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Dallas Jenkins has come to prominence with the success of his show “The Chosen” in both Christian and secular circles. Yet, despite the success the show has had during its four seasons, Jenkins and his wife, Amanda, have faced enormous personal challenges. Sitting down with Chynna Phillips Baldwin on her podcast, “California Preachin, Honestly Speakin,” the pair opened up about how God has worked through their difficulties. “I can honestly say, and I hope this doesn’t come across at all as ungrateful — because this has been an extraordinary journey — but it’s been, without a close second, the hardest five years of our lives,” said Dallas. He called the last year, “the hardest and most painful of our lives,” stating it was particularly challenging for their marriage as well as their children. The pair met at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul and were married in 1998. The couple has four children: Sam, Maya, Elle, and Max.
One big stressor for the marriage has been an increasing workload with the success of “The Chosen” and Dallas’s other projects. “I try really hard to carve out time and prioritize family, and I think I do more than the average showrunner. But you’re operating from a deficit,” he said. After a long time from home, he admitted that he and Amanda struggle to reconnect. “There’s expectations on both sides and they get unmet. Things start to fly, and suddenly, you’re feeling like the one person that you’re supposed to be closest to in this process, you’re disappointing, or they’re disappointing you,” he admitted. One thing that has helped the couple is being open about their struggles, with Dallas admitting that they have their marriage counselor “on speed dial.” He stated he has to be intentional with his family time, treating it as sacred and making himself unavailable during those hours. “If you wake up one morning and your kids [are] 20 years old, and they’re now bitter or resentful because of those little choices you didn’t make — you end up getting a Cat’s in the Cradle situation, and it’s not great,” he said. Amanda talked about taking things “day to day” and being open with her children when she needs to take time for work.
The couple work together on “The Chosen,” which helps Amanda feel included in the growing success of the show. She also announced the release of Dallas’s upcoming adaptation of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with him. The story, written by Barbara Robinson, shares the tale of the Herdman children, the terror of the town, and their mishaps as they infiltrate the town’s big Christmas pageant celebration. The movie is set to release November 2024, with the book being very dear to both Amanda and Dallas. The couple also recently celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary, with Dallas taking to Facebook to share the milestone. “26 years married today,” he wrote. “We’re actually celebrating this weekend…but we celebrate every day, really, because our marriage is stronger than ever.”