The Napkin In Between
Welcome to The Napkin In Between Podcast where we dive into social commentary, personal life, politics, & everything in between. The Napkin In Between Podcast delivers necessary hard truths, but don't worry...we'll give you a napkin to soften the blow!
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The Napkin In Between
Kenny, When I Catch You...
Trust betrayed, time wasted, and the painful reality of being used—this episode, we dive into the shocking breakup between Kenny Rodriguez and JaNa Craig from Love Island Season 6. What appeared to be a beautiful love story spanning nearly a year has unraveled into something far more disturbing and all too familiar for many Black women.
The breakup between Kenny and JaNa has unleashed a firestorm that goes far beyond reality TV drama. What looked like a fairytale romance—from their third-place finish to nearly a year of seemingly happy dating—has crumbled into something far more sinister. According to allegations, Kenny wasn't just dishonest; he was in a relationship with JaNa solely for fame and financial gain while privately using racial slurs and expressing disdain for Black women.
This episode dives deep into why this situation resonates so painfully with many Black women. The constant questioning of intentions, the fear of being used, the exhaustion of navigating a world that simultaneously exploits and devalues your existence—these aren't just relationship concerns but daily realities. When someone fakes an entire relationship for a year, it doesn't just waste time; it fundamentally alters your perception of reality and trust.
The most troubling aspect of this whole situation? The impulse to blame JaNa rather than hold Kenny accountable. When every action reveals a society more comfortable questioning Black women's judgment than confronting the harmful behaviors directed toward them, we need to have uncomfortable conversations about protection, value, and humanity.
Black women deserve love without ulterior motives. We deserve relationships built on truth. And if you can't offer that? Please, just leave us alone.
Is this thing on? Hello, hello, uh-oh, another yapper with a mic. Hello everyone, and welcome back to the napkin in Between podcast. I am your host, Daijné Jones. I hope everyone's been having a good week, except for that orange drink lady, of course.
Daijné:This week has been insane, to say the fucking least. There's too the fuck much going on. Mercury clearly has her micro braids in and they're braided way too tight. Because, like, what the fuck was this week, bro? Like I feel like every day it was something new or something happening, somebody doing something. Like girl, too the fuck much going on.
Daijné:I also feel like, is it just me or does anyone else feel like July was the longest month ever? Like I was like checking my phone, my calendar, and like, oh, it's still July, okay. Oh, it's still July, okay. Like I just feel like it was so fucking long. And for what? Like damn July, you just she just took her shoes off, sat down, didn't have nowhere to be. It's like when you know, like when you're trying to end a conversation, you're just like damn. Like, oh, that's crazy. Like I had to say that's crazy so many times because July was just still here. Like, girl, go, don't you have somewhere to be like what the fuck? But I just feel like especially last week, longest week of my life in the longest month of the year like too much going on. So last week, one thing that made me really smile and was the peak of my week was just talking to my mom on the phone.
Daijné:My mom and I don't talk on the phone a lot because neither one of us are phone callers. Like this call could have been a text, you know what I mean. That's how me and my mom, but every so often I like to call her because I like to hear her voice, because she's my best friend, like she told me all the time I'm not one of your little friends, girl, you are one of my little friends. Like you're like my bestest friend. You know what I mean. Like I love, like my mom is just my best friend and I just love talking to her. She's so funny, she's so smart, she just. I just feel like she's truly like a superhero to me, like my biggest inspiration, the one that I look up to more than anything.
Daijné:And I'm so grateful for our relationship, because growing up like I've talked about this a little bit before I, my mom wasn't around right, like I was raised by my grandmother, who technically isn't my biological grandmother. She's my sister's grandmother because she's my sister's grandmother on my sister's dad's side. My sister and I have different dads and my mom wasn't really around growing up and you know we didn't really reconnect until I was 18. Yeah, I started being raised with my grandma at eight and then my mom and I didn't reconnect until I was like 18 or 19 it was my freshman year of college and so, like, going from like really not having her to like her being my best friend, I'm so grateful for it because growing up, my mom made some choices that weren't ideal conversation for another day but I honestly wouldn't change a single thing about it. I feel like I realized that like, yeah, she made some choices that weren't the best, but she's just a girl. She's just a girl trying her best in the fucking world, you know. And not only that, but like, my mom and I have had so many conversations and you know she's genuinely apologized for the things that she's done, and I've seen her make amazing changes and it's just like.
Daijné:I'm so grateful for that because I know that there are people who, you know, don't have their moms in childhood and then also adulthood, and I I genuinely don't know what I would do without my mom. She's literally like I said. She's like a superhero to me. Anything that I have going on, I call my mom. She's literally like I said. She's like a superhero to me. Anything that I have going on, I call my mom. Anything that I need help on, I call my mom. Like she's truly just everything and more to me, and I'm so grateful that her and I were able to mend our relationship because she's she's genuinely just like everything to me. And I can't imagine I feel I feel so blessed because, like again, yeah, she, maybe she wasn't there during my childhood, but she's there now and that's really all that matters. She's there and we have the best relationship.
Daijné:And so, with everything going on this week and like pop culture and the world and everything, like I just called her to talk about all of it and some of it. Like obviously she understood when we talked about like Trump and stuff like that. She keeps up with that stuff too, so she understood that. But, like when I started talking about pop culture, she wouldn't understand or know the people that I'm talking about, but she's gonna sit there, she's gonna listen and she's gonna, you know, just let me vent about like all the crazy shit that's happening in the world and she's just, she's become one of my little friends, like that's my little friend, that is my little friend and I'm just so grateful. I hope to one day have her on the pod so we can talk, and she's been in a couple of my videos on TikTok and stuff. But like I just I love having conversations with her. She's just everything and more to me.
Daijné:So, mommy, if you're watching this which I know you are because you're my biggest fan and you're one of my little friends I love you and, um, I'm just so grateful for you and I'm so grateful for our relationship, and our relationship just means everything to me and I would not change a single thing for the world and I love the person you are, I love your heart and I love everything about you. So I don't want to get sappy on the pod but, yeah, shout out to moms, because moms are really superheroes, like they really are. And once you realize that, like she's just a girl, she's just a girl trying her best, it just changes everything and again like that, coupled with apologies that my mom has given me for, you know, mistakes that she may have made in the past, like. I feel so blessed about that, because people don't get those mom's's parents, they don't apologize, they don't own up to their mistakes or things that they have done in the past that you know affected our lives, and I'm so grateful that my mom is like hey, you know, like I'm sorry, and not only like and I'm sorry, but like also change behavior, because, as we know, an apology without change behavior is just words. So, yeah, I'm just really grateful for my mom and I just I love her so much and she's truly just everything and more to me. So I don't know, I just love my mom like she's my best friend and I she's my mommy, like she's just a girl and she's doing her best and you know, that's all we can ask of anybody.
Daijné:So that has been the peak of my week. Please tell me the peak of your week something, something that helped you smile, kept you grounded, kept you sane in the chaos of the world. Speaking of chaos, as I said in the beginning of this episode too the fuck much going on this week. Just everybody is fucking wiling. And one thing that really hurt me this week what we're going to talk about today, kenny and Janae break up. The one we're gonna talk about today.
Daijné:Kenny and janae breakup. Kenny. When I catch you, kenny, when I catch you, bitch, when I fucking catch you. Oh my god, I feel so many emotions when it comes to kenny and janae and their relationship and their breakup and everything, and more than anything, I just feel so incredibly heartbroken for janae, because you can just tell janae is just someone who loves and wants to be loved like she has the most bubbly spirit that I think I've ever seen on reality TV. She truly wears her heart on her sleeve, gives and just just just loves and wants to be loved and to see someone play in her face. That's not, I feel, like that's not even strong enough. Like that man is psychotic, insane, psychopathic behavior. So for anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about, janae, craig and kenny rodriguez I think it's his last name were two people on season six of love island.
Daijné:Janae was a part of the main cast and kenny was a bombshell in the season and from the start of her journey until kenny came into the villa j, janae had it rough. She, you know. She put herself out there. She was coupled up with a couple of people who weren't returning the energy that she was giving to them. You know their heads were turning to other people. Like she just was, she was having a time in the villa and not like in a good way, like zero out of ten not having a good time. And then Kenny comes in and is finally giving her the energy that she, you know, has wanted and has been giving to other people and it truly felt like she had kissed so many frogs in the villa and she finally found her prince. Like it truly was. Like oh my God, finally this woman, this black woman, is finally getting the love that she deserves. Right, they make it to the finals of love island. They place third in you know the whole season and they date outside of the villa for almost a year.
Daijné:Fast forward to last sunday, out of nowhere. Like there's reports that they've broken up. Like she took his name out of her bio, deleted all their pictures except for branded content and like turned her comments off. So clearly everyone's like what the fuck is going on? Because kenny and janay, they seem like a great couple. He seemed like he really loved her, she really loved him. Like they seemed good for all intents and purposes. Come to find out they broke up. She puts out a statement. Basically it's just like hey, we're not together anymore.
Daijné:I've seen all of the breakup rumors because there were rumors that like he cheated or like he became physical with her, like something, and everyone knew like he, so he had done something. Because she unfollowed him and then all of the cast members also unfollowed him on social media and so it was like, okay, he did something. Because, like, had it just been she that unfollowed him, and then, like her friends, like leah and serena, okay, they're standing in solidarity with janae, right, that would have gave to me. You know, this is my friend and you're her boyfriend, so we're friendly, right, like, but if that relationship ends, I'm going with my girl. That's basically what it felt like. So, like, if it was just them who unfollowed him, not a big deal, right, but their boyfriends, serena and leah's boyfriends, miguel and cordell, unfollowed kenny. Kaylor live.
Daijné:Rob connor, who janae was caught up with at one point and then was microaggressive towards janae, unfollowed kenny and followed janae like basically the entire season six cast was unfollowing kenny. So it was like, what the fuck did he do? Come to find out he was faking for their entire relationship. They were together for almost a year, faking for their entire relationship. They were together for almost a year, faking for their entire relationship and was also calling her racial slurs in a group chat with his friends. Mind you, he's Dominican. She's a dark-skinned black woman Faking their relationship, telling his friends like I don't like black women allegedly this is what her friend, one of Jenea's hometown friends, had posted.
Daijné:Like she posted a saying. It was like go through your man's phone search words like I don't like black women. I'm in this relationship for clout. Like I thought I'd get more money from this. I can't wait to be done with this so I can fuck hella bitches like crazy shit. And also calling her like racial slurs in this group chat. That's what people are saying happened.
Daijné:And, as a black woman, dating is so fucking hard, unbelievably and unnecessarily hard like this whole situation with kenny and like him actually not being into janae and like using her for cloud and calling her racial slurs or being racist towards her. Like that is something that black women always have to worry about when dating. And it's like if you didn't like me, you could have just left me alone. You did all of this for what? And it's like psychotic behavior because, like he stayed in this relationship for almost a year, pretended to like her for almost a year, only to not be interested in her, calling her racial slurs and being in this relationship for clout, and it's it's so disheartening and it truly breaks my heart for Janae because, again, black women this is something that we always have to worry about, like, are you with me because you genuinely like me or are you with me for some other reason? We have to worry about being fetishized. We have to worry worry about being used, and I said this before in a podcast episode.
Daijné:It's like the entire world thrives or like the only way that they feel like they can get ahead is if they're using black women. Like they build themselves from using black women. We see it in relationships with family, romantic, in TV and the media. Like black women are always being used and never really like, appreciated or loved or cared for. Mind you, black women have been screaming if you don't like me or you don't appreciate me for the person that I am, that's fine, but just leave me alone, right? Don't? Don't waste my, my time. That is one thing that, after kenny had come back from casa. He brought a girl back from casa and janae asked him to his face who do you have a stronger connection with? Is it me or is it her? Do not waste my time. Janae was so locked in, janae cared about him so much and he wasted her fucking time, and that's like one of my biggest fears.
Daijné:Something that I hate more than anything is for a bitch to waste my fucking time. I would I would rather you punch me in the face than waste my time, because time is something that I cannot get back. Time is like one of the only things that you cannot get back. So for someone to waste my time yo, that shit makes me want to catch a charge for real, because I hate, oh my god, like I'm getting angry and hot just thinking about it. I hate for a bitch to waste my time, especially if I'm putting everything into whatever this is and you're sitting here playing in my fucking face. Yeah, janae's better than me, because I, oh I don't for legal reasons, I don't think I can say that for legal reasons, this is just a joke. But like wasting my time, oh I, I hate that more than anything. Truly, I hate for my time to be wasted.
Daijné:And another thing that I keep thinking about is, like what was his plan genuinely? Because in the screenshot that his um friend had or I'm sorry that Janae's friend had posted one of the things that she said keywords to search was I can't wait to be done with this so that I can fuck hella bitches when you say like you're gonna be done with this. Like I just keep thinking like what was his plan? How did he plan to get out of this thing? How did he plan to end this relationship? Because, like, you stayed in this shit for a fucking year. You didn't have to do all that if you genuinely didn't like her and not not, this isn't any better, right. Like you didn't have to do all that if you genuinely didn't like her and not not, this isn't any better, right. Like you shouldn't be with people for clout. But he could have just did a cute little three months and then, at the end of the three months, been like you know, this just isn't working. Irreconcilable differences, whatever. You stayed in this relationship for a year knowing that you did not like this girl, and then you're talking about something I can't wait to be done with this.
Daijné:What was your plan to get out of this. Like, I feel like people are talking about the situation as if it's like gossip or like the latest tea. This could have ended extremely, extremely bad for janae. It's already bad that he wasted so much of her time, right. But I just keep thinking about, like, what was your plan to end this relationship? How did you plan to get out of this? Because a year in, that's already pretty deep in a relationship, right. So what was your plan? Like in my head. I try not to do this because, like I don't want to like put negative connotations on anybody, but my head goes to such a dark place when I think about, like, what could have happened to her in his attempt to end the situation. You know, like it could have ended extremely violent for her. It could have been a very scary, dangerous situation. And that's the thing is, like no one really thinks about, like, protecting black women. No one thinks about making sure that they're safe or okay, like the. The first thought is always how can I gain from this relationship? How can I gain from this black woman? You know what I mean. And it's the same thing like with kamala harris, with everything going on with donald trump and everything he's doing.
Daijné:I see so many people being like well, where's Kamala Harris? Why isn't she doing anything? Why isn't she speaking out? Y'all didn't vote for her. That lady is a private citizen, she's not in office. She ran for office and y'all didn't give her the job. Do you normally show up to a job that you weren't hired for? You know what I mean. And people are like where is she? Why isn't she doing anything? Y'all didn't hire her. What did y'all want her to do? Genuinely, like, what do y'all want her to do? She could speak out. Sure, she could talk about things that are going on which she has, by the way but, like she's a private citizen, she's not in office. So, genuinely, what do y'all want her to do? What did y'all expect? Did y'all expect her to to act as president when she ran for president and y'all didn't vote for her? Like, be for real.
Daijné:I said it in a podcast or like a couple episodes ago ask not what a black woman can do for you. Ask what you could do for a black woman bitch, because shit, black women have been doing shit for for fucking ever. When do we get a break? When do we get some protection? When do we get some rest? You know what I mean. Like fuck, leave us the fuck alone. But instead of leaving us alone of, instead of leaving people like kamala, harris or kenny leaving janae alone because you don't actually appreciate them, you use them for your own fucking gain and it's like are y'all not tired? Are y'all not fucking tired? This is why I always say, black women, we have to be selfish. We have to put ourselves first, because nobody else will put us first. No one else is going to give a fuck about our feelings, because it doesn't matter how you express those feelings.
Daijné:You could be calm and and giving and as bubbly as janae or as strict and angry black woman as me like I'm never been in the angry black woman allegations. Honestly, at this point I'm embracing them because, yeah, I have a lot to be angry about. Bitch, the world doesn't even see me as a fucking human. The world will never validate my fucking feelings. The world will never give me rest or protection or anything like. Yeah, I am angry and you know what I have a lot to be fucking angry about and it's like, regardless of if you're calm and bubbly or if you're mean and angry, they're gonna twist both of them onto you and make you the bad person for however the fuck you feel.
Daijné:So, at the end of the day, black women be fucking selfish. Be selfish and stop giving to these fuck ass people because, at the end of the day, black women be fucking selfish. Be selfish and stop giving to these fuck-ass people because, at the end of the day, they don't give a fuck. Sorry, let me hold your hand with an acronym until I tell you this they don't give a fuck, so you have to worry about you because no one else is going to, and that's a sad, fucking truth. But at the end of the day, like it's genuinely like the world does not see us as fucking human. They don't see us as people who are deserving of respect and like genuine basic decency. They'll always look at us as like how can I use this person for my own gain? Like it's it's the sickest shit in the fucking world.
Daijné:And that's why, like it's so incredibly hard as a black woman to do literally anything. It's hard to date, it's hard to make friends, it's hard to put yourself out there to have a job. Like yo, like leave us the fuck alone. And like, oh, my heart truly breaks for janae because she just I know she saw everything with that man and not only did she just waste a year of her life, or he wasted a year of her life, but, not to be dramatic, this is going to like alter her brain chemistry, alter her brain chemistry. This is going to make her second guess so much because she was building her life for a year based off a reality that was not true. He had her basing her life off of a reality that was not true and it's like that is so psychotic to do to a person, to make them think that you feel some way for a fucking year. And you did not even feel that way. You were playing in her face, you never really cared about her.
Daijné:And for the people who are online with their weird fucking thing pieces trying to blame Janae, like, well, obviously there were signs. Like we saw the signs. We called it a year ago. We knew he didn't like her what do you want by saying that? Like genuinely round of applause for you, great, you saw signs. Bitch, no, the fuck, you didn't. People who are saying, oh, we saw the signs, no, you were just a hater from the beginning and hating worked out for you this time cool, but give this man a fucking oscar. Okay, this man put on a fucking show. Put on a show. I would have never in a million years guessed that he genuinely was not into her. He, he played a role so well and that, like you have to be a special type of fucking evil to play in someone's face like that to make them think that you genuinely care about them. You have to be a special type of evil and there is a special place in hell for you.
Daijné:The vip section bitch janae is too nice to to say anything, so I'm gonna say it for her right now I wish nothing but the fucking worst for you. What like? I can't wait for karma to do her fucking big one. I want her to do her biggest one, not the fucking little. I like yo, I can't wait for karma to do her biggest one, the biggest one she ever has, biggest one she ever has, because the way you played in her face Ooh, I will be paying an Etsy wish. I will be paying an Etsy wish For sure, because it's just fucking egregious. Wicked fucking work Like this will genuinely alter her brain chemistry. She will second guess everything now because you had her building her life for a year, off of something that was not fucking real, off of something that was not fucking true, and so now she's gonna go into relationships and be like walking on eggshells for what, for what? For? For for you to get clout, for you to be famous, for you to like.
Daijné:I feel so, like my heart genuinely hurts. I feel like, as a black woman, when one of us is hurting, all of us are hurting and I I just can't imagine. I'm so happy that she has such the support system that she has, and I hope that she's seeing all of the love online because, like, men are scary, men are scary. And I'm seeing people also be like, oh well, if black women dated inside their race, these things wouldn't happen. We're not going to sit here and act like black women aren't disrespected in every, in every space, regardless of if it's inside or outside of our race. Like, black women truly are the most disrespected and unprotected people in america. So let's not like all of these things that people are saying like, oh well, she saw, she should have seen the signs. Like the signs were there, or like the oh well, this is why you shouldn't date inside your race like y'all do everything but hold the man accountable for shitty fucking behavior.
Daijné:Y'all will do anything to blame the woman, especially if it's a black woman, instead of holding the man accountable. Like, y'all will be like oh, there were signs, obviously he didn't like her. What about the instances and the signs where he showed that he did like her? What about the things that he would say to her in the villa, outside the villa, things that we haven't even seen? His family was fooled. Her family was fooled. Leah and serena like everyone thought that this man cared about her. Like, truly, give this man a fucking oscar because the way that he played this role is fucking crazy. It's absolutely fucking crazy.
Daijné:It needs to be studied. The lengths that y'all will go to to try to blame a woman for trusting and not a man for lying needs to be fucking studied. Y'all need psychological evaluations. Y'all and Kenny need a fucking psychological evaluation because there's no evaluations. Y'all and kenny need a fucking psychological evaluation because there's no way that you think that this is normal behavior to try to like, make a think piece about this woman's life or try to blame her for not seeing the signs.
Daijné:Like, this is a real woman. This is not hot gossip. This is not tea. This is a woman who is dealing with this situation and this is a situation that black women constantly have to worry about of. Do you genuinely like me for me, or are you trying to use me? Do you see me as a person or is this some sort of weird ulterior motive for you? And I hate that so many people are not taking this seriously because, number one, this is something that black women always have to worry about and, number two, this situation could have ended so fucking dangerously for her. Like that's just.
Daijné:All my brain keeps going back to is like, what was your plan to get out of it? What was your goal? What was your thought process? Like, what were you going to do to get out of this relationship? I'm as much as it sucks that a year of her life was now wasted. I'm so happy that she found it in the way that she did because, like I just it's this could have ended so so badly for her.
Daijné:As much as this sucks, trust janae will be okay and I will be paying an etsy witch because, like, oh, kenny, if I ever catch you, oh, if I get you, if I get you. But as we are over today's episode, I just want black women to know like you are valued, you are appreciated. You deserve the love and the peace and everything that you try to give everybody else. The world is so fucked up, people are so fucked up, but the way that people treat you, it says so much more about them than it does about you. I promise like nothing you are doing is causing people to treat you badly, like people treat you badly because they are shitty, fucking people and the world just needs to do better when it comes to black women and appreciating black women and protecting black women.
Daijné:And if you feel like you just can't do that, if you feel like you just aren't attracted to black women, don't like black women, whatever. Genuinely. Just leave us the fuck alone, like we, we will be fine, we'll be okay. Leave us alone the fact that people will use us, knowing that they don't give a fuck about us. Seek mental help. Go talk to that lady. Actually don't even talk to a lady. Go to. I can't tell you to go talk to a man either, because men ain't shit damn. Go talk to that lady. Actually don't even talk to a lady. Go to. I can't tell you to go talk to a man either, because men ain't shit damn. Go talk to somebody, but please leave black women alone as you figure out whatever the fuck's going on up here. If you can't appreciate us, truly appreciate us and just like, give us basic human decency, because that's all. Black women are asking for bare fucking minimum. Just treat us like fucking humans. If you can't do that, then leave us the fuck alone. Period, the fucking end.
Daijné:Thank you guys so much for tuning in to today's episode. Janae, I don't know that you'll see this, but if you do see this, I hope that you're doing okay. I'm praying for you. Know that, yes, this may have wasted a year of your life, but there is so much more and better coming for you, and just know that you will be okay. You will be okay. Trust, you have ppg, you have your family and you have this etsy witch that I'm about to call up and pay. Trust that man will be dealt with. I promise. I promise that man will be dealt with. Thank you guys so much for watching today's episode. I hope everyone's having a good day, except for that orange drink, lady and I. I will talk to you in the next episode. Peace and love. Talk to you later. The Napkin in Between, hosted by Daijné Jones, produced by Daijné Jones, post-production by Daijné Jones, music by Sam Champagne and graphics by Isma Vidal. Don't forget to like and subscribe. See you next episode.