‘The Ultimatum’: Shanique Says She Gave Randall an Ultimatum Out of Fear of Being a Single Mom
Netflix’s The Ultimatum turned out to be a massive hit. Out of all of the couples who put their relationships to the ultimate test, Randall and Shanique were fan favorites. But the reason she says she decided to be on the show was nor that she felt 100% ready for marriage. Instead, it was to avoid her fear of being a single mother.
She says she feared being a single mother and felt an ultimatum would prove Randall’s loyalty
Despite the perception of the show, Shanique says she never sought out a show that centered around her having to give her partner an ultimatum. The 26-year-old said that she and Randall were approached about being on the show and didn’t discover the concept until shortly before filming.
She does admit that she reached a crossroads in her relationship with Randall and felt that he’d become too comfortable. But the reason she opted to go along with the ultimatum plot was for an unrelated reason.
“In our relationship, I could probably count the amount of times that we used protection…And, to be totally candid, one of my biggest fears was, or is, becoming a single mom, just because I saw how that affected all the women in my family,” she told BOSSIP in a recent interview.
She continued: “And that was just something that was kind of one of those generational curses, if you will, that I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t falling into. And being that we were in the kind of relationship that we were in, I thought it was important for him to be intentional about those things and just not leave it up to chance. So I think I saw that as my person. I knew I loved him and I knew I could see a future with him and I was sure about those things, and I needed him to be sure. And my way of you showing me that at that time, was you proposing.”
The couple split for six months after filming
Despite becoming engaged during the season finale, Shanique says they continued to have major problems that she couldn’t ignore. As a result, she ended things with Randall. More than anything, she felt Randall was content with being engaged and not moving forward with any planning or real change.
“I felt like after the cameras went away and after we just walked away from the experience, he’s like, “Well, she got the ring. We’re good, we’re happy. And everything should be fine now!” And I didn’t feel that way, 100 percent,” she said. “At that point I was like, “You know what? I’m still realizing that it’s not just about the ring but about the other part of the ultimatum, right? Like you choosing me, ending up for me, you knowing that I’m your person and choosing me every day.”
Why she decided to give Randall a second chance
When Shanique broke things off with Randall, for her, it was a final goodbye. But she says Randall did a complete 180 to prove his love and commitment to her.
“This man didn’t let a day go by that he didn’t call me,” she explained. “He would stop by my apartment at the time and leave flowers at the door. He’s like, “I know you probably don’t want to talk to me right now, but there are flowers out there for you.” And this is what I was missing. I needed him to realize what I meant to him and really appreciate that. And he did that in every way.”
From there, she began to spend more time with him. They reconciled and though they haven’t gotten engaged again, they both say they are committed to each other.
