A Married To Medicine star/OB-GYN is addressing a viral video where she said that sometimes Black women “dramatically” cry wolf about pregnancy pains to be excused from work.Earlier this week social media was set ablaze by a resurfaced clip featuring Dr. Jackie Walters and fellow #M2M star Dr. Heavenly Kimes discussing Black women’s pregnancies.
Source: Phylicia J. L. Munn / Bravo
The obstetrician, 65, was seen telling the dentist, 53, that Black women are sometimes more “dramatic” and fake symptoms so that they can call off work.
“Sometimes, as African American women, we’re a bit more dramatic and that you go to the doctor and you complain, and you complain, and you complain, and you’re not taken seriously because you cry wolf the entire pregnancy,” said Walters in the clip.
“We wanna also make sure that you’re being serious with your doctor and not playing the games so that could take you off work. Because then we see you 25 times in the pregnancy, it’s hard to believe there’s a true problem when there’s a true problem.”
The clip was shared amid people criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris for choosing to chat with the doctor about maternal mortality rates on the most recent episode of #M2M.
Jackie speaks to Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris. #Married2Med pic.twitter.com/bgy6eFMD9B
— OMFGRealityTV (@OMFGRealityTV) December 18, 2023
This the real Dr.Jackie, not that character she plays on Married to Medicine. She sounds like how yt OBGYN doctors bash their Black female patients…Wasn’t she just speaking with Kamala Harris abt how Black women aren’t taken seriously in medical spaces? 🤦🏾♀️ pic.twitter.com/lIGt7Nc9AE
— PoliticallyCorrect (@bakara_j) December 19, 2023
Did Kamala Harris see this before she invited Dr. Jackie to speak on Black maternal mortality rate??!
— Passenger Princess (@Jenny_jenjenn) December 20, 2023
On Thursday, Dr. Jackie released a statement saying that the clip was “taken out of context.”
Source: Married To Medicine / Bravo
The OBGYN noted that she doesn’t take the Black maternal health crisis lightly and reaffirmed her commitment to advocating for Black moms and children.
“Recently, a clip from a nearly 2 hour video was taken out of context to make it appear that I, somehow, take lightly, what I have advocated for concerning the devastating problem facing the Black maternal health crisis. It has been my life’s work to highlight and attempt to rectify the issues that devastatingly impact Black maternal mothers versus our counterparts,” wrote the Bravo star on her InstaStory.
“As a physician, I educate my patients everyday to be their own best health advocate. As we continue to face medical mistreatment and gaslighting, my intention with the broader conversation was to ensure patients enter their pregnancies armed with information and tools to effectively communicate their needs with their doctors to ensure a positive outcome.”
She continued,
“The reason I became an OBGYN is because growing up I saw such a lack of diversity amongst medical professionals, and was determined to be part of the change. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, I will continue to fight for the lives of Black mothers and babies.”’
Amid Dr. Jackie’s statement, TheNeighborhoodTalk released the full video of her conversation with Dr. Heavenly and several critics said that it’s not helping the medical professional’s case.
“We’re more likely to have hemorrage in pregnancy or after delivery if you have fibroids,” said Dr. Jackie while noting that she doesn’t believe the Black maternal mortality rate is based solely on racial disparities. “It’s so many things that go into that picture and I don’t want us to think that it’s just doctors not taking care of Black women.”
“I can certainly say that the doctors in my practice and around me; we give everybody equal care,” she added. “I’m gonna qualify this and be Dr. Heavenly for a minute, she added before going on her “cry wolf rant.”
“Sometimes, as African American women, we’re a bit more dramatic and that you go to the doctor and you complain, and you complain, and you complain, and you’re not taken seriously because you cry wolf the entire pregnancy,”
“That ain’t me boo, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but go head,” countered Dr. Heavenly.
What do YOU think about Dr. Jackie Walters’ statement on her “cry wolf” pregnancy comments?
Unfortunately for her, two former #M2M stars, Mariah Huq and Buffie Purselle, are weighing in and they’re being critical of her comments.
Hit the flip for their words.
Amid the controversy surrounding Dr. Jackie, Buffie Purselle who starred on Married To Medicine in season 7, called out the OBGYN.
Source: Kathy Boos / Bravo TV
The two previously clashed on the show after Jackie exposed her fertility issues in a public forum…
and Buffie recently told her followers that she’s livid about Dr. Jackie’s “cry wolf” comments.
“When are y’all gonna see Dr. Jackie for the villain that she really is? @BravoTV,’She captioned a reaction video before detailing her issue. “Y’all should have asked Dr. Simone to do that interview about Black maternal mortality with Kamala Harris.”
“Y’all, Bravo, should’ve let Simone do that interview,” she reiterated again. “I know ya’ll trying to save her career because I showed everybody who she really is. Jackie don’t even have no regular Black clients, allegedly, she don’t take no Medicaid. The people they talking about, she don’t see them damn people. I bet she ain’t tell Kandi [Burruss] and the rest of them people you ain’t got to call off work.”
“Why I got so much smoke [for her]?” she continued. “My Aunt Dee Dee died in childbirth, her daughter survived. My Aunt went to her doctor who’s a Black woman and said she was having headaches and having pains and she didn’t believe my Aunt. I remember January 8 like it was yesterday.”
She went on to detail how her Aunt had a stroke and passed away.
“Stupid s*** like the elder OBGYN [Jackie] said, it kills people.”
Similarly, Mariah Huq, the creator and EP of Married To Medicine, told AllAboutTheTea on Wednesday that she’s unsurprised by what Dr. Jackie said.
“We’ve seen how she’s treated obese ladies, we’ve seen how she judges a lot of women,” said Mariah. “We give her grace because she’s Dr. Jackie but she ain’t Jesus. I think one of the problems with the show is that we’ve put her so much on a pedestal. Why? Because her patients are celebrities? No.”
She continued,
“Like my mama could say, it’s nothing worse than an educated fool.”
“It’s nothing worse than an educated fool… she showed her slip a long time ago.” #Married2Medicine
– Mariah Huq on IG Live 🌝🍋☕️ pic.twitter.com/JRk2nUEpsA
— Claÿ Garçon (@djordxc) December 21, 2023
