenges and difficulties couples encounter on “Love After Lockup” than any other couple. Caitlin was certain that Matt was the one for her after viewing his photos in a Craigslist ad. Caitlin was determined to give the relationship her all even though Matt had spent the majority of their courting behind bars and had only spent about 30 hours with her before his release.
Sadly, as Caitlin began to recognise Matt’s actual nature, her dreams were immediately dashed: the reality check she didn’t anticipate was his apparent inability to get a job and an apartment.
Not long after being freed, Matt was arrested once more on suspicion of having a stolen car. When Matt’s primary concern seemed to be whether Caitlin would bail him out rather than what steps he would take to improve his behaviour, Caitlin felt increasingly upset with him. Caitlin ultimately ended things with Matt because of his alcohol and meth usage, which was yet another problem in their relationship in addition to his recidivism and “Peter Pan Syndrome.”
She has since moved on and seems to be dating Jake Bohl, a male, in a happy, better relationship. But Matt has become into a habitual offender: His most recent legal troubles, after several arrests, were eight accusations, including first-degree assault and burglary, according to Starcasm. He received a sentence of about 38 years in jail in February 2022.
Cheryl Childers and Josh Hyatt
Cheryl Childers first got in touch with Josh Hyatt while working on a school assignment regarding serial killers. From there, their correspondence developed into a committed relationship. Even though Josh and Cheryl had been dating for two years by the time of his release, they had trouble integrating as a pair in the outside world. Josh was not well liked by Cheryl’s family, and his mother’s evident contempt for Cheryl only made matters worse. This “Love After Lockup” couple ultimately broke up in a 2020 episode, making it seem as though they didn’t stand a chance of surviving.
Josh called Cheryl “crazy” and “delusional” on social media in addition to telling cameras that their “relationship ha[d] gone up and down every day for the entire time [they’ve] been together.”
In response, Cheryl remarked in a talking head, “Josh was still entirely focused on us even after his release. He gave me royal treatment. You are the one woman who has ever been there for me, he repeatedly assured me. And now that he’s out of jail, he… [doesn’t] need me.” Additionally, she claimed on Facebook that Josh was involved in an incestuous relationship with his mother.
Since then, according to the book’s Amazon blurb, Josh has acquired a puppy he calls “[his] new daughter” (via Screen Rant) and written “a narrative about street justice” titled “Message in Blood.” After her own brief romance, Cheryl seems to have turned her attention away from dating and toward her kids.
Clint Brady and Tracie Wagaman
During the second season of “Love After Lockup,” Clint Brady and Tracie Wagaman made their debut. Since then, they have established themselves as one of the show’s most captivating couples. 24 hours after Tracie’s release from prison, they got married. The following morning, Tracie had vanished along with his credit cards, phone, and rental car, putting an end to Clint’s fantasy. Clint confessed to his mother over the phone that it was “motherf***ing crack” at this point, which has become one of the series’ most famous quotes.
Tracie eventually served another sentence in jail before being freed. She and Clint even tried again, getting remarried in Las Vegas in 2019 according to Starcasm. The pair, however, went through a series of ups and downs that, in part because of Tracie’s substance abuse, resulted in their separation the following year.
Clint moved to Ohio after going through his own difficulties with alcohol and drug usage and spending time in jail for DUI and operating a vehicle while his licence was suspended. He is dating Genevieve Bailey as of the time of this writing. In the interim, Tracie relocated to Las Vegas and began dating fellow prisoner Lucas Loera, with whom she had a kid. Sadly, according to People, Tracie passed away at the age of 41 in July 2021, only one week after giving birth to their baby. She also had atherosclerotic heart disease. Methamphetamine poisoning was the unintentional cause of her death.
John Miller and Kristianna Roth
On a dating site for inmates, John Miller and Kristianna Roth connected. After Kristianna was released from prison, John married her in a Native American ceremony, over the objections of his oldest daughter. However, Kristianna’s parole conditions stipulated that she must check into a halfway house right away, so their happy marriage was short-lived. Kristianna broke the terms of her parole when she returned to using drugs and fled the halfway home. As a result, she was sent back to prison.
After Kristianna served her most recent sentence, John and she appeared on “Life After Lockup,” where they was wedded in a Western ceremony, realising Kristianna’s wish to wear a white gown and have her son there. Before Kristianna was seen leaving the residence with a stranger, the two seemed to be getting along well. Before John told the producers, she had been missing for two weeks. He appeared genuinely upset and worried that she would relapse.
Kristianna and John eventually got back together, and, according to her Facebook page, they were still a couple by early January 2022. But after learning of their breakup, she later changed her relationship status to “single,” and John deactivated his Facebook account, adding, in part, “It’s just too confusing” (via Starcasm). Around this time, Kristianna’s followers started noticing that she was selling arbitrary stuff on her page. In February 2022, it was discovered that she had been detained for second-degree burglary. As of this writing, it is unknown if she is currently incarcerated because a tentative release date or supervision release date has been set for 2023.
Lacey Whitlow, John Slater, and Shane Whitlow
While John Slater and Lacey Whitlow (pictured) were high school sweethearts, their relationship struggled constantly as a result of his drug usage and incarcerations. Even though they were engaged, Lacey found John’s obvious need for control, even when he was incarcerated, to be problematic and she started seeing another prisoner, Shane Whitlow. At Lacey’s house, where he was paroled after his release from prison, Shane and Lacey kept up their romance.
Fans will remember how Lacey wavered between the two men throughout the series, which resulted in countless dramatic arguments and confrontations. However, she ultimately decided for Shane, ending her romance with John. According to Life & Style, Lacey and Shane later got married and had a daughter in March 2021, which was shown on the spinoff “Life After Lockup.” She eventually voiced regret for marrying Shane, though, since she became concerned that he might have been having an affair. The rough ups and downs of their relationship were then depicted on television for the benefit of the audience. According to Screen Rant, Lacey briefly reconnected with John before deciding to give her marriage to Shane a fair chance, calling their union a “trial and error” process.
In a now-deleted Instagram post from December of that year, Lacey stated that Shane was “lost” and that he was discovered “mentally impaired” 24 hours later (via InTouch). Soon later, Lacey shared a video of the couple’s daughter with the remark, “I’ll always be here even though we aren’t together,” as a confirmation to Shane.
Marcelino Santiago and Brittany Santiago
One of the most prosperous couples in the franchise is Marcelino and Brittany Santiago. They were first featured in Season 2 of “Love After Lockup,” and since then, they have won viewers over. Brittany had a less than ideal childhood because she was abandoned and had experienced trauma. She was allegedly used to conduct crimes for people who didn’t have her best interests at heart by grownups in her life who took advantage of her. She spent several terms in prison as a result of poor choices, and it was there that she first met, fell in love with, and eventually wed Marcelino in 2018.
Audiences found their married life to be highly captivating as they dealt with many difficulties. This duo always provided viewers with something to look forward to, whether it was Brittany’s custody struggle with Tito, the father of her son Giovanni, or confronting her mother. They’ve also experienced a few joyous occasions. Their relatability is what appears to have captivated fans with their love tale. These two have shown how to take advantage of second chances and maximise your prospects by overcoming challenges through their love for one another and a shared commitment to their family.
As at the time of writing, Marcelino and Brittany are still together and have three kids. One Woman’s Journey: Surviving the Streets is a memoir that Brittany wrote while pursuing a career in real estate. She and Marcelino have discussed ideas for an inpatient/outpatient centre for formerly incarcerated people that would offer mental health services, education, and job training.
Michael Simmons, Sarah Simmons, and Megan Nash
Although there have been a few three-way romances in the franchise, Michael Simmons, Sarah Simmons, and Megan Nash were the original “love triangle” of “Love After Lockup.” While behind bars, Michael, who was legally wed to Sarah (seen in the picture), started dating Megan. According to Reality TV World, Michael continued to have relationships with both women after his release, becoming Megan’s first-ever lover and having a second child with Sarah. Michael was detained once more when he was late for a meeting with his parole officer while seeing Megan. Sarah, who is his wife, learnt about Megan’s existence when she received the news of the arrest, which sparked an argument.
On “Life After Lockup,” viewers would subsequently witness a back-and-forth between the three. Despite their repeated declarations to the contrary, Megan and Sarah seemed unable to resist Michael’s allure. In the end, Megan and Michael called it quits, and she has now moved on to a new relationship. But the bond between Michael and Sarah is a little more nuanced. The two don’t seem to be together as of this writing, but according to Soap Dirt, they have continued to co-parent their two children despite Michael’s repeated travels to prison and Sarah’s attempts to move on. After completing her studies, Sarah wrote the following remark on Instagram in October 2021 “Everything I need is here, and it just seems perfect. Make my spirit whole, forgive me, and clear my guilt.”
Rachel and Doug Howard Jr.
In the movie “Love After Lockup,” Rachel and Doug Howard Jr. were married while he was still incarcerated, and Rachel still has custody of Dougie. Following his release, Doug moved in with Rachel, and things started to slowly fall apart. The pair had issues due to Doug’s apparent tendency toward control and his decision to give harsh love to his son rather than using a more nurturing approach.
Rachel learned from Doug’s sister during a family gathering that he will eventually cheat on her because it’s apparently in his nature. Unfortunately, Doug’s adultery led to the breakup of the couple, proving that the warning was accurate. Considering the relationship no longer as a “Knowing that I never had a relationship, never got married, and never gave it a chance is the hardest part, she said WEtv producers. He had no feelings for me, that much is clear to me.”
According to Screen Rant, Rachel alleged that throughout the couple’s brief marriage, Doug had been having extramarital affairs. Doug was arrested once more in August 2021 for allegedly selling drugs and resisting arrest as his son moved out of the home. Doug has since begun a new relationship. According to Starcasm, he was accused of 11 felonies in all as of November 2021. In accordance with the terms of their official divorce, Rachel is currently Dougie’s legal guardian. Doug, though, has recently started a custody dispute.
Shavel Moore and Quaylon Adams
During the latter two years of his 12-year prison sentence, Shavel Moore met Quaylon Adams. The two discussed their aspirations to get married and start a family while they were incarcerated. After his release, Quaylon agreed to go in with Shavel in Kansas City, Missouri, but he also promised the same thing to his mother, who resided in Houston, Texas. After serving time in prison since he was 17, viewers could observe Quaylon beginning to show indications of disengagement from Shavel. He said on “Love After Lockup” that he was “still adjusting [to] being around Shavel 24/7.” To make matters worse, both of their families appeared to encourage the couple’s already developing problems by telling them not to take things too seriously.
Shavel quit the relationship after seeing text messages between Quaylon and another lady on Quaylon’s phone and feeling increasingly distant from him. After some time apart, they got back together, and Quaylon proposed, much to DMark, Shavel’s cousin’s displeasure. When Quaylon discovered text messages between Shavel and another man on his phone, which appeared to be from before they were dating, the relationship came to an abrupt conclusion.
Quaylon revealed that he and Shavel were not dating but rather were “in a stage in our life where it’s wobbly and we’re trying to sort it out” in an interview with “The Domenick Nati Show” in February 2021. The following month, Shavel made the announcement of their engagement while promoting her book “Jail Lies” on Power 105.1, adding, “It’s not easy but we’re taking our time.”
Shawn Osborne, Destinie Folsom, and Sara Isaac
Shawn Osborne and Destinie Folsom’s relationship (pictured) had a shady beginning. After just nine months of dating, Shawn said that she was the “love of his life,” according to Heavy. But because they had never really met, Destinie had convinced Shawn’s pals that she was “catfish[ing]” him. When Destinie moved in with Shawn after receiving her release, their relationship officially came to an end. Destinie demanded use of Shawn’s credit card, acting as though she was in need of money despite having already paid $50,000 for her release.
Despite this, the two got married, but things took a turn for the worst when Shawn introduced Destinie to Kelly, the mother of his six kids. Shawn supported Destinie during the ensuing heated argument, telling Kelly (via the Daily Mail), “Destinie and I are together. We’re married. There will be an end to this because we are getting married.” The couple’s relationship ended as a result of their unresolvable problems, despite their efforts to present a united front.
During “Life After Lockup,” Shawn started dating Sara Isaac, another prisoner who he had also met in person after her release. Shawn and Sara’s relationship grew even though they initially had difficulties of their own, such as the fact that they both withheld crucial information about their pasts. Starcasm announced in 2021 that the pair, who had been married legally on August 24 of that year, was expecting their first child together. Prior to deciding to live with Shawn only, Destinie met Jason while incarcerated and later got married to him.
