Interviewed and Written by Cortney Moore.
Kansas met Natiece on Instagram, which many wouldn’t think of as a reliable platform for dating, but they made it work and began a relationship. This story isn’t too unusual in this day and age. However, their story is just one of the many relationships followed on Oxygen’s newest reality TV show, Virtually in Love. This show that has been a hit with audiences since its debut because it takes online dating face-to-face. Couples on the show encounter their own series of challenges, and Kansas and Natiece were no exception. With sneak peeks of their episode released by Oxygen, Kansas and Natiece have not been completely honest with each other. Will love prevail? Cupid had the pleasure of getting to know Kansas and heard her side of the story in our exclusive celebrity interview.
Virtually In Love‘s Kansas discusses online relationships & provides relationship advice in celebrity interview.
It would seem that specialized dating websites are no longer the only tool for making a connection online. In an unlikely series of events, the photo sharing app, Instagram, brought Kansas and Natiece together. “Well, when I saw her, she had posted something sad,” Kansas said regarding their first online encounter. “When I see people post sad things I just let them know that if they need someone to talk to, they can talk to me. And she wanted to talk, so that’s what happened.” Their initial interactions were platonic. Kansas helped Natiece get through a break-up she was going through, and as time went on, the pair eventually found themselves in a relationship.
Related Link:Â Dating Advice Q&A: How Can You Know If Someone is Being Honest Online?
Kansas, who also happens to be a Kansas state native, wasn’t worried about meeting the North Carolina basketball star. She admits that she was more concerned about whether or not she could fulfill Natiece’s expectations. In regard to her first reality TV appearance, Kansas said, “It was fun in a sense.” However, at the same time, she was there to meet Natiece and get to know her better. “We had stuff that we wanted to talk about, and it kind of felt like we were talking to everybody.” Despite the cameras following their journey, Kansas expresses gratitude at having an opportunity to share her story.
As seen in past episodes of Virtually in Love, the couples aren’t only meeting each other for the first time, but  they are also facing their issues head on. Online video teasers released by Oxygen show that Kansas and Natiece have been keeping secrets from each other. For instance, Natiece refrains from telling Kansas that she was engaged before and still holds on to her ring. Also, Kansas doesn’t tell Natiece that she had been seeing someone else for a time, while also keeping her relationship with Natiece a secret from her mother. To shed some light on her actions, Kansas explained, saying, “I didn’t know what to expect, that’s why I wasn’t really ready to say anything.” Pertaining to the situation that involved her mother, who doesn’t approve of same-sex relationships, Kansas said, “I thought it’d be better to have [Natiece] there.” Kansas went on to say that having Natiece present when she talked to her mother would force her to tell the truth about her sexuality.
When asked whether or not a long distance relationship impacted her views positively or negatively, Kansas said that her experience has been both. “I’ve had, with dating online, good experiences and bad experiences. I think it could be very similar to dating someone in real life, except they’re not there.” Additionally, Kansas expresses her sadness at the tragedy that unfolded in Orlando this past week at the Pulse nightclub. “It didn’t just affect the victims and their families; I feel that it affected the whole United States.” Kansas also went on to express that she believes the world needs to stop hating and start loving. “We just got to figure out where to start.”
Related Link: Celebrity Interview: Virtually In Love’s Iyanya Discusses His Online Relationship
When it comes to relationship advice and online dating tips, Kansas believes it’s important to do research and stay true to oneself. “If you’re going to do it, go in a hundred percent because you don’t know what the other person is feeling for you,” Kansas said. “You don’t want to be confused in an online relationship.” After her experience on the show, Kansas stresses honesty as the best policy, but of course online daters need to do their research to avoid instances like catfishing. “Be yourself,” she advised. “If you start off being yourself there won’t be any surprises.”
Keep up with Kansas and Natiece’s relationship on Virtually in Love, and find out if they stayed together or drifted apart.
Virtually in Love airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Oxygen Media.
