‘Poppa’s House’: Essence Atkins Talks Potential Ivy-Poppa Romance & Season 2 Hopes

[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Poppa’s House Season 1 Episode 13, “Graduation.”]

Even therapists have their relationship struggles. Viewers got to know Dr. Ivy Reed (Essence Atkins) on a deeper level in the Monday, March 3, episode of Poppa’s House. The Ivy-focused episode saw Ivy’s ex-husband, David (played by Walker‘s Coby Bell, a former costar of Atkins’), unexpectedly reappear with the hopes to reconnect, and it welcomed Ivy’s mother, Felicia (played by guest star Ella Joyce). Both of these complicated relationships served to deepen Ivy’s backstory, one defined by relationship struggles that inspired her to make big changes in her life.

But like so many of us, Ivy couldn’t help but slip back into old habits under her mother and David’s influence. Ivy’s loneliness made her foolishly think that her ex had finally changed and was ready to be faithful. In reality, the former NFL player was trying to use her and had no intentions of being monogamous — he couldn’t even stay faithful during the same party where he asked her to get back together.