Inside The Relationship Of Yandy Smith-Harris And Mendeecees Harris

Yandy Smith and Mendeecees Harris have endured some difficult and public challenges in their relationship, and the celebrity couple has aired much of it on television — first on VH1's Love & Hip Hop: New York and now on VH1's Couples Retreat. The couple's relationship became a popular feature of Love & Hip Hop: New York after Smith, an actress, entrepreneur, and producer, joined the show in its second season in 2011. At the time, she was the executive assistant to Mona Scott-Young, who managed stars such as LL Cool J, 50 Cent, and Missy Elliot, according to The Famous People. Her relationship with Harris, owner of the music-recording studio Beat Factory in The Bronx, has provided plenty of drama over the course of ten seasons.

The couple had two children together before marrying in an elaborate ceremony that aired on the show in 2015, right before Harris was sentenced to prison for eight years for drug trafficking, according to Billboard. Harris, who already had a son with ex-girlfriend Samantha, was released from prison after four years and rejoined his family. While he was in prison, Smith adopted her foster daughter, according to BET. The couple has faced plenty of conflict from the other women in Harris' life, including an ex-girlfriend, Erika, and his mother, Judy, whom Harris said was absent for much of his childhood, according to Urban Belle Magazine.

Yandy Smith and Mendeecees Harris were recently announced as part of the cast of VH1's Couples Retreat Season 1, which aired its first episode on March 29, according to The Cinemaholic. The series follows celebrity couples on a week-long vacation, allowing them to explore various facets of their relationship with help from a panel of experts, including life coach AJ Johnson. In the first episode, the couple invites some longtime friends along to reconnect and reflect. 

One of the issues in the couple's relationship involves their marriage, which viewers discovered wasn't legal, according to Urban Belle Magazine. Smith revealed her partner's absence while in prison took a major toll on her mental health, leading to thoughts of suicide. While she was happy to welcome him home, the couple still haven't officially remarried, and it's clear they have some problems to work out before making a lifetime commitment. The next episode of Couples Retreat airs on April 5 on VH1.