<i> This is</i> Couples Court
with the Cutlers. This is the case of<i>
Taylor v. Jackson.</i> You all have been together
seven years and married
for two years. Mr. Taylor, tell me
why you brought
your wife to court today. Well, I brought
my wife to court because I believe
that she is still cheating,
and to see if she's
still lying to me. 'Cause if she is, then this
relationship gonna be over. The marriage,
the family we had,
the lifestyle we had, is all gonna be over. And I don't know why
she would jeopardize that, knowing that we're all we had. Ain't nobody else backing us,
don't nobody else
supporting us, don't nobody else
help us with the kids. Don't nobody else help us
with our living arrangement
or nothing. This had become
so stressful to you that you moved out
two months ago? UMAR: Yes, I couldn't deal
with it no more. It was too many signs. I was catching her up
in too many lies. I couldn't do it no more. So I left until we get
this situation resolved. And if she is cheating,
I'm gone. And what hurt me most, every time I look
at this picture
right here, it's the fact
that at this time
in our life, everything was good. At this time
in our life, man, that was my best friend. That was my lover,
that was my homey. That was my other half.
We did everything together. And I feel like
that's jeopardized. And you are holding
onto that picture
like it's your last hope. Yes, it's all I have to,
like, remember. And I don't know why
she would do this to me, because she know how
valuable family is to me. Like, I was adopted.
I ain't have the chance
to really... Experience a real
good family life
like most people, so she know that that's
something I really wanted
structured in my life. She know that
that's a goal
I have in my life, is to build
and have a family. DANA: So your belief in that she's lying
and that she's cheating has literally driven you
from your home with her. Gone. Yes. DANA: And if you find out, in fact,
that she is cheating, you are not going back.
You're done. Oh, I'm done,
I can't do it no more, she have done this is the past,
this is a repeat and... A repeated thing, like... I don't believe
it's so much me no more, I think it's her,
that's just what she do. That's her behavior trait,
you know what I'm saying? But if she isn't cheating,
you're going home. I'm going home. You're going
to rebuild this family. Take my wife back,
take my kids back.
We gonna be a family. DANA: So, everything. (AUDIENCE SYMPATHIZING
AND APPLAUDING) So what you
telling this court. What you telling me
and Mr. Cutler? Is that your whole world
is on the line today. UMAR: On the line. Everything that we built
and had for the last
seven years. Everything that we have. (STAMMERS) All right. So, Ms. Jackson,
why are you in court today? I messed up my family
with my actions, because... As he stated, we don't have
a lot of family support... And our family is, like,
the only thing that we have. And we've been through a lot, and I don't wanna let that
go to waste. You want your family back. LAJOYA: Yes, your Honor. Do you love this man? Yes, your Honor. (AUDIENCE SYMPATHIZING) DANA: And so you're here trying to recoup
and bring that family
back together. Your goal is,
when you walk
out of here, you all are a couple going to rebuild
your family. Yes, your Honor. So, that means you haven't
been cheating, then... That's the only way
we gonna get back together. DANA: So you are here
to get back to the time
in that picture. LAJOYA: Yes, yes, your Honor. What were those times like? It was stressful, because... We were
in a financial deficit, but it's like I can look
up to that, like, "Wow, we been through this," and it made us so much stronger. If we can do that,
we can do anything. Just being there
to support each other when we had
nobody else. And doing
family outings... And when you talk
about the tough times, when you said that it
"makes you stronger," that spoke to me. Because we talk about... Well, there was a...
We went to law school together, and we were
broke law students. Even before then, we met
as poor college students. We were
real broke law students. And working through that,
it does make a couple strong, 'cause you figure,
if you can climb
that mountain, when you ain't got no money,
that's a tough mountain. When you can climb
that mountain,
you can climb anything. And when they just stick
through it with you you just know that they for you,
you know what I'm saying? DANA: Right. 'Cause you went through,
and ya ain't jump ship, or abandon ship
when it got hard and went somewhere
that was easier. You stuck through. DANA: That's right. So you made it through
the tough times. Why are you here today? What happened
to break the trust? UMAR:: I was coming
home from work and I walked
in the house, and the kids run up like,
"Hey, Dad. How you doin'?" I'm like, "Where Mom at?" "Mom in the back with a guy." (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING) And then the other one said,
"The guy name Josh." And then here she come,
running like a bat out of hell,
out the bedroom. And she like,
"Oh, hey, baby,
how you doin'? "Um, it's just me
and my friend..." I ain't never met the dude. "It's just me and my friend.
We just chillin'." At this point,
if I do got trust problems, it's because of your actions,
'cause, uh... Where'd y'all escape, I mean,
how did y'all leave the house? I swear they didn't walk out
the front door.
They hopped out the window. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING) 'Cause they didn't
wanna walk past me. All right. Ms. Jackson,
what happened? Your Honor,
he fabricated
that story. When he called me and told me
he was on his way home, I had warned him
that Josh was there. Nobody climbed
out of the window. So, Josh is
a friend of yours? Yes, Josh is
a friend of mine. Do you have some kind
of a relationship with Josh,
other than being a friend? Yes. (AUDIENCE GASPS) Last Sunday we got
in a big old argument. 'Cause she was out all night. And she came home at, like,
8:00 in the morning, and then... So I grabbed the phone and I heard her go up
in the bathroom
and lock the bathroom door, and she didn't know I had
the password to her phone, so I put the password
into the phone... Boom. I see that somebody
inboxed her from social media
a sex tape of her. (AUDIENCE GASPING) A sex tape of her? UMAR: Yeah.
That was a year ago. And even after seeing
that, man, I still forgave her
and still tried to work it out. How do you know
it was her
in the sex tape? She got her name on her booty. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING) DANA: Oh... You mean like a tattoo. UMAR: Yeah. Who was in the sex tape
with her? Was it this guy Josh? Yes, your Honor. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) KEITH:
Ms. Jackson, what happened
with this sex tape? Yes, that was me
in the sex tape. And, yes, that was Josh
in the sex tape. I feel like I was pushed
to the point of him... Uh, Umar, making me feel
like I wasn't worthy, making me feel like
everything I did was wrong, That made me feel like
I was nothing. You know you lyin'. You know you lying'. And to make
me feel like everything he was doing
for the family was better than
what I was doing. When I would break my back
and try to go to work, and try to come home
and be with the kids, he would complain
that he was doing
everything for the kids. But, yet, he was not working
or providing anything
financially. I wasn't? I wasn't? (OVERLAPPING CHATTER) All they (BEEP) for school... Wait! Mr. Taylor. Mr. Taylor,
watch your language,
please. I did more for the kids
than you though. (GAVEL BANGING) (MUMBLES) I'm telling you,
it's real though. I know you're upset.
I know you're passionate. But this courtroom
has rules. And you will have
to operate in those rules. Am I clear? Yes, you honor.
It won't happen again. DANA: All right. Mr. Taylor,
after you found
the sex tape, you all found
a way to make
your relationship work. Is that right? I forgave her. KEITH: You forgave her. Mmm-hmm. But that was
in the past, and once you forgive someone
for something in the past and move on,
you move on, right? No, sometimes, like,
it'd be situations that, like, a man
will text her phone. But he would text some,
like, illicit stuff. So, I'd bring up her
character, like... You can't be doing
that due to your history. from my previous mistakes. DANA: Ms. Jackson. Yes, your Honor. What did you do
to change? UMAR: Nothing. Yes, I was planning on... You know what I'm saying,
trying my hardest and putting
in my 100% effort into repairing things. But there were things
that he did that I did not find out
about until we were married. When I was down,
there was a point which was the beginning
of the relationship where I was down.
I was all for him. I was doing any
and everything
to be with him. Even stupid ignorant things,
such as fighting other women
for him, (OVERLAPPING CHATTER) And getting pregnant
with other people's babies... So what do I do?
Thought that you was
for me if you get pregnant
with other people's babies. Ms. Jackson,
Mr. Taylor. UMAR: During the time... Mr. Taylor. During that time, too.
Let it be known.
Tell the court. (GAVEL BANGING) DANA: Mr. Taylor. Do not make me throw you
out of here. But I will do it.
I love your passion. And I understand
you're fighting
for your family. But we have got to do this
in an orderly process. Yes, ma'am. DANA: So if you're not
gonna let us do that we're going to have
to put you out. I'm gonna try, your Honor.
I'm sorry. All right. So, Ms. Jackson,
your husband takes you back. Yes. DANA: You had a sex tape. Yes. The man from the sex tape
you have in your house again. Yes. DANA: How in the world are you trying
to do better
by doing that? How does she still want me
to trust her. Quiet. Your integrity
should've told you, "This man don't need
to be in my house. "I slept with him outside
my marriage." (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) So, Mr. Taylor,
you're now concerned that this guy named Josh
maybe popping up again. Yes. Well, there's the wife's story,
there's the husbands story, and then there's
the lover's story. And we have
the lover here. (AUDIENCE HOOTING) UMAR: Let's hear it. Oh, your lover's here. (UMAR LAUGHING) But I'm the husband though. Josh is here.
Would you please
escort him in? Yes, you Honor. (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) Now, we're going
to the witness stand.
I want you to stay... (WHISPERING SOFTLY) What do I look like
choosing you
if you choosing him. What you state
your name please
for the court? Josh Charles. Okay. Mr. Charles,
we've heard evidence
from Ms. Jackson and from Mr. Taylor
that there was a sex tape
involving Ms. Jackson. KEITH: Were you the man
in that sex tape? Yes, I was the man
in that sex tape. UMAR: Okay,
I already knew that. Yeah. You like my sloppy seconds? DANA: Mr. Taylor. (OVERLAPPING CHATTER) Hey, hey.
You got one more. Now you said you're here
to get the truth. I am. Well, then,
you gotta be quiet
to get the truth. UMAR: All right. Let us do our job. I'm happy he's seen it though. Because now he can move on
with his life
and leave her alone. Mr. Charles. Respond to
my questions, please. Yes, sir. Respond to
Ms. Cutlers' questions. Yes, ma'am. That's it. What is the nature
of your relationship
to Ms. Jackson? Oh, that's my girlfriend
right there... ...that's me right there. What? KEITH: That's your girlfriend. Yup. That's been going
since June 14th.
That's me right there. What? Does Ms. Jackson know
she's your girlfriend? Or is that your fantasy that
she's your girlfriend? I'm mean,
she's mine mentally,
physically... I'm feeding her body,
I'm feeding her mind, I'm feeding her soul,
I'm feeding everything. We've been going since
June 14th,
buddy, you messed up. It's on you.
You messed up.
Ain't no coming back. (BOTH) Mr. Charles. I'm a man.
She's my woman. CHARLES: That's mine. Yeah. That is it! You talk to the judges.
The judges period. You do not talk
to anybody else in the courtroom
except the judges.
Understood? I will take you out. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING) No problem. The judges only.
Same with you. Shut the mouths. Mr. Charles,
when was the last time that you were intimate
with Ms. Jackson? This morning. (AUDIENCE GASPING) (AUDIENCE MURMURING) DANA: Ms. Jackson. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) Ms. Jackson. Were you intimate with
Mr. Charles this morning? See her reaction. DANA: Quiet. Yes, you Honor. DANA: "Yes, your Honor." Yes, your Honor. Ms. Jackson,
you said you were here fighting
for this relationship. Do you see the inconsistency
with that statement and sleeping with this man
this morning before you show up
in my court? Saying I wanna be
with this man and build my family.
Do you see
that inconsistency? Yes, your Honor,
I see the inconsistency. (OVERLAPPING CHATTER) DANA: You know what?
We're not even here
talking about that. Because nobody
has sat up here
and testified they slept with him
this morning. It's deceitful too, you know.
These "intentions," you know. DANA: Okay, so, Mr. Taylor,
you have the truth. You came here
looking for answers
and you got answers. UMAR: Mmm-hmm. It may or may not
have been the answers you wanted, but you got the answers,
you got the truth. What do you want to do
with your relationship
with Ms. Jackson? I wanna end it. Life goes on. You chose,
you made your decision. I can't keep on trying
to rescue you
from your own decisions. You gotta live
with them. KEITH: So you all been together
for seven years. Seven years. And you were willing
to throw seven years away? I guess so. She made that decision
this morning. Ms. Jackson,
is there anything you need to say
to your husband? Honestly, I feel like
he just brought me here
to embarrass me. Your Honor,
that's what I feel
because... His word was
that if I came here, we would be back together. It wasn't if I...
Once he heard the truth, and I came here,
that we will be
back together. Not he will make his decision
based on how today went. KEITH: But, Ms. Jackson... That's not what he said. You can't...
You can't even believe that he was saying
that if you came
here today, and I found out you slept
with someone this morning, everything will be okay. There's no way
you could have
believed that. DANA: I don't know
what planet
you working from, but it's not Earth. That is not how
adult people process. UMAR: Look it up. (OVERLAPPING CHATTER) DANA: Mr. Charles. UMAR: I ain't got it. DANA: Mr. Charles. UMAR: Come see me.
Come see me. (OVERLAPPING CONVERSATION) I understand, brother.
I understand you pissed, and I would be, too. I know. (GROANS) But it ain't worth
you getting in trouble. You understand? UMAR: You right. I know, I know, I know.
You are right. DANA: Ms. Jackson... you've got
some big decisions
ahead of you. KEITH: Not just
about this relationship. You've got
some life decisions
ahead of you. And whether you're married
to him or not, y'all are together forever, 'cause kids
are forever binding. KEITH: This is
a volatile situation,
it's not working. You see the tension
between them. So, you gotta make
a decision. Do you want your marriage,
or do you want Mr. Charles? And that's a decision
only you can make. But you gotta make
that decision because from what
I'm seeing up here, you can't have both. Talk to our counselors,
as Ms. Cutler ordered, and don't cheat yourself
out of a chance for a decent relationship as you move forward
with your life and out of your co-parenting
opportunities. Court is adjourned. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
