Ice-T is dropping marriage advice that has allowed him to stay happily married to Coco Austin for 20 years.
Ice-T and Jon Heder are co-starring on the FOX celebrity competition series “Nation’s Dumbest,” hosted by Jack Whitehall. At the press event, Ice-T spoke to Fox News Digital about maintaining his marriage.
“I think in a relationship, I think you just have to do what got you guys started. You know, when you first started dating, you can’t get rid of date night,” Ice-T, whose legal name is Tracy Lauren Marrow, said.
“Life comes in, drama, stress, but you got to return to that moment as much as you can. And then talk a lot. You know? Never let a problem fester. If there’s a problem, let’s get it out. Let’s talk about it quick. Don’t let it sit.
“Don’t be mad at me for like a month about something I didn’t even know got you mad,” Ice-T continued before adding, “Jon’s been married for a while too. He understands.”
Heder then chimed in with a proactive reason for Ice-T’s successful relationship.
“But I think the secret for you is also expanding,” Heder added.
“Yeah, expand. I expand. If I don’t expand right, you know, women need expansion,” Ice-T concluded.
Ice-T and Coco have been married since 2002. They share their 10-year-old daughter, Chanel Nicole Marrow.
Heder married his wife, Kirsten the same year as Ice-T and Coco. Kirsten and Jon share four kids.
“Nation’s Dumbest” is FOX’s new celebrity competition series that puts a comedic twist on the traditional game show format. Hosted by Whitehall, the series challenges 12 celebrities to return to “summer school,” where they compete in a mix of classroom-inspired trivia, physical games and school-themed challenges.
But unlike most competition shows, the objective isn’t to win — it’s to be eliminated. Each week, the contestant who performs the best “graduates” from the competition, while those who struggle remain in the game. In the end, the last celebrity standing earns the title no one wants: “The Nation’s Dumbest.”
Ice-T told Fox News Digital that there is still one question from the series that haunts him.
“Yeah, ‘how do you spell guarantee?’ I mean, I know how to spell guarantee, starts G-U, and I don’t know, I was standing on a ledge,” Ice-T said.
He continued, “You know, in the moment, your brain is scrambled. And I knew how to spell it, and spelled it wrong.”
The inaugural cast includes Ice-T, Heder, Hilaria Baldwin, Carmen Electra, Anthony Michael Hall, Chase Hudson, Elle King, Matt Leinart, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Steve-O, JoJo Siwa and Andrew Yang.
The format, which has found success internationally, blends pop quizzes, report cards, recess-inspired games and “final exams” with Whitehall’s signature humor. FOX has described the series as a fresh take on celebrity competition television, designed to deliver laughs by turning the usual goal of winning completely upside down.
The series premieres Wednesday, July 15, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX and streams the next day on Hulu.
