"I felt like he was acting": Ready to Love star Donnah opens up about her perception of Darius

Ready to Love returned on November 7, 2025, on OWN with its season 11 in Detroit, featuring 20 single Black men and women exploring their connections on the show, seeking authentic and meaningful relationships.

OWN's hit dating reality series is hosted by comedian Thomas “Nephew Tommy” Miles, who guides successful singles in their 30s or 40s as they navigate the ups and downs of dating in order to find their true love.

The latest episode of Ready to Love, which ​​​​​​premiered on Friday, November 21, 2025, challenged men and women from the two mixers who are reunited to form connections and get to know each other.

While some first impressions lingered as Donnah went to Darius to share her feelings about her first impression of him, which was unauthentic and felt like acting, as she shares in a confessional:

My first impression of Darius was not the best. I felt like he was acting.

Here's what Donnah said to Darius that he found offensive in the latest episode of Ready to Love

Donnah and Darius finally sit down for a real conversation after a rocky first impression, and soon tension began to surface with Darius getting offended and judged by Donnah's perception.

Donnah first gives a context about her feelings to the viewers in a confession:

I just didn't get authenticity from him. So, I do feel a need to tell Darius what I'm thinking. 

As they both sit down to talk, the 38-year-old mathematician begins honestly, telling him that he "did not give her a great first impression at the mixer,” explaining that “the things he did at the table” made her classify him as “jive,” further admitting:

It was this idea that you may downplay who you actually are and upplay this persona. And the persona was upplayed for me.

Darius pushes back immediately, not agreeing with her at all, and insists that he treats everyone well and rarely receives negative energy.

“Donnah, I totally disagree. I don’t upplay on anything. I’m just me,” he tells in a confessional.

He then expresses in the confessional that they barely spoke at the mixer, and as she has no information about him, how can she have a first impression of him?

The 40-year-old entrepreneur then called out Donnah for judging him as he said:

That's called That's called judging. I don't judge people like that.

Donnah, however, explained that her reaction came partly from her past experiences with meeting people with a similar kind of interactions that he had with her. She also tells him she’s not the only woman who felt this way:

“A lot of women feel this way about you, and I’m the one who’s handing it to you.”

But Darius was not convinced as he responded that he talked to nine other women and none of them gave him any hint of what Donnah was implying. When Donnah suggests they simply didn’t tell him, he calls that “ludicrous,” insisting,

“Just like you telling me and you being real with me, they was real with me as well.”

In his confession, he’s clearly frustrated, saying that:

The whole time Donna's face was crumbled up. I'm going to tell you right now, she did not care to even get to know me. 

Lastly, Darius accused Donnah of prejudging him, saying sorry on that part and telling her that he is not that kind of person.

Ready to Love season 11 new episodes premiere weekly every Friday, at 9:00 pm ET/PT on OWN.

Stay tuned for more updates.