In most romantic relationships, no one person is all good or all bad. This is what Mignon, the actress who plays Danni on Tyler Perry’s Sistas, wants fans to think about when it comes to her character’s undefined relationship with Preston.
When the popular BET drama returns Wednesday, Oct. 13, viewers will see that Danni and Preston (played by Trinity Whiteside) are still working out their issues, one conversation at a time.
“Danni catches a lot of heat for their relationship,” Mignon tells TVLine. “But I want people to take into consideration that Danni is not all wrong, and it takes two. I have to defend my character, and she has been trying to get Preston to hear her out and see her side, but he keeps doing what he wants to do.”
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For instance, Mignon says, Preston should respect Danni’s wishes and call before stopping by, and there have been times in the past where Preston has ghosted Danni.
“He shouldn’t just pop up. That’s disrespectful,” Mignon adds adamantly. “He should not abandon her for days without calling or texting. The biggest mistake Danni and Preston made is not defining their relationship. Both of them do things that make them feel like they’re not a couple, even if they are one. Preston has a knack for abandoning Danni, which is not something you do if you’re in a relationship.”
It’s also debatable if Danni wanted Preston to move out or if he left voluntarily in the Season 3 midseason finale, she says.
“Danni didn’t kick Preston out,” Mignon argues. “She just said she needed space. He chose to move out when he could’ve just as easily gone to the movies. Preston can be so extreme. If Danni isn’t saying, ‘Oh, Preston. You’re perfect in every way,’ he puts his foot down, gets butt hurt and ignores her for days. All she wants is for him to respect her space.”
The couple’s racial differences — she’s Black, and he’s white — only punctuates their problems more.
“Preston is in his 30s, and he’s wanted to date Black women all of his life,” Mignon reveals. “But he hasn’t taken the time to learn about our culture. That is a red flag. If a white man says, ‘Teach me,’ they’re making it the Black woman’s responsibility and not their own. If you actually want to learn, there is Google and libraries and documentaries. There are millions of us and centuries of history. It’s not our job to teach you.”
There is also an anti-racism cultural shift that Mignon hopes Sistas will explore at some point.
“Like a lot of white people, Preston doesn’t realize that not being racist is not enough anymore,” she surmises. “You have to do the work. You can’t just get by on being nice and not being racist. There are so many things that are built into our society that white people have to unlearn. For Preston to be his age and not realize that he needs to do the work is sad.”
Mignon also has a Danni and Preston spoiler for fans: “Pay attention to all the times Preston talks about his cousin and working at his cousin’s farm, because there’s a twist coming.”
Do you think Danni and Preston can overcome their relationship hurdles and stay together on Tyler Perry’s Sistas? Should they stay together? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
