A Brooklyn couple is showing they're not afraid to put their affections on display, and they're hoping one day their viral videos will eventually land them a family sitcom.
Khadeen and Devale Ellis have been together for nearly two decades, but for the past 2 1/2 years they've been sharing their love for each other and their family through their YouTube channel “The Ellises.”
"It was always something we talked about since college. I wanted to be an actor, she wanted to be a host,” says Devale. “I had been auditioning a bunch of times, but I was always being a gangster, a criminal or ex-con. I said I was tired of the narrative as a young black man, I must be a criminal to be on television. So I said let's just do our own content."
As the couple welcomed their second child Kairo into the world they began documenting their new life as their older son Jackson dealt with having a new sibling.
"At first I thought it was kind of weird that you would just film your life and people would watch your everyday life, and for me I was like it's almost like a great way to have a video memory book for my kids and watching them grow,” says Khadeen.
Now, as a family of five, the Ellises are giving people an inside look at their unscripted lives and what it means for them to grow together.
"It's interesting when I see people comment about the kids growing. They're like ‘wow we feel like we grew with the family,’ so those moments people are really invested in, which I think is amazing for us,” says Khadeen.
As the couple continues to raise their family and share their experiences on social media, they're also making sure to pursue their careers.
"I think when people watch us they think, wow here's a young couple who are both chasing their dreams and being successful, but still find time to love and love on each other and not lose sight that this really still matters to the both of us,” says Devale.