The Secret Behind This You, Me & My Ex's Group Relationship - Exclusive

TLC's new show "You, Me & My Ex" is all about people who haven't quite been able to shake their exes — so much so that the exes are still big parts of their lives, much to the chagrin of their new partner — like Jennifer, Josh, Danielle, and Chantel. According to Discovery, Jennifer and Josh were married and had a son, and then they got divorced. Jennifer met Chantel, and Josh met Danielle, but they never went their separate ways. Josh and Jennifer are still very much involved in one another's lives, so much so that the foursome considers themselves one big family, especially since Josh and Danielle had a daughter and Josh served as the sperm donor for Jennifer and Chantel.

As Danielle said in an exclusive interview with The List, "Now we just all raise our kids together. We have family dinners. We go to events together, school events, sporting events, whatever it may be." And Chantel added, "We get along great. Josh and I will go play ice hockey together or baseball with Jace, Jennifer and Josh's son. And Danielle and Jennifer, they like to go out and hang out together. Maybe the bars." But how is it possible for exes and their new partners to be so close? What's their secret?

The secret behind this "You, Me & My Ex's" group relationship isn't all that surprising: trust, communication, and love. "Trust," Jennifer replied simply when The List asked how they stay so close. "First of all, you need to trust each other. Communication and love, honestly. It's really quite simple. I don't know why people make it so difficult." It makes sense, right? The only way any relationship — especially one that has four adults parenting two young kids — is going to work is if it's built on trust and honesty, and is full of love.

Chantel, however, believes it to be a bit more complicated. "Well, and to be honest, what I think is stronger than what she's talking about," she added to Jennifer's comment. "You have to want it. If you don't want it, then it's not going to work. And both sides have to want it." Chantel expanded, saying that she has lots of friends who want similar relationships with their exes and they always come to her for advice. '"Look, do you want it?'" she asks them. "'Yeah.' But if that one doesn't want it, it's not going to work. Fortunately we all want it. So why not? It's more fun this way, and it's less stressful."

"You, Me & My Ex" airs Sundays at 10PM ET/PT on TLC.