In an episode of The Real last week, Jeannie Mai broke down her definition of submissiveness, saying she wants to “submit” to her fiancé, Jeezy, once the two are wed. Mai went on to explain that while she considers herself a “dominant woman,” submitting to her husband upon their marriage is an act she is eagerly awaiting. The talk show host caught a lot of heat for her comments, with people flocking to social media to express their disdain, saying the sentiments are demeaning to women.
Others came to Mai’s defense, saying her comments were misconstrued and arguing that a woman’s submission to her husband is not necessarily an admission of inferiority, but rather, simply letting the man take the lead in the relationship. Mai elaborated on her unintentionally controversial statements in an Instagram post over the weekend, stressing the importance of personal choice in the matter.
“By giving the power to have someone lead in your life is power in itself," she wrote. "The power to relinquish control. You ‘willingly submit’ not ‘forcibly submit.’”
Bennett Raglin/Getty Images
Mai also addressed the backlash in a Friday appearance on the Tamron Hall Show, saying, "Girl, I am 41. I don’t care what kind of pushback I get from other women out there." Appearing unbothered and firm in her beliefs, Mai made it clear she is not half as bothered by the public’s reaction to her statements as people seemingly are about her own relationship dynamic. Perhaps she's focusing her energy elsewhere, such as her current Dancing With The Stars stint.
Check out Mai's post, as well as the public's mixed reactions to her comments, below.
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