Mendeecees Harris‘ jail revelation to his wife, Yandy Smith, on the latest episode of VH1’s “Couples Retreat” that aired on April 26, had fans “side-eyeing” the father of four. In the clip, Harris revealed he was unsure if he would support Smith — the way she did for him when he was incarcerated — if she were to go behind bars. The couple addressed this issue alongside the insecurities within their relationship during a ring of fire ceremony with the show’s host and life coach AJ Johnson.
Harris claimed the couple’s biggest problem while he was in jail was Smith’s lack of availability. He felt Smith put him “on the shelf” when he started his prison sentence in 2015 for drug trafficking. Smith admitted that although it was hectic trying to run several businesses and take care of their young children she tried her best to respond to as many phone calls and emails the music exec sent — something Harris denied. Smith then brought up the many times Harris suggested she end the relationship due to her not being around when he would want her to be.
The conversation then led up to Smith asking Harris if the roles were reversed and she went to prison would he hold her down.
She said, “If the roles were reversed, would you hold me down?” Harris replied, “If the shoes were on the other foot, you know, I don’t know what I would be able to do.”
Smith responded with, “And that’s a problem.”
As the scene transitioned to Smith reflecting on Harris’ response during a confessional, the reality star broke down because her greatest fears were proven to be true after defending her husband from naysayers who claimed that he possibly wouldn’t do the same thing for her.
She said, “So Mendeecees finally admitted that he doesn’t know if he would have stayed if the roles were reversed. And that’s so hurtful because people have said to me, ‘You doing all this but would he do that for you?’ And I’ve always combatted with, ‘He would. We love each other.’ But to hear him sit here in my face and be like ‘I don’t know,’ that’s so unfair.”
Fans expressed their reactions to Harris’ response. A couple mentioned how Harris isn’t like rapper and “Love &Hip Hop” alum Shamele ‘Papoose’ Mackie, who held down the fort and took care of things on the home front when his wife Remy Ma was sentenced to jail in 2008 for assault charges.
“Girl Yandy you were boo boo the fool to think if the roles were reversed he would’ve done the same thing…like duh NOT! #vh1couplesretreat.”
“I feel sad for Yandy. Mendeecees gets the side-eye from here on out. #vh1couplesretreat.”
“Yandy should have left Mendeecees when he was in da penitentiary smdh ..he sound ungrateful af #vh1couplesretreat”
“I NEVER thought he rode for her like she did for him. But that’s Black Women always holding it down man…smh Papoose a different breed.”
Harris was initially given an eight-to-10 year prison sentence for drug trafficking in 2015 for reportedly shipping cocaine and heroin from New York City to Rochester, New York, between 2006 and 2008. He took a plea and began serving his sentence a year later.
Harris was ultimately released in January 2020.
