Parents' Guide to

If Loving You Is Wrong

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Lust, drinking, domestic violence on soapy primetime drama.

TV OWN Drama 2014
If Loving You Is Wrong Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 14 parent reviews

Edna A.
Edna A. Adult
February 24, 2023
age 18+

Not for kids.

You need to remember when watching this that this is Tyler Perry...just like Guillermo del torro or Tim Burton, Tyler Perry has his own style. There is a lots of violence, x rated scene and adult stuffs. Bad langages etc. About married life etc. Harrassment, sexual harrasment, murder, narcissist, mental health, bondage etc. Lots of things are happening. Sure the show is not the most realistic but there is plenty of dramas.
Joy Wilson
Joy Wilson Adult
June 3, 2020
age 18+

Horrible

So I'm 40 yrs old and this is my first review ever for a TV show. But I figured if I could save at least one person I would. I'm very disappointed with this show. Some of this stuff is just so unbelievable, Kelly has by far got to be the worst. This plot how in the world does this man keep attacking her in broad day light and have no witnesses. So you mean to tell me no cameras are available. Plus to see a black women represented so poorly and weak I cant do it. Eddie should have been dead 45 episodes ago, if the FBI has him under watch you just gonna allow him to keep killing. Randall is an absolute mess, this dude i have zero words. Natalie is depicted as such a strong black women even I want to smack some sense in her at times. Lushion is a good one bc I swear I would have been told her to kick rocks. Self reflection is a powerful drug and Natalie needs several doses. I think it's good story lines but not believable or even realistic, but it just gets lost in the bad acting and dragging out of some scenes. I love soaps operaish shows but this is just terrible. It has taken me 3 months to watch it. I get sucked back in when looking for new shows, but after about 5 episodes I get fed up with all the nonsense.
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What's the Story?

In director Tyler Perry's hour-long nighttime soap IF LOVING YOU IS WRONG, a group of good-looking neighbors in a suburb lead interconnected lives. Alex (Amanda Clayton) has a hot husband, Brad (Aiden Turner), with whom she's falling out of love, particularly since she's started having an affair with her neighbor (and Brad's pal) Randal (Eltony Williams). A positive pregnancy test adds immensely to the complications. Meanwhile, Randal's long-suffering wife, Marcie (Heather Hemmens), is always rushing around with her busy real estate job, which brings her in contact with Natalie (April Parker Jones), a forthright single mom with four kids and a big secret. Esperanza (Zulay Henao) is trying to escape the clutches of her frightening ex, Edward (Joel Rush), in the arms of new flame Julius (Octavio Pizano), and Kelly (Edwina Findley Dickerson) is attempting to stay focused on her career and raising her young son after the death of her husband.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (14 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Despite the decades and cultural gap that separate them, If Loving You Is Wrong resembles nothing so much as vintage Aaron Spelling soap Melrose Place. Did Tyler Perry -- whose other steamy soap, The Haves and the Have Nots, has already carved itself a significant niche on OWN -- have this television touchstone in mind when he conceived of a soap built around a group of hot neighbors? Maybe, maybe not, but there's no denying that If Loving You has a similar vibe, as excitable neighbors meet each other, fall in forbidden love, conduct clandestine affairs, blow up their marriages, and start all over again.

The fact that the characters on this show are multi-ethnic, mostly African-American, gives If Loving You a hint of freshness, but basically these are the same old soap opera tropes you've seen before. Teens, however, may not have seen them, and their heads may be turned by all the sex and drama. If parents let them watch at all, they may want to watch along to counter any iffy messages.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the tradition of soap operas. When do they air on television? Who is the audience? What type of advertising and media attention do they attract?

  • Does If Loving You Is Wrong remind you of any other shows? Which ones? Is this show better or not as good? Why?

  • Are the characters on If Loving You Is Wrong wealthy or poor? How can you tell? How will the characters' social class affect the types of problems they will face on the show?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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