Madi Prewett is clarifying her past comments with a heartfelt approach, addressing the uproar that followed her statement that her "favorite thing" is being a "submissive wife" to her husband, Grant Troutt. Two weeks after sharing this sentiment on her "Stay True" podcast, Madi and Grant, who tied the knot in October 2022, have issued an apology for the misconceptions that arose.
"It grieves our hearts to see that there wasn't context provided around that statement," Madi shared on the December 14th episode of her podcast. "When a word like 'submit' is used flippantly without explanation or context, it can be received in a hurtful way. We want to apologize for that."
The 29-year-old mother of ten-month-old daughter Hosanna understands that some listeners associate the word "submit" with "abuse" due to past experiences or what they've witnessed around them. "When you hear that word, you might think it means oppression for women, a loss of voice and control," she explains. "But when you hear that word from us, it's meant to evoke different feelings."
Madi, who competed on Peter Weber's season of "The Bachelor" in 2020, clarifies that her use of the word "submissive" in the context of marriage "roles" doesn't mean exercising dominant power or authority. "It doesn't mean the wife is weak or passive or has no voice. That's not what submission means," she says. "Nor is it what we believe submission means when it comes to the Bible."
Grant, who references specific passages from the book of Ephesians in the Bible as the "blueprint for godly, biblical marriage," explains that while the word "submit" is used in reference to wives, it doesn't mean oppressive or domineering. "Grant is the provider and protector of the home," Madi says. "I come under his care willingly, feeling safe and secure."
For Madi, this submission is about "honor" and "respect" for Grant, not because she has to but because it's how God calls them to be in their marriage. "We have equal rights," she emphasizes. "We just have different roles. We serve each other, not just think about ourselves all the time."
In the end, Madi sees her submission as a reflection of her love and respect for Grant, with both partners having equal rights and different roles in their marriage. "What God calls for when you get married is to lay your life down for one another, to serve each other," Madi concludes. "You're not just thinking about yourself all the time."
