Temptation Island Season 1’s Shanté Glover Should Never Have Been Cast (Her Decision To Stay With Brion Whitley Is Too Controversial)
It’s usually not a good sign for a relationship if your partner asks you to appear on a show like Temptation Island. The crux of the show hinges on couples who are on the cusp of either breaking up or recommitting to each other, going to a luxurious island getaway, and being separated from their partner to see if they can withstand temptation. The show is designed to tempt, even stocking the island with 12 eligible tempters and temptresses to see if the couples can resist temptation and be faithful to their partners.
Shanté Glover and her boyfriend, Brion Whitley, appeared on Temptation Island, and they’ve been one of the season’s most controversial pairs. Viewers didn’t like how Brion treated Shanté, subjecting her to his flirting (and more) with the single women on the island. Of course, before appearing, Brion and Shanté were open about early infidelities in their relationship. After watching the entire season and knowing Shanté and Brion left the island together, I’m convinced Shanté should never have been cast. Reality TV is too much for her, and now Shanté is being subjected to the opinions of everyone who watches.
She Stayed With Brion Even Though He’s A Cheater
It Wasn’t The First Time He Strayed
Brion and Shanté decided to go on the show as a “final test” of whether Brion could be faithful to Shanté. As viewers would learn, he could not. Brion was openly flirting with multiple women on the island and then had an infamous threesome in the bathroom with two women. Brion, knowing Shanté would eventually see the footage, said, “Last night was a good night. I didn’t think I’d wake up with any regret or anything, and I don’t.”
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To make matters worse, when host Mark confronted Brion about his tryst, he doubled down on not regretting it. “I’m here because I love Shanté… In my opinion, I don’t need to make a case to her, I feel like I can go up there and apologize and she’s probably still going to stay. Because that’s a great woman right there.” I think there were many people in the audience triggered by Brion’s nonchalance over cheating on his partner, knowing she would take him back if he apologized.
I hope Shanté has a strong support system around her to help her navigate this relationship. They’d only been together a year when they went on Temptation Island, and if Brion has cheated before and then cheated again on camera, he’s most likely to cheat again. That can be a heavy emotional toll for Shanté. She’s probably living in a state of anxiety due to the stress of appearing on the show and staying with Brion after the cameras went down, so I’m hoping she is taking care of her well-being.
Brion’s Love Of Threesomes Is A Red Flag
Brion And Shanté Aren’t Compatible
Brion and Shanté each came to the table with different relationship desires. Brion was open about how he has a large sexual appetite and is sexually adventurous. He said he’s had threesomes in the past, and struggled with fidelity in other relationships. Shanté, on the other hand, met Brion at church. She’s a little more buttoned-up than he is, and she wants a monogamous relationship with him.
I’m not judging Shanté for staying with Brion. I know it’s complicated, but I wish she could see that she’s closing herself off to opportunities in other relationships that might be more fulfilling for her.
If she and Brion hadn’t gone on the show, for instance, they may have broken up, and she could be well on her way to meeting someone she’s more compatible with and someone who would never humiliate her on Netflix.
This Show Can Be Hard On People
Temptation Island Participants Have To Have Another Level Of Thick Skin
For all its hype and entertainment value, Temptation Island can also be hard to watch, especially for those who have experienced infidelity or who are in unhealthy relationships. I think the show would be hard for even the strongest couple, so I can’t imagine how Shanté feels when she watches it back or looks at the comments on social media. I’m not sure she’s cut out for reality television.
She and Brion skipped the unofficial Temptation Island reunion on Nick Viall’s podcast, The Viall Files, and although Nick said it was for work and not because they didn’t want to defend their relationship, I’m not convinced. If I were Shanté, I’d be hesitant about doing post-production press as well since it would be difficult to justify my decision to stay with someone who cheated. I hope Shanté is well and has a strong network of people who can support her during this time.
Temptation Island season 1 is available to stream on Netflix.
Source: Netflix/YouTube
