Shanique From The Ultimatum Shares Her Current Perspective On Relationships - Exclusive
Shanique Imari and Randall Griffin faced a pivotal moment in their relationship when it came to getting engaged. While Imari wanted to make that commitment, Griffin felt that there were things to work out individually before they got to that point. So Imari drew a hard line — that they either get married or break up. This conflict happens in many relationships, but the part of their story that is less familiar is how they decided to resolve it.
Imari and Griffin were one of six couples on the first season of Netflix's dating show, "The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On." In the series, all the couples are in the same dilemma where one partner is ready to get engaged, and the other isn't. To help them reach a conclusion, the original couples split and are partnered with somebody else from the group to live as a couple. The goal is to find clarity on whether they want to commit to their original partner, leave single, or leave with the new relationship they've formed.
Through the journey, the participating couples are forced to ask themselves hard questions and face difficult truths. Imari and Griffin shared what the experience was like for them and what they learned about their relationship in an exclusive interview with The List.
Shanique's views on relationships have shifted
Originally, Shanique Imari was the one who gave an ultimatum to her boyfriend, Randall Griffin. Going into "The Ultimatum," she hoped it would get her and Griffin on the same page so that they could move forward and get engaged. However, she didn't anticipate "forming the connections" she did and how difficult the experience would be for them emotionally.
In hindsight, Imari said her perspective on relationships had changed slightly. She still believes that it's "good to put your foot down and say, 'Hey, these are the things that I need from you. This is the way that I need you to show up for me. This is what I have planned for my life, and I want you to be a part of that. I want to build something together.'"
But there are other ways her view has shifted, and she's less certain than she was going into the show. "You have to look at yourself and figure out if you are even ready for what you're asking me for," she said. Regarding if she now thinks giving an ultimatum is a good or a bad idea in a relationship, Imari admitted she's "still torn on it."
The Ultimatum taught Randall to be more 'open'
Before going on "The Ultimatum," Randall Griffin "thought everything was good" in his relationship with Shanique Imari. Because he was satisfied with their situation and hadn't planned to go on the show, he struggled to take the experience seriously. "When I first got on the show, I really didn't come in as open as I should've, and that is something that I do regret," Griffin said.
After going through everything he did on "The Ultimatum," the biggest lesson Griffin learned was to be more open and receptive to what others were thinking. "If you're the only one that's so closed off, you're not going to get all of the knowledge from everybody else. You're going to be the one sitting in the corner, trying to be set in your own way," he said.
To anyone put in a similar situation where their partner challenged them to commit, Griffin advised that they "come in open-minded and understand that it's for the better. Some crazy things do go down, but it is for the better, not for yourself but also for your partner. If you are meant to be together, then things will stay [and] stand the test of time."
All episodes of "The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On" are now available for streaming on Netflix.