Family or Fiancé season 4 episode 8, which was released on June 14, 2025, featured college sweethearts Sky and James. They participated in the social experiment to gain clarity and move forward with marriage, but not before engaging in tough family conversations. Both of them had unresolved, deep-rooted traumatic experiences, the burden of which they still carried on their shoulders.During their time on Family or Fiancé, the couple wanted to address those long-standing issues and ultimately seek their family members' blessings.While Sky dealt with her father's alcohol addiction in addition to her mother's past with domestic abuse, James struggled to overcome the trauma of his father's passing. Both agreed that their battles affected their relationship and that they would not be able to make progress if they left the underlying issues unacknowledged.As a result, Sky and James sought therapy and involved their parents in the process as well. After several sit-downs with relationship experts and counselors, the Family or Fiancé couple managed to reach a middle ground. Due to that, the families were able to bless the couple without any inhibitions or apprehension.Family or Fiancé star James reminisces about his father's passing during a therapy session with his familyDuring the first sit-down with Family or Fiancé relationship expert Tracy McMillan, Sky shared that her father stole her moment during her engagement by jumping into the pool in an intoxicated state. She mentioned that her father had been fasting since the proposal, but she remained unconvinced, as she knew it was a deep-rooted issue."My father started abusing alcohol and other drugs. I definitely noticed it at like six, seven years old, that something was off."Shortly after, she informed Tracy that her mother was married again and that her late ex-husband was "very abusive." Sky went on to say that his passing was the reason why her mother was able to get out of that situation.Later in the Family or Fiancé episode, when the couple sat down with their family members, James revealed that his father passed away from cancer when he was 21."My dad, when he passed, it was like dang. For a while, I felt like this ain't real," he said. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostJames added that a part of him left when he died. Sky chimed in, saying that James had not fully processed his death, and that it affected him as if it had happened the year before.Sky, on the other hand, opened up about growing up in a household with domestic violence, admitting that she developed anxiety from her traumatic experiences.In another segment of the episode, when both families gathered for dinner, Sky had a bitter clash with her mother when she called her out for not being emotionally available. Sky's mother became emotional, blaming the Family or Fiancé female star for only remembering the negatives and not everything she had done to "change the generational curses."The conversation escalated from there and fizzled out without a resolution. Shortly after, Sky sat down with her father to address his "substance abuse problem." When she explained that she did not want to lose her father to alcohol, he assured her that he would work on himself and not embarrass her like he did during her engagement. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostMeanwhile, James sought therapy with his family, during which he confessed that he hid away his emotions "all the time." He remembered his late father, admitting that he would do anything to have him back. The counselor mentioned that if he continued to hold onto the past, he would eventually carry the trauma into his relationship.Upon hearing that, the Family or Fiancé star agreed to go to therapy because he did not wish to ruin what he had with Sky. Elsewhere, Tracy sat down with Sky's mother, advising her to take care of herself and allow Sky the opportunity to express herself without shutting her down. She agreed to put in the work to ensure she sustained a healthy relationship with her children.As the Family or Fiancé episode concluded, Sky and James earned the blessings of all their loved ones, who wished them well on their journey ahead.Family or Fiancé episodes can be streamed on OWN.