‘Tyler Perry’s Divorced Sistas’ are older, more jaded than ‘Sistas’

And so far, the show ― which debuted in June and has released five out of eight episodes so far ― is doing well. BET+ said it’s been its most popular original series to date without providing specific viewership numbers.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke to four of the five lead women via Zoom last month. Only LeToya Luckett, the most well-known name on the cast, was absent.

The five actors had only a brief time to bond before production, including brunch at Perry’s home in Douglasville. “He’s having the waiters serve us,” said Porscha Coleman, who plays Naomi. “He told us, ‘Get ready! It’s going to be crazy!’”

“He’s a very gracious host,” said Jennifer Sears, who plays Bridgette. “We knew we were supported. That really set the tone for the whole production.”

(This interview was conducted before news came out of a lawsuit by a former actor accusing Perry of alleged sexual assault.)

Here’s a summary of the five women:

Credit: BET+ screen shot

Credit: BET+ screen shot

Rasheeda (Luckett)

Luckett, the former Destiny’s Child member, has thrived as an actress the past 15 years and has spent plenty of time in Atlanta, shooting other projects like VH1’s “Single Ladies” and OWN’s “Greenleaf.”

Rasheeda, the First Lady of God’s Light Christian Church, has been married to the pastor Jeff (Devon Franklin) for many years. While they profess love for each other in public and sometimes in private, their sexless relationship has curdled into a cesspool of resentment, anger and loss of respect.

The never-ending arguments early in the series point to even more drama later.

Credit: BET+

Credit: BET+

Naomi (Coleman)

Naomi was married to a super-rich guy for 20 years. But he cheated on her with a white woman, then left her for that same woman. Naomi, a spirited woman with minimal filter, remains in a rage about it.

“She wants what she wants when she wants it,” Coleman said. “But underneath her tough exterior is someone who is hurt and broken. She is trying to find resolution.”

Naomi pocketed $37 million from her ex in the settlement so many viewers via social media don’t feel bad for her. “They are saying she needs to just take a vacation and get a new boo,” Coleman said. “But others say if she has $37 million, she has money to be petty. The fans are already locked in and engaged.”

Naomi’s friends love her, flaws and all. They try to “manage” her drinking and paper over her most extreme actions.

Then again, Rasheeda’s husband Pastor Jeff can’t believe she remains friends with her, dubbing Naomi “ratchet” and “low down.”

Credit: BET+

Credit: BET+

Geneva (Khadeen Indréa)

A busy partner in a high-powered law firm, Geneva also seems to be in a solid marriage with William (RonReaco Lee), who comes across as a straight-up good guy.

“Professionally, she has her act together.” Indréa said. “She relies on the facade of who she believes Geneva should be to the world. We’ll see how that facade crumbles over time.”

Six years earlier, Geneva had an affair with a married man, the dapper fellow attorney Javon (Robert Christopher Riley). But once it ended, he disappeared and she moved on. But he has now reappeared in her life, freshly divorced. His presence accentuates her doubts about her marriage. What’s worse, Javon is buddies with William, who is trying to set Javon up with Tiffany, one of Geneva’s single friends. (Awkward!)

Credit: BET

Credit: BET

Bridgette (Jennifer Sears)

Sears, who plays Rasheeda’s right-hand woman Bridgette at the church, is one of two cast members who has experienced divorce. (Luckett has had two.)

“I can say fortunately I haven’t seen myself in any of these women,” Sears said. “But it can get ugly. I did see a little bit of Naomi in myself: ‘I want him to pay!’ I think the takeaway people get from these stories is it starts with you. You have to do all work to heal and find peace within yourself and not find it externally. That helped me in my own healing process.”

Bridgette, like Geneva, is excellent at her job, but her choice of men is suspect. Vaughn, her much younger boyfriend, is a 29-year-old self-described “content creator” who has a hard time holding down a regular job. He is also a bit rough around the edges, and she is mildly embarrassed to bring him around her friends.

“Bridgette is good at projects,” Sears said. “So Vaughn is a project for her. She also spends time supporting her friends and their issues as a distraction from her own relationship.”

By coincidence, she and Luckett previously played sisters in “Greenleaf,” the OWN show executive produced by Oprah Winfrey. “We have built-in chemistry,” she said. “In this industry, you find your way back to each other.”

Credit: BET+

Credit: BET+

Tiffany (Briana Price)

Tiffany, a real estate agent, seems to be the most stable of the five women. She is more than three years removed from her divorce and is ready to date again.

Unfortunately, Geneva’s well-meaning hubby sets Tiffany up with Geneva’s affair partner. It seems obvious by episode four that this is going to end badly for everyone involved.

“I like to think of her as the balance compared to some of the more incendiary elements among her friends,” Price said. “She has a lid on some of her own dysfunction. She is that loyal, reliable friend. But things are going to start to disintegrate between her and some of her friends.”

If You Watch

“Divorced Sistas,” available on BET+, with new episodes every Thursday through July 24