After Dallas decides to divorce Ava, her parents encourage her to date Benji, who is nothing like Dallas. In Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black, Joseph Lee Anderson plays Benji.
When Ava was seventeen, she and Dallas briefly broke up. Soon after their breakup, Dallas saw Ava with Benji, who liked her, and became jealous.
Dallas and his brothers beat Benji up so severely that he had to be hospitalized. Benji did not press charges, knowing that they would keep harassing him if he did.
Benji never got the chance to be with Ava. He believes that if Dallas had not intervened that night, he might have gone on to marry her instead.
Benji’s fresh start with Ava
Benji loves his hometown. Unlike Ava, he never left and had to find a way to ensure that Dallas and his brothers did not make his life difficult.
Benji became stronger and started wrestling. As he had expected, Dallas and his brothers did not bother him after that.
Ava married Dallas. Benji also got married and had a daughter with his wife, though he eventually divorced his wife.
Despite Dallas’ mistreatment of her, Ava never considered leaving him. However, even after years of marriage, Dallas still gets insecure when he sees Ava talking to Benji.
When Dallas finally decides to divorce Ava, her parents try to set her up with Benji. They never approved of Dallas but have always liked Benji.
Ava is not ready to date again so soon after her divorce and makes this clear to Benji, who continues to offer her comfort, having gone through a divorce himself.
One night, Ava gets drunk with Benji and asks him to sleep with her, but he refuses. He does not want to take advantage of her or be used as a way to get back at Dallas.
Benji still intends to pursue Ava. He has had feelings for Ava for seventeen years and is determined not to let go of this chance to be with her.
A supportive partner
As Ava regains her confidence and courage after her divorce, she eventually acts on her feelings for Benji and sleeps with him.
While she initially does not want to be in a relationship with him, Benji is willing to wait for Ava to recover from her past relationship and be ready for a new one.
Benji respects her and treats her well. Seeing them together enrages Dallas, who tries to hurt Benji but is instead knocked out by him.
Dallas then poisons the animals on Benji’s farm and injures Ava’s father when he tries to warn him to stay away from his family.
Benji helps Ava search for her father and gets him admitted to the hospital, standing by her side throughout the ordeal with Dallas.
By being supportive and caring, Benji gradually proves that he is very different from Dallas. He eventually wins over Ava, the girl he has liked for seventeen years.
Also Read: Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black summary and ending explained
