<i> This is</i> Couples Court
with the Cutlers. [Judge Dana] This is the case
of Spillman versus Morris. You all had been together
as a couple for three years. You're living together. And, Ms. Spillman, you thought
you had found the one, but now you're questioning
the choice you have made. -Am I right?
-[Pearl] Yes, Your Honor. All right. Would you tell us
what's at stake today? Our relationship. I'll leave him if I find out
he's cheating on me. We've been together
for three years... Our spending time together
changed significantly. Like we used to go
to the movies, the beach, <i> -and all that stopped...</i>
-[Richard]<i> And why is that?</i> -...significantly. 'Cause--
-And why is that? -It takes two to tango.
-You should know. No, it's you. -This is all me, huh?
-It's you. -You.
-[Judge Dana]
Hold on, Mr. Morris. So, you're saying that
you all aren't interacting? How does it make
you feel though? [Pearl] I feel hurt. Like, I feel like my heart's -just been stomped all over.
-[Judge Dana] Oh. Like I'm a good person.
I'm a good woman. -And you're like--
-And what defines that? [Pearl] Yes.
'Cause I cook. I clean. Now, what behavior that
you demonstrate... -Oh, please. Whatever.
-...that decided that. -Whatever.
-[Judge Keith]
Okay. Mr. Morris... [gavel bangs] ...have you been cheating
on Ms. Spillman? -[Richard] No, sir.
-Okay. All right. How was your relationship
from your standpoint? It's rocky, but it's not
on the verge of shambles. -[Pearl] Yeah? Yes.
-It's not falling, you know. -[Pearl] It been fell...
-[Judge Keith]
So, how do you feel -about these accusations?
-I feel very indifferent. Truthfully, I feel very
indifferent because, like... -Hmm.
-[Richard] ...you know, she has no actual facts. -[Pearl scoffs]
-And I don't even know why-- how my help
got on that side, on her side, anyway. [chuckles] Please,
'cause they know. [Judge Dana] All right.
But here's the thing. -[Pearl] Mm-hmm.
-My mama said that people will tell you
exactly who they are. You just got to listen. -[Richard] Yeah. For sure.
-[Pearl] Exactly. And I was listening.
And what you said was... she ain't got no facts,
which is different... from, "I haven't done anything." -[Richard] Yeah. Well...
-Uh-huh. -[Judge Dana] And so...
-Ha! Yeah. -Ms. Spillman?
-[Pearl] Yes? He said there are no facts -to your allegations.
-[Pearl] Yes, there is. -What facts did you have?
-I was doing laundry. I found lip gloss. A female's lip gloss
in his pants' pocket. Was you doing laundry
or was we all doing laundry? Hold on.
Hold on, Mr. Morris. [Pearl] We're getting ready
for bed, -a condom fell out his pocket.
-[Judge Keith] Wait. Slow down. -[Judge Dana] Hold on. Hold on.
-[Judge Keith] Okay. All right. -Man, she is-- Okay. All right.
-She is, pop, pop, pop. Let me break that up. -You say you found?
-A lady's lip gloss... -[Judge Keith] Lip gloss.
-...in his pants' pocket. How did you find it? [Pearl] When I was
doing laundry. -You're doing the laundry.
-I checked the pockets. I found lady's lip gloss. -It wasn't no lip gloss.
-He said-- -[Judge Dana] Hold on.
-He said his lips was chapped. Now, I know female's lip gloss.
I don't give a damn. So, you found
a lady's lip gloss. -It wasn't your lip gloss?
-[Pearl] No, it was not. It doesn't belong to anybody
in your family? -No. No.
-[Judge Keith] Okay. And you're trying to figure out
why there's a lip gloss -in his pocket?
-Yes. [Judge Keith] Okay.
What else did you find? Wait, wait. I wanna find out
about the lip gloss. -Mr. Morris?
-[Richard] It was not no lip gloss. [Judge Dana] Okay. She found
something in your pocket. -What was it?
-A female friend of mine brought me some--
It's the skinnier version -of a Chapstick.
-[Pearl scoffs] It's a pineapple-flavored
Chapstick. -[Judge Dana]
Pineapple-flavored?
-Okay. Yeah. For say,
a lot of women will say, "Well, yeah,
I wasn't supposed to have this." -[Pearl] Full of it.
-Oh, your man gonna say... -Full of it.
-[Richard] ...but it was
from a friend so I kept it.
And I like pineapple flavor, so she got me
a pineapple Chapstick. What's not to like
about pineapple? [Richard] She got me
a pineapple Chapstick. -So it was--
-And how can-- -[Judge Dana]
So hold on. Hold on.
-How can somebody be... -[Judge Keith] Wait.
-Whoa! Stop. [Richard] I hear you. -[Judge Keith] All right.
-All right, wait. Na-uh! You telling everybody to wait. -Everybody in here wait.
-Everybody be quiet? -Okay.
-Ron, you got to be quiet, too. -Everybody be quiet.
-[Dana laughs] Here. Look, just--
You're saying that the... what Ms. Spillman
is calling "lip gloss" was a Chapstick for you. -[Richard] Yeah.
-Pineapple-flavored. It wasn't some other woman's. It was something that
had been given to you 'cause you had chapped lips? -Yeah. She bought it for me.
-Man, what man use pine... [Judge Dana] But it wasn't-- It wasn't lip gloss for a woman,
is that correct? -It was Chapstick.
-[Pearl] Uh-uh. -[Judge Dana] Okay.
-Pineapple Chapstick, flavor of Chapstick. -[Judge Dana] Okay.
-And the girl--
What you worried about... -[Judge Keith] But, Mr. Morris.
-...you didn't get it. -Mr. Morris?
-[bangs gavel] You said this woman
bought it for you? -[Richard] Yes.
-[Judge Keith]
So, that's the concern. So, you know, and he told you
this woman bought -this Chapstick for him?
-[Pearl] No. He's full of it. I was doing laundry.
The lip gloss came out. And he said he was
holding it for somebody. Now, when we're
getting ready for bed, a condom falls out his pocket. -[Judge Dana]
Is this a different day?
-Yes. -All right.
-[Pearl] He said he had purchased it for somebody. But we don't use condom.
We, you know-- we've been together
for three years, so we don't use condoms.
So, why are you holding a condom
for somebody else? You purchased a condom
for somebody else? -[Richard] No.
-[Judge Dana] Okay. -Tell me what happened.
-[Judge Keith] What happened? Me and my man
was hanging together. We was hanging out.
Kicking it. -We was riding all day.
-[Pearl scoffs] I said, "Yo, let me get
a lighter, bro." Off instincts, he just pulls
everything on his pocket. -Along came...
-A condom? [Richard stutters]
"Oh, my bad." No. Give me that.
I'll hold on to it. I'll hold on to it, too.
I got it. -[Pearl] Yeah. [laughs]
-I put-- What you need it for? Because that's what like girls hanging around,
and they see some lip gloss or they see a pair of shoes,
"Oh, let me hold these. Let me--"
Yeah. They do that too. And so, men have things
that they do too. -[all laugh]
-[Judge Keith] Wait. [Richard]
You know, I'm just saying. Let me use this.
No matter what it is-- -[gavel bangs]
-[Judge Keith] Hold on. Do men hold
each other's condoms? -No.
-Okay. I'ma ask you-- Men do not hold
each other's condoms unless they intend
on using them. Mr. Morris, your story is
that you were holding it for a friend.
You got it from a friend -and you...
-[Judge Dana] And Cutler, -that's a good friend.
-That's a good friend. Hold your wallet.
Hold my Chapstick... [Richard]
I gave the lighter back. -[all laugh]
-[Judge Keith] Okay. I gave the lighter back. [Judge Dana] You gave
the lighter back? Yeah. I gave the lighter back.
I gave the lighter back. All right.
Is there any other reason that supports your beliefs... -[Pearl] Yes.
-...about Mr. Morris' behavior? Yes, every morning
he's been getting up early, dressed to go to Buffalo. Talking about he's gonna
help a family member. And don't come back till like
one, two in the morning. [audience exclaims] Mr. Morris, why are you spending
so much time over in Buffalo
without Ms. Spillman? [Richard] Buffalo,
that's where I'm from. That's where my family at. [Judge Keith] Okay.
So she can't go
visit your family? [Richard] My family
has a business. I go over there to work
for my family. I come back home
at night to her. -Wow.
-Yeah. There are a few times where-- I didn't know I had a curfew anyway,
first of all. -Oh. Whoa.
-This is not my wife, secondly. -Oh. Okay.
-And I'm not her husband, thirdly-- I'm just saying.
I'm just saying. -[Pearl] That's all right.
-I'm just saying. -You wouldn't be my husband...
-I didn't know I had to... ...all the cheating
and lying you do. I didn't know I had to be
in the house before the lights -was off, I didn't.
-[Pearl] Oh, the light. -I didn't know that.
-[chuckles] And she's seen me at work.
She's seen me building a house. She's seen me.
She's seen me doing that. So, why would you come
around near-- There's nails falling.
There's plaster falling. There's roofing falling.
Shingles falling. And you wanna sit there
in the rain with me outside? That's not a woman's position
to be at her man's job. Period. So, are you sure
there's all this falling? -Okay. Wait a minute.
-You're not falling for -some other woman in Buffalo?
-Wait a minute. [Richard] I'm working.
She's seen me. No. No, Sir. No, Your Honor. -You have said some...
-I'm not falling... ...really crazy,
disrespectful stuff. So let me just-- -Let me just rewind.
-[Richard] She has too. No, no, no. You said, "I'm not married... and I didn't know
I had a curfew." Well, you are
in a relationship with her. You all are living together. Out of respect,
if you're gonna be coming in at one or two
in the morning, you call. So, that's one. And, number two,
just so you know, just so you know,
there is not any place -that a woman doesn't belong.
-[woman] That's right. If she can hang plaster,
she should be doing it. [Pearl chuckling] Ms. Spillman, you have
a witness here. -[Pearl] Yes, I do.
-Would you please stand, sir, -and come behind the podium?
-[Richard mumbles] [Judge Dana] Could you state
your name? My name is Larry Miller. [Judge Dana] All right.
Mr. Miller,
what is your relationship to Ms. Spillman and Mr. Morris? I been knowin' Mr. Morris
for five years. That's a good friend of mine. And Ms. Spillman is--
I'm engaged to her daughter,
Sierra Spillman. Okay. So you're
a future son-in-law? -Yes.
-[Richard]
So, that's a conflict. -[Larry] Yes.
-[Judge Dana] All right. [Judge Keith] But you're also
good friends with him? -Yes, I am.
-[Judge Keith] Okay. Have you witnessed anything
that Mr. Morris has done? [Miller] Well, I'm gonna say
about two to three weeks ago, we went to the beach.
He was down by the beach, the girls was up
by the picnic tables. He picked up some woman,
and was hugging her by the buttocks,
swinging her around down by the beach.
So, when I asked him, I'm like, "Who was that?" He was like, "Oh,
it's just a childhood friend." But me being engaged,
I know for a fact, that ain't how you supposed
to handle yourself in a relationship. -So I'm just--
-[audience applaud] I was kind of shocked myself
when I first saw it, but he slick with his tongue. He told me something
and I believed them, but now I figured out
that I really think that he is cheating on Pearl. But she's a good woman.
You know what I'm saying? And she don't deserve that.
She don't deserve it. So, you believe
that he is cheating? [Larry] Yeah. With the going out
at six in the morning, catching the first bus
to Buffalo, and coming back on the last bus, there's only room
for cheating with that. [Pearl] Mm-hmm. [Judge Dana] All right.
Thank you so much, sir. -Have a seat.
-Thank you, Your Honor. -I'm devastated.
-[Judge Keith] Mr. Morris? -[chuckles]
-Are you devastated? The woman on the beach.
Let's start there. You're on the beach. While you're supposed to be
there with your family, you going and meeting people,
picking them up, grabbing them by their buttocks,
is that what you're doing? [Pearl] Hmm? The girl is a little
taller than me... -[Pearl chuckles]
-...first of all. First of all, she is
a little taller than me. [Judge Keith]
So, it made it easy? -If-- No.
-[Pearl laughs] [Judge Dana] Did you just
say it made it easy? It didn't make it easy.
It was more accessible for me to touch that part
because of the height I am. She's very tall.
She's very tall. So, you know what? What am I
supposed to do here? I'm stuck between a--
What am I supposed to do? -Not grab her at all.
-[Richard] She's all over me. She's came to hug me.
Been a long time I ain't seen her. -You hug up here.
-[Richard] And the-- -Up here?
-[Pearl laughs] The event that we was at
promotes hugging. So it was permissive
for me to hug. [Judge Keith]
And it was permissive
for you to grab her by-- [Richard] Everybody literally, everybody, literally,
hugs each other when they each other.
There's no handshake. There's no hi.
There's hugging -and there's hugging.
-[Judge Keith]
Okay. So, Mr. Morris this, you know,
hugging-promoting event, you know, was it such
that you have to grab them by their buttocks
and pick her up off the ground? Because that's what
was described. -[Judge Dana]
It was National Hug Day.
-[Pearl chuckles] It was National
Something Else Day. Wait a minute. And I didn't get
my hug on Hug Day. -You owe me, man.
-All right. Turn around. -No.
-Oh. [audience laughing] Okay. [Judge Dana] Keep it going.
Keep it... So, it's your testimony
that you're not cheating? -Not on Pearl. No.
-[Judge Keith] All right. Ms. Spillman, now he says
you don't have any proof. -Yes, I do.
-[Judge Keith] Do you-- Have you found anything that makes you think
he's cheating? He was sleeping,
his phone had run off. I picked his phone up
and went into the kitchen. There was a text from Rachel
asking him to come over so they can have sex. [Judge Dana] All right.
And you submitted that -to the court?
-[Pearl] Yes, I did. All right. And it says, "Are you going to
come over and blank me tonight?" -[audience exclaims]<i>
-</i> [Judge Dana]<i>
And we know the word</i> <i> that was in there
meant to have sex.</i> -And you said it's from Rachel?
-Yes. -Okay. How do you know?
-[Richard] That don't fit-- -[Richard] 'Cause they seen me.
-My daughter saw them walking together. -[Judge Dana] Okay.
-And she had called me because she seen them two
go in her house. [Judge Dana] Did she see him
come out of the house? -[Pearl] No.
-So you're pretty sure -he was there?
-[Pearl] Yes. Oh, yes. Mr. Morris, why were you
at Rachel's house? It wasn't her house. See, they don't even know
where the girl stay at. Why were you in Rachel's house? [audience laughing] Well, I used to take
Rachel some things over to her house
from time to time. I know she liked me.
You know, who wouldn't? So, you're friends.
You hang out. You know, it was--
But everything innocent? Yeah. It's innocent. No. Yeah... [Judge Keith] And, Ms. Spillman,
you don't believe that? I don't think I got
that text message. I don't know--
I don't even know... [Judge Dana]<i> You don't know
about that?</i> [Richard]<i> That could be anybody.</i> -[Judge Dana]<i> Yeah.</i>
-[Judge Keith] It could be. Are you going to come over
and see me tonight? Well, there's
Ms. Spillman side. There's Mr. Morris's side. -And you know what?
-[Richard] No. Ms. Rachel Mitchell is here.
She's gonna tell her side. Ron, bring her in. -Ain't this spiffy.
-[Ron] Rachel. About to find the truth
out now. I bet you that. [Judge Keith] Would you state
your name please, -for the record?
-Yes. My name is Tajana Mitchell,
aka Rachel. [Judge Keith] Rachel's the name
you go by? -Yes.
-That's what people know you as? -Yes.
-[Judge Keith] All right. What is the nature
of your relationship to Ms. Spillman and Mr. Morris? Well, I known Mr. Morris,
for about five years. And we know each other
through mutual friends. And do you know Ms. Spillman? No. He never talked about her.
We never had any conversations. Any of that. [Judge Keith] You did not know
he was in a relationship -with Ms. Spillman?
-No. [audience exclaiming] So what? All right. So, Ms. Spillman's
daughter said that she saw
Mr. Morris coming to your place. -So--
-Maybe. She probably seen him creeping
out my house. I understand creeping
like sneaking out, -'cause he's been over there.
-Yeah. Yeah. Just quiet.
Like tiptoe. -[Pearl] Yeah.
-[Rachel] Yeah. Let me just ask you. Are y'all
in a sexual relationship? Hmm, yeah. I would say that.
Yes. Yes we are. [Judge Dana] So, you all
are having sex? -Mm-hmm. Pretty much.
-[Judge Dana]
When was the last time you had intimate relations
with Mr. Morris? -Two weeks ago.
-Huh. [audience exclaims] [Pearl] Mm-hmm. So, when you say creeping,
it's not just tiptoeing. Honey, not at all. -[Judge Dana] Not at all?
-Not at all. And you never knew
about Ms. Spillman? Never knew her.
Never seen her. -Don't know her.
-This is absurd. -[Judge Dana] Mr. Morris.
-I'm just as shocked all you is. -Huh. Wow.
-Trust and believe. I'm just as shocked. [Judge Dana] So, you're saying
this woman has come here and made this up? Pretty much. Yes. Pretty much?
What part has she made up? All of it. I have never had sex
with that woman. [Judge Dana] Have you--
Well, let me ask you this. -Have you seen her naked?
-[Richard] No. -[Rachel] Mm.
-[Judge Keith]
Has she seen you naked? Probably on Facebook.
Probably. -[Pearl scoffs]
-Or... Not on Facebook, honey. Not on Facebook, honey. -[Judge Keith] Ms. Mitchell?
-Not on Facebook. -You know, I--
-Me and her-- -Have you seen him naked?
-Yes, I have. -[Judge Keith]
Has he seen you naked?
-Yes, he has. [Judge Keith]
Have you all done sexual things? -[Richard] I don't recall that.
-Yes, we have. [Judge Keith] Kissing, hugging,
petting, oral sex? Yeah. That's why he had
the Chapstick. -[Pearl scoffs]
-[audience exclaims] -[Judge Dana] Oh.
-[Pearl] Mm-hmm. [Judge Dana] Is this the person who brought you
the pineapple Chapstick? I need them lips to be tasty
when I'm tasting them. Mm. Oh, yeah. Now, are you all
still neighbors? No. Not anymore. -[Judge Dana]
Where do you live now?
-In Buffalo. [audience exclaims] [Judge Keith] Oh. Okay. This doesn't make any sense. -You're busted.
-[Pearl laughs] -It's all out there.
You're busted.
-[Richard] I don't know... Cold busted. You need to be exposed
for your actions. -You can't even talk.
-[Rachel] Period. -[Judge Dana] Okay. Mr. Morris?
-[Judge Keith] Mr. Morris. -Where's that proven at?
-[Judge Dana] Mr. Morris. Do you want me
or do you want Pearl? I don't have to choose
between anyone of y'all. Neither one of y'all
is going anywhere. Neither one of them
is going anywhere. Oh. I'm going. Yeah.
I don't need to tolerate. [Richard] How is she going,
she's still here? I don't deserve it at all. Oh, I know
you don't deserve it. [audience applauding] It's a deal. Yeah.
I deserve better. [Judge Dana] Oh, you absolutely
deserve better. -Yes.
-She got the best right here. [Judge Dana] You know what?
I want you to be quiet. I don't-- Listen. Listen to me.
I want you to say nothing else. And, Ms. Mitchell, you need
to be kicking rocks, too. Yeah. It's over. Yeah. [audience applauding] This is [bleep] crazy. You are 40 years old. You are too old
to be acting like this. You're acting like
you're 20 years old. Your player days are done. -You're too old for this.
-[Judge Dana] Or not. At your age,
you need to be about the business
of building something. And right now, all you're doing
is tearing folks down. You need to cut that out.
Cut it out. As we say in this court room,
"Don't cheat yourself out of a chance for a happy
and a healthy relationship." -[Pearl] Yes.
-Court is adjourned. [Pearl] Thank you. [music playing]
