Robin Thede Didn’t Leave Church Behind — She Brought It With Her to ‘Relationship Goals’

For Robin Thede, “Relationship Goals” isn’t just another movie — it’s a return to a culture and lingo she learned early.

“I grew up very churched,” Thede told Faithfully Magazine in a January video interview. The “A Black Lady Sketch Show” star recalled a childhood shaped by constant church involvement.

“I was in church three days a week. I was in a Christian puppet group that traveled through the country. I was in a choir,” she said.

For Thede, faith was formative, and afforded her early exposure to the creative arts.

That background directly informed her approach to “Relationship Goals,” a faith-based romantic comedy inspired by Pastor Mike Todd’s bestselling book and sermon series of the same name.

“Church was always a part of my life,” Thede said. “So the faith-based part of it just goes with relationships.” She added that the film explores what happens when people drift from their faith while trying to navigate intimacy — a theme she believes resonates far beyond church audiences.

“Even people who aren’t looking for faith-based material are still going to take away a really beautiful message,” she said, describing the story as one about “three women going on separate journeys in their romantic lives.”

Co-star Annie Gonzalez (“Flamin’ Hot”) brings a different — but equally layered — faith journey to the film. Raised Mormon before converting to Catholicism and later attending various Christian churches with friends, Gonzalez said she always believed in God but didn’t fully understand faith until encountering Pastor Todd’s teaching online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was like, ‘Yo, I get it,'” Gonzalez said. “I understand why people come to commune.” That realization helped her connect deeply to her character, Treese Moore, who she described as someone who knows she needs something, even if she can’t yet name it.

Both actresses said they read Todd’s New York Times bestselling book closely while preparing, often with highlighted copies. They also appreciated having both Mike and Natalie Todd present on set during production.

For Thede, who plays Brenda Phelps in the movie, the book’s modern, plainspoken approach mattered. “I can’t relate to Moses today,” she said frankly. “But what Pastor Todd writes makes sense to me today.”

Ultimately, “Relationship Goals” aims to meet people where they are, not where they think they’re supposed to be.

“Relationship Goals,” starring Kelly Rowland and Cliff “Method Man” Smith as romantic leads, is available for streaming on Prime Video beginning February 4.

Editor’ note: This article was written with the assistance of A.I.