Woman Films Her Ex-Husband Proposing To His Girlfriend & People Are Praising Her For Showing The Importance Of A Healthy Blended Family
While an incredibly heartwarming video, both she and her ex-husband explained that it took quite some time for them to form a healthy friendship.
TikTok A woman's video of her ex-husband proposing has gone viral, with many people praising her for depicting a healthy and loving blended family.
In a TikTok video, Leah Bourdo from Richland, Michigan, decided to record and post her ex-husband proposing to his girlfriend of over a year. The heartwarming video captured the attention of over six million people and showed the healthy dynamic between two exes who still have much love for each other.
Bourdo received praise for showing how healthy her relationship with her ex-husband was after recording his proposal to his girlfriend.
In Leah's video, her ex-husband, Steve, decided to propose to his girlfriend, Shonda Betz, after having dated for over a year. The emotional video starts as Steve gets down on one knee to pop the question to Shonda, who already began to cry from happiness.
"This weekend I got to be there when my ex-husband proposed to his girlfriend," Leah wrote in overlay text. Bourdo, joined by her and Steve's two daughters, Kennedy, 13, and Harper, 11, were all present to welcome Shonda into their family.
"She is the kind of woman I have prayed would come into his life. She is incredible with our daughters, and they love her so much," Leah continued.
"Not only is she good to our girls, she respects the co-parenting relationship we have for our children. On top of that, she has become my friend, my family even. I love her with all my heart."
She also dedicated the last portion of the video to her ex-husband, expressing her gratitude for him to have her there during his and Shonda's special moment. "And to my ex: Thank you for letting me be a part of this moment and sharing her with me."
After Shonda said yes to the proposal, Kennedy and Harper showered her with hugs and gifted their new stepmother a bouquet of flowers. "Welcome to the home team, Shonda," Leah wrote. "We love you."
In the comments, people praised both Leah and her ex-husband for continuing to have a healthy co-parenting relationship, while also still being involved in each other's lives and milestones.
"Proof it doesn't have to be all drama and spiteful, the kids are happy and that's more important than anything and anyone," one TikTok user pointed out.
Another user agreed, adding, "This here is co-parenting goals, well done to you both! The respect and love you have shows. Congratulations!"
"The fact that you stepped back & let them have that moment as their own little family shows what a kind, beautiful person you are," a third user chimed in.
Bourdo explained that it took years of healing for her and her ex-husband to reconcile and become friends.
In an interview with TODAY, Leah revealed that when she and Steve first separated, it wasn't easy for them to fall into a platonic and civil relationship.
"Our marriage was a living hell," Steve told the news outlet. "We were young and very emotionally immature." The two of them had married in 2007 after meeting in college, but Leah claimed that their marriage wasn't as easy as they thought it would be.
"There was a lot of verbal abuse, and I was active in my alcohol addiction," she said, adding that she and Steve eventually divorced in 2016. "We were two best friends who never should have gotten married in the first place. The romance and connection that you need in a marriage wasn't there for us."
During the first four years of their divorce, Leah and Steve blocked each other's numbers and only communicated through email and with Leah's parents as she worked through recovery. Their relationship didn't start to get better until after Steve's second marriage ended.
"The only way we could make it work is to prioritize our children and put aside our feelings for one another," she admitted. "We were able to forgive each other."
When Steve eventually met Shonda a year ago, Leah and Steve's relationship was improved tremendously just by Shonda's presence in both of their lives. When Steve bought an engagement ring in December 2022, Leah was just as excited and offered to bring their daughters over to watch the proposal.
"People have asked if Shonda was bothered but she thanked me for being there," Leah, who even lives six minutes away from Steve and Shonda, said.
It's a "team effort," Leah and Steve stressed, but they know it's all worth it because of how happy their children are, and how amazing their blended family relationship is.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics.