By Marc Phillips
Earlier today, Maury Povich looked to help two struggling young adults repair their relationship, but to no avail so far. Crowd reactions during the show suggested their appearance with Maury may have even made things worse by putting it on display for everyone.
During the show, Maury brought on Ta’Kyra, a 20-year-old single mother a 9-month-old baby named ShaDynasty. Ta’Kyra claimed a 21-year old man named Jayshawn was ShaDynasty’s baby daddy, and that she was “1,000 percent” sure about it.
“Look at her eyes! Look at her ears and her nose! If ShaDynasty ain’t Jayshawn’s child, I’ll be damned!” screamed Ta’Kyra into Maury’s face. Over the course of the show, Ta’Kyra frequently pointed out that her daughter’s name was pronounced Sha-dynasty rather than Shady-nasty.
Ta’Kyra then began to explain how hard it’s been without support from Jayshawn—who is so sure that ShaDynasty isn’t his, that Jayshawn moved on to a new lover; La-a (Ladasha).
“That whore is stealin’ my man, and once these DNA tests prove that Jayshawn is the father, he’ll be mine…again!” shouted Ta’Kyra, bringing the audience to a standing ovation.
Much to his guest’s chagrin, Maury rolled a video Jayshawn recorded before the show. Highlights included Jayshawn denying the baby, claiming he was forced into signing ShaDynasty’s birth certificate, and cursing off Ta’Kyra as a promiscuous liar, “Ta’Kyra is like a doorknob—everybody gets a turn!”
In the fourth row of the audience, Renee Fernsley of Jamaica, N.Y. had some choice words about Jayshawn.
“He reminds me of my second husband’s hellspawn of a son! The disrespect is enough to make you want to kick ‘em out! And, guess what? I did!” she said to the delight of the crowd.
Fernsley’s friend Shalana Gregory of Wyandanch, N.Y. nodded in approval.
“Why do men deny their children up and down? If they don’t want a child, they should wear a condom. It ain’t my responsibility!” said Gregory to noticeably less cheers.
Ta’Kyra must not watch the Maury show enough, because she seemed surprised to see Jayshawn walk on stage after the video ended. Greeted by cursing, audience disapproval, and jeering, the would-be father flipped off and cursed at the cameras, and sauntered across the stage.
One of the cameras panned over to Fernsley and Gregory who were shouting so many obscenities that their mouths would need to be blurred post-production.
After a few minutes of back-and-forth verbal abuse, Ta’Kyra and her maybe-baby daddy begged Maury for the results.
“Maury, I just gotta find out who my daughter’s daddy is. I can’t sleep at night!” cried Ta’Kyra.
The gracious older gentleman opened the manila envelope to reveal the DNA results. A bead of sweat formed on Jayshawn’s brow. Ta’Kyra clapped her hands over her mouth and bobbed her head to-and-fro as a nervous reaction.
“Ta’Kyra, when it comes to 9-month-old ShaDynasty, Jayshawn is…NOT the father!” said Povich emphatically.
“Bitch, I told you!” sang Jayshawn as he danced around the stage, gesticulating wildly. The audience booed, agape with horror, having thought for sure that Jayshawn was the father.
Ta’Kyra kept her hands clapped over her mouth, tears streaming down her face as she ran backstage. Her red-and-orange-highlighted hair swayed back and forth as she sobbed against a prop wall.
In typical Maury show fashion, the host marched back to where Ta’Kyra was and reassured her.
“We will not rest until you find ShaDynasty’s father,” said a peaceful Maury.
In a sudden change of heart, Jayshawn slunk backstage and approached Ta’Kyra with a bashful smile, “I know it must be hard for you, but I am the only ‘father’ ShaDynasty has ever known. I’m willing to stay in her life until you find her actual dad,” said Jayshawn.
Ta’Kyra smiled, cried some more, and hugged Jayshawn.
“I hate seeing a crying woman—it just hurts me,” said Jayshawn.
The audience applauded.
“I’ve been doing this show for 20 years now, and each guest is more outrageous than the last. I like to think of myself as a sociologist without a cause,” Maury said. “My main concern is not to embarrass these guests, but rather point out where their lives are lacking and trying to set them on the correct path. I want to make a positive difference, but sometimes I’m just no sure anymore.”