Exclusive Interview

‘Jay & Pamela’ Stars Dish on Married Life & Family Drama in Season 2

Jay Manuel and Pamela Chavez are back on TLC with the second season of their series Jay & Pamela, documenting their vibrant marriage as two adults living with Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type 3, a rare brittle bone disorder.

Ahead of Season 2, which premieres on June 30, the duo updated Swooon on their lives since filming Season 1 and what to expect during their second season on air. Of course, their lives have changed quite a bit since they gained celebrity status on the TLC series. However, they assured us that it is for the better!

“Our life has gotten exponentially better, honestly,” Jay explained. “Even just in a year’s time. It’s wild how time flies. We’ve been able to connect with so many amazing supporters out there that have supported the show.” Pamela added, “Not to be cheesy, but I’m literally living the life that I always dreamed of and more. We’ve been able to do so many things because,  with the show, we met such amazing people, either who worked on the show or who have watched the show. It’s been great just growing our friendships and having more experiences together as a married couple.”

During Season 1, viewers got to see Jay and Pamela’s stunning wedding. Now, they’re almost at their second anniversary. “Married life has been awesome,” Pamela told Swooon. “We’re very fortunate that we have a great support system, and we’ve always had big conversations, even before we got married. We are very big on always doing our best, and what I mean by that is giving each other grace. Sometimes Jay or I, we can’t give our 100%, and that’s okay. That’s what marriage is: to support one another. I still see him as my best friend.”

Since the first season, the couple has moved into an accessible apartment that fits all of their needs. Pamela revealed, “We were very fortunate to find a great apartment, and they were able to accommodate certain things for us to be able to live independently on our own.” While they’re no longer living with Jay’s parents, they still have one very special roommate — their adorable dog Cheddar!

“I don’t even know if Cheddar knows how loved she is outside of us,” Pamela laughed. “She’s still a wild child, yet she’s our child, so you know we gotta love her. She’s awesome, though. She’s been doing great.” According to Jay, we’ll be seeing a lot more of Cheddar during this season. Thank goodness!

TLC

Related

'90 Day Fiancé' Season 10: Who's Still Together?

While Pamela’s parents still aren’t in the picture after not attending their wedding because they do not approve of Jay’s gender identity as a transgender man, Pamela teased a lot of growth to come surrounding that relationship this season. “I’m very fortunate that I have a good support system outside of just my parents, and now as a 33-year-old married woman I’m constantly always thinking outside the box and trying to do better and giving people grace, even though sometimes it seems unfair,” she confessed. “I’ve been going to therapy, and that’s been really helpful, and I have great friends who, unfortunately they understand what I have gone through with my parents, and yeah, I’m looking forward to y’all seeing Season 2. There will be a lot more growth and big conversations about family.”

While the couple has moved out of Jay’s parents’ house, he assured us that Raphael and Rene will still be central characters this season. “I think they say that distance makes the heart grow fonder, and I believe that us having that space has helped for our relationship,” Jay explained. “It gives them more reasons to actually visit, and it’s just helped all of us grow, I feel like as individuals.”

Be sure to tune into Jay & Pamela on Tuesday nights to catch up with the beloved couple, and see which major milestones they hit during their sophomore season!

Jay & Pamela, Season 2, Tuesdays at 10/9c, TLC