My mom's boyfriend, John, to me, seems very arrogant
and narcissistic.
If he was different, I think he would've shown it by now.
I found out that John had been talking to
one of my mom's young friends.
That made me furious.
At that point, I really did hate him.
I don't like John.
He is condescending.
How he's talked to me.
It makes be feel like I'm five years old.
What makes me the angriest about John,
is the fact that he is trying to replace me
as the dad of my children.
You didn't raise them.
You don't provide for them.
Now, that doesn't sit right with me,
they're my kids.
(dramatic music)
John says he's not trying to replace Marcus
in the children's lives,
and I really don't think he is trying to do that.
And he just doesn't understand why Marcus
would feel so threatened by him.
Take a look.
I saw the relationship issues Niki was having
with her daughters and Marcus
well before she told me about them.
Niki would get calls or texts from them
that would upset her.
You're not a (beeps) mom.
Because you can't do (beeps) for your kids.
Goodbye.
I love you, goodbye.
(sobbing)
Skylar's probably the most distant of the girls.
I get the feeling that I've offended her somehow.
I have no clue what I've done.
When the girls talk back, and are disrespectful to Niki,
Marcus does nothing to correct them.
I think Marcus uses the girls to cause Niki pain.
He creates false narratives,
and then, sells it as if it's the truth.
Marcus has told the girls that it is illegal
for them to come visit me at my house,
because it says so in the divorce decree.
I met Marcus, the one and only time, in November.
He had sent Niki a text saying we need to have a talk
about your parenting,
and how much your boyfriend's involved.
I, clandestinely, recorded the conversation on the porch.
Later, Zoe sent this text saying,
John will never replace Dad.
I will never come over as long as you're with him.
Whenever Niki stands up to Marcus about the girls,
he begins manipulating the situation.
I don't understand why Marcus is so threatened by me.
I'm not trying to be a parent.
I only want to be as much a part of the girls' lives
as they want me to be.
(dramatic music)
John, thanks for joining us.
Thanks for having me.
You've been listening to everything, right?
I have, yes.
Anything you wanna add?
Well, there's no gold here.
My perspective here, I'm the outsider, you know.
I think Niki and I have something real and solid,
and certainly worth building on.
And the only thing I want for her is to have,
is to have a rich, rewarding relationship
with her children.
You have no design on trying to become
surrogate dad to these girls.
Absolutely not.
I know how a new man can look,
coming into a family situation,
and I thought maybe I should just introduce myself,
maybe I should go meet Marcus.
Oh, so ambushing me on my front porch,
and recording the conversation is the proper way
to introduce yourself?
Well--
When the conversation, all I wanted to have with her
was about the kids,
had nothing to do with you.
You've been around seven months.
You said so yourself,
the only reason you want to have a conversation
is so you can tear her down,
and place new narrative on these girls.
No, no, no, no, no.
Don't put words in my mouth.
And I did not say that.
You should not try to inject yourself
in the family dynamic at all.
You should not express your opinion
about Marcus, or about these girls.
If you have an opinion, you should share it with her,
and she can apply it, or she should not.
Because you're doomed if you do anything else.